2022, Drama, Mystery
WISE Score
A nurse in 1862 Ireland investigates a girl who claims to have not eaten for months, turning a religious miracle into a high-stakes psychological autopsy.
6.6
The Wonder is a haunting, intellectually rigorous mystery that demands your full attention. It isn't 'fun' in the traditional sense, but it's a deeply rewarding look at how communities can use faith to justify cruelty.
If your teen is into historical dramas or psychological thrillers like The Witch, this is a strong pick. Just be prepared for a very slow pace and some truly heavy subject matter regarding child endangerment.
This is strictly for teens 15+ and adults. While there isn't traditional 'action' violence, the psychological weight of child abuse and the inclusion of explicit sexual content make it a heavy lift for younger viewers.
The central plot involves the slow starvation of a child under the guise of religious devotion, which is the antithesis of wholesome. However, the protagonist's drive to save the girl provides a strong moral center.
The film uses a unique meta-cinematic framing device—starting on a modern soundstage—to emphasize the power of storytelling. The psychological mystery is atmospheric and creatively staged.
This is a mature drama. It contains a graphic sex scene, depictions of grief-induced drug use (laudanum), and the disturbing physical reality of a child wasting away. It is safe for adults and older teens, but not for a younger audience.
It offers a profound look at the intersection of faith, science, and the stories we tell to survive trauma. It provides significant historical context regarding post-famine Ireland and the 'fasting girls' phenomenon.
The Wonder isn't just a fictional mystery; it's grounded in the very real historical phenomenon of 'fasting girls' in the Victorian era. These girls claimed to live without food for indefinitely long periods, often becoming local celebrities or religious icons. The film uses this history to explore the tension between the burgeoning field of nursing/science and the entrenched traditions of rural Ireland just years after the Great Famine.
Florence Pugh is the reason this movie works. Without her grounded, often frustrated presence, the film might have drifted too far into the ethereal or the depressing. She plays Lib Wright as a woman of science who has seen enough death in the Crimean War to have no patience for 'miracles' that look suspiciously like suicide. Her chemistry with the young Kila Lord Cassidy is what gives the movie its emotional stakes.
Be warned: this movie moves at the speed of a 19th-century carriage. It is a 'vibe' movie that asks you to sit in the damp, cold Irish mud with the characters. If you or your teen prefer fast-moving plots with clear-cut villains, you might find yourself checking your phone. But for those who want to discuss the ethics of belief and the power of narrative, it’s one of the more thoughtful dramas of the last few years.
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