HALLOWEEN HORROR MOVIE #2:
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WHAT YOU WISH FOR (2023): I always try to include some genre-adjacent thriller movies into the mix during Halloween to break up the regular ghosts and monsters and whatnot. I find this especially helfpul when cranking through four or more horror movies a week. My first thriller selection is this film that I happened to miss when it was playing at Fantastic Fest last year. While I heard that this wasn't a stunner, I've always enjoyed Nick Stahl in almost everything I've seen him in (even in DISTURBING BEHAVIOR, which I really need to revisit) and was happy to see him return to acting after such a long absence, especially in WHAT JOSAIH SAW (2021). Now, that film had its flaws, but it had a wicked mean streak and it has grown in my appreciation over time. Unfortunately, this one, for me, toes the line between working well and just not working at all. I'll keep plot details light because going in as blind as possible is always recommended. Stahl plays a chef on the skids from a gambling debt seeking some relief from an old, and rather prosperous, friend in an unnamed Latin American country, only to find himself caught up in the friend's nefarious doings. First, I will say that Stahl continues to handle himself well and the centerpiece of the movie, while not perfect, gets darn close to firing on all cylinders. Unfortunately, the beginning of the film fails to set up what the ending needs to pay off, leaving the movie to finish on a deflated note rather than the much needed kick in the ribs it aims for. The movie is frustrating precisely because you can see how good it could have been. I'm still rather torn on the movie and can't quite decide where it'll land on repeat viewings, descending down or moving up despite its flaws. GRADE: C-
what-you-wish-for_movie_poster.jpg
WHAT YOU WISH FOR (2023): I always try to include some genre-adjacent thriller movies into the mix during Halloween to break up the regular ghosts and monsters and whatnot. I find this especially helfpul when cranking through four or more horror movies a week. My first thriller selection is this film that I happened to miss when it was playing at Fantastic Fest last year. While I heard that this wasn't a stunner, I've always enjoyed Nick Stahl in almost everything I've seen him in (even in DISTURBING BEHAVIOR, which I really need to revisit) and was happy to see him return to acting after such a long absence, especially in WHAT JOSAIH SAW (2021). Now, that film had its flaws, but it had a wicked mean streak and it has grown in my appreciation over time. Unfortunately, this one, for me, toes the line between working well and just not working at all. I'll keep plot details light because going in as blind as possible is always recommended. Stahl plays a chef on the skids from a gambling debt seeking some relief from an old, and rather prosperous, friend in an unnamed Latin American country, only to find himself caught up in the friend's nefarious doings. First, I will say that Stahl continues to handle himself well and the centerpiece of the movie, while not perfect, gets darn close to firing on all cylinders. Unfortunately, the beginning of the film fails to set up what the ending needs to pay off, leaving the movie to finish on a deflated note rather than the much needed kick in the ribs it aims for. The movie is frustrating precisely because you can see how good it could have been. I'm still rather torn on the movie and can't quite decide where it'll land on repeat viewings, descending down or moving up despite its flaws. GRADE: C-
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