- Actors: Ryan Phillippe, Joey King
- Director: John Leonetti
- Disc Format: NTSC, Widescreen
- Number of discs: 1
- Studio: Broad Green Pictures
- Release Date: October 10, 2017
- Run Time: 95 minutes
Sometimes horror
movies rely upon the stupidity of the characters, especially if there would be
no deaths without their mistakes. This can work, especially in the slaughtering
of sinful co-eds in slasher films, but even the protagonist displays some
restraint in those films. Wish Upon
forces a completely preventable premise upon its audience, made worse by the
fact that the main character has to act completely out of character just to
keep the plot moving.
The plot of Wish Upon is destined to utilize the “be
careful what you wish for” tropes when a teenage girl named Clare (Joey King)
is given a mysterious Chinese box by her dumpster-diving father (Ryan Phillippe).
At first Clare doesn’t realize what the box does and accidentally makes a wish
that ends up coming true. Once she discovers the connection, Clare begins to
use the box to improve her social standing at school, partly by improving her
financial standing. There is a price to this newfound power, however, which is
where the elements of horror take over the typical wish-fulfillment fantasy.
Conveniently
friends with a classmate whose sister studies ancient Chinese, Clare is able to
translate the writing on her box. She finds that there is a blood price for
each wish that she makes, which is why the people around her have begun to
tragically die in creative ways. This is the point that the each subsequent
event becomes completely preventable, and also when Clare’s character begins
acting in a way that will continue the plot, even if makes little sense. The
pattern continues, until an unsurprising resolution, sold as a twist to those
who can’t be bothered to pay attention.
The only real
enjoyment in the film is the death scenes, which are basically just blander
versions of the creative accidents that made up the Final Destination franchise. There is no villain, and the only
person who can really be blamed is Clare, especially once she knows the
consequences but continues to make wishes. The Blu-ray release includes an unrated
director’s cut, but even that remains safely in the PG-13 territory. Even when
the deaths are gross, they are never gruesome. The theatrical cut is also
included, though there is only about a minute’s difference between them.
The Blu-ray
release also comes with a DVD copy of the film, both of which have an
assortment of special features. There is a fairly pointless featurette of the
cast discussing what they would wish for if they could, as well as an attic
tour with King. There is also a promotional featurette with director John
Leonetti and the cast talking about the development of the film, but the most
creative extras are two motion comics about previous owners of the box.
Entertainment Value:
6/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 5/10
Historical Significance:
1/10
Special Features: 6.5/10
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