Wonder Wheel – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Wonder Wheel

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2017

22%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Woody Allen's dreary 1950s Coney Island melodrama about adultery and misery—as fun as it sounds (which is: not at all).

6.2/10

31%

→

Wonder Wheel

movie

PG-13, 2017

22%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Woody Allen's dreary 1950s Coney Island melodrama about adultery and misery—as fun as it sounds (which is: not at all).

6.2

31%

Jump to

Also rated on

6.2/10

31%

View →

Where to Watch

Loading streaming options...

Where-to-watch data byJustWatch

Screenwise Verdict

Look, there's no sugarcoating this: Wonder Wheel is a mess. It's a dark, depressing slog through adultery, suicide ideation, and toxic relationships, wrapped in Woody Allen's increasingly tired neurotic-affair formula. The PG-13 rating is misleading—this has sexual content and mature themes that put it firmly in adult territory.

Even if you're an adult looking for a sophisticated period drama, the 31% critic score tells the real story. It's overwrought, self-indulgent, and emotionally exhausting without offering meaningful insight. Kate Winslet tries her best, but she can't save a script this tone-deaf.

For families? Absolutely not. For teens? Still no. For adults who love bleak relationship dramas? Maybe, but you've been warned—this is widely considered one of Allen's worst films. There are dozens of better options for your movie night.

Age Fit

This is an adult drama, period. Common Sense Media says 15+, but honestly, even older teens would likely find it boring and depressing. Best suited for adult viewers who enjoy dark relationship dramas—and even then, the critical consensus is that it's a slog.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

This is a dark, bleak drama centered on adultery, toxic relationships, suicide ideation, and potential murder. The protagonist is a deeply unhappy woman in a miserable marriage who has an affair with a younger lifeguard. Characters model selfishness, manipulation, and destructive behavior. The emotional tone is oppressive and cynical throughout, with no redemptive arc or healthy relationship dynamics.

Imaginative

Woody Allen attempts a theatrical, stylized approach with saturated cinematography meant to evoke 1950s melodrama and Tennessee Williams plays. The framing device of a lifeguard narrator adds a meta layer. However, the execution feels stale and self-conscious rather than genuinely creative. The Coney Island setting has visual potential but the story itself is a tired retread of Allen's usual themes of neurotic affairs and existential misery.

Safe

PG-13 rating significantly undersells the mature content. Features explicit discussion and depiction of adultery (sex scene on beach under boardwalk with moaning and thrusting), themes of murder and suicide, domestic dysfunction, and heavy smoking throughout. Common Sense Media rates it 15+ and multiple parent guides warn it's darker than the rating suggests. No graphic violence or nudity, but the psychological darkness and sexual content make it inappropriate for younger teens.

Enriching

The film attempts to explore consequences of choices, the gap between fantasy and reality, and the destructive nature of selfishness. However, with a 31% Rotten Tomatoes critic score and 43% audience score, it's widely considered a failure that squanders its themes in melodramatic excess. The performances (particularly Kate Winslet's) have merit, but the overwrought script and dated Woody Allen sensibility undermine any meaningful insight. It's more exhausting than enlightening.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Kate Winslet delivers a committed performance as a woman trapped in desperation
Visually stylized with saturated colors meant to evoke classic melodrama
Could spark discussions about consequences of selfish choices—if you can stay awake through it
The theatrical framing device adds a layer of self-awareness to the storytelling

⚠

What to Watch For

Themes of adultery, suicide, and murder make this firmly adult territory despite the PG-13 rating
Beach sex scene with audible moaning and visible thrusting (clothed but explicit)
Pervasive emotional bleakness and toxic relationship dynamics throughout
Heavy smoking in nearly every scene
Critically panned with a 31% RT score—this is widely considered a misfire even for Allen fans

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think the lifeguard is telling this story? Is he a reliable narrator?"
"How do people's fantasies about their lives differ from reality in this movie?"
"What consequences did the characters face for their selfish decisions?"
"Do you think the theatrical, over-the-top style helps or hurts the story?"

Ask Anything

Get a personalized guide on any topic

Writing about Wonder Wheel? Put this WISE score on your site