Connect with us
The Wonder movie review

Culture

The Wonder Is a Gorgeous Bore

TIFF: The Wonder Review

Sebastián Lelio’s The Wonder is a textbook case of a bold vision and a botched execution. It’s full of mesmerizing components, both visual and sonic, but fails to generate a coherent link between them. There are great ideas here that rap on the door, but they are not given the force to burst it open, creating an experience that utterly drags amidst its spurts of technical skill. It’s a gorgeous bore that is ultimately just as vapid as the beautiful empty landscapes it revels in.

Bookended by muddled fourth wall breaks—which in the grand scheme are only a tacked-on narrative device— the story, adapted from a novel by Emma Donoghue, follows Lib Wright (Florence Pugh, in a measured performance), a veteran nurse of the Crimean War, who arrives in the Irish countryside to observe an eleven-year-old girl, Anna O’Donnell (Kíla Lord Cassidy), who miraculously hasn’t eaten a crumb for four months.

Labeled as a saint and as a religious miracle, Lib’s investigation to determine the root cause of the titular wonder is hampered by an influx of pious tourists and a devout fervor. She quickly realizes she must take drastic measures to save Anna from an increasingly unstable situation, as a central clash between science and religion erupts around them.

The Wonder movie review
(Netflix)

A story like this demands rich substance and character exploration, but Lelio’s direction fails on both accounts, as he and his DP Ari Wegner (who continues her lyrical and atmospheric work from The Power of the Dog) attempt to give colour and depth to an empty canvas, but throughout the runtime only apply a few dollops of vibrancy to an all-but hollow and vacant mural.

Its more intimate, heartfelt, and profound conversations around the dangers of unadulterated faith are spread too far between utterly jaw-dropping vistas, where the characters pensively walk through the Irish moors. Yet, these stunning compositions become too much of a good thing and ultimately consume the film’s meaty, thought-provoking ambitions, as a majority of the runtime is yielded to thinly beautiful frames that are not given the substance to do them justice. The Wonder, without a doubt, is one of the most gorgeous films of the year, but it is also one of the most unsatisfying cinematic experiences in recent memory.

The Wonder movie review
(Netflix)

While the film’s visuals are wholly mesmerizing, its soundscape is equally impressive. Matthew Herbert’s score melds the orchestral with the electronic, cementing an unconventional ambiance that seamlessly settles into an ethereal stream, which perfectly captures the film’s haunting and mystifying subject matter. But its excellence only serves to highlight the film’s thematic and narrative shortcomings. There is a distinct lack of forward momentum and soul in its exploration of the spiritual and the miraculous, coming across as cold and exacting when it attempts to appeal to the audience’s heart— unearthing more confusion than profundity.

Much like the movie sets it depicts in its meta opening (which attempts to bask in the fabricated nature of the story), The Wonder is similarly just an empty framework — narrative scaffolding that is never given life and a central purpose by its abridged storytelling. Its spellbinding visuals and sound design serve no greater role than a fanciful cloak, which coaxes us into enduring its slogging and utterly aimless rendition of a period piece.
-Prabhjot Bains

The 47th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival takes place from September 8–18Find all our coverage here.

Written By

Prabhjot Bains is a Toronto-based film writer and critic who has structured his love of the medium around three indisputable truths- the 1970s were the best decade for American cinema, Tom Cruise is the greatest sprinter of all time, and you better not talk about fight club. His first and only love is cinema and he will jump at the chance to argue why his movie opinion is much better than yours. His film interests are diverse, as his love of Hollywood is only matched by his affinity for international cinema. You can reach Prabhjot on Instagram and Twitter @prabhjotbains96

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Facebook

Trending

Is Andy Allo Pregnancy Rumors Real Or Fake? Is Andy Allo Pregnancy Rumors Real Or Fake?

Is Andy Allo Pregnancy Rumors Real Or Fake?

Celebrity

Christian Stracke Net Worth 2024 Christian Stracke Net Worth 2024

Christian Stracke Net Worth 2024

Celebrity

Jackson Taylor's Death Jackson Taylor's Death

Cause Of Jackson Taylor’s Death: The Shocking Details of His Fatal Accident!

Celebrity

Is Country Legend Alan Jackson Dead At 64? Is Country Legend Alan Jackson Dead At 64?

Is Country Legend Alan Jackson Dead At 64?

Celebrity

Is Taraji P Henson Pregnant In 2023? Is Taraji P Henson Pregnant In 2023?

Is Taraji P Henson Pregnant In 2023?

Celebrity

Who Is David Rives? Who Is Jenna Ellis's First Husband? Who Is David Rives? Who Is Jenna Ellis's First Husband?

Who Is David Rives? Who Is Jenna Ellis’s First Husband?

Celebrity

Who Is Terri Ficca and Why Is She Going Viral on the Internet? Who Is Terri Ficca and Why Is She Going Viral on the Internet?

Who Is Terri Ficca and Why Is She Going Viral on the Internet?

Celebrity

Who Is Lola Consuelos's Boyfriend Who Is Lola Consuelos's Boyfriend

Who Is Lola Consuelos’s Boyfriend: About Her Dating History

Celebrity

Travis Kelce’s Wife and The Surprising Rise to Fame of Travis Kelce

Celebrity

Is Suki Waterhouse Pregnant? Fact Check Is Suki Waterhouse Pregnant? Fact Check

Is Suki Waterhouse Pregnant? Fact Check

Celebrity

Are Malika Andrews and Dave McMenamin Married? Discover The Love Journey Between The Couple Are Malika Andrews and Dave McMenamin Married? Discover The Love Journey Between The Couple

Are Malika Andrews and Dave McMenamin Married? Discover The Love Journey Between The Couple

Celebrity

Candace Parker Net Worth: Unraveling the Basketball Star’s Path to Wealth, Legacy

Celebrity

Caliphate Season 2 Release Date Caliphate Season 2 Release Date

Breaking: Caliphate Season 2 Release Date, Cast, Spoilers, Trailer, Plot, and Every Newest Update!

TV

Is Kay Adams Married? Is Kay Adams Married?

Kay Adams, Husband & Dating History: Is She Married?

Celebrity

The Truth Behind Taylor Heinicke's Relationship Status: Wife or Rumors? The Truth Behind Taylor Heinicke's Relationship Status: Wife or Rumors?

The Truth Behind Taylor Heinicke’s Relationship Status: Wife or Rumors?

Celebrity

Bridget Fonda’s Public Appearance After Elfman’s Scandal: Was Husband accused of sexual abuse? Bridget Fonda’s Public Appearance After Elfman’s Scandal: Was Husband accused of sexual abuse?

Bridget Fonda’s Public Appearance After Elfman’s Scandal: Was Husband accused of sexual abuse?

Celebrity

Connect