Movie Review: WHAT YOU WISH FOR

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN / Staff Writer

Posted: May 31st, 2024 / 02:32 AM

WHAT YOU WISH FOR movie poster | ©2024 Magnet Releasing/Magnolia

Rating: Not Rated
Stars: Nick Stahl, Tamsin Topolski, Randy Vasquez, Penelope Mitchell, Juan Carlos Messier, Brian Groh, Ariel Sierra, David Tominaga
Writer: Nicholas Tomnay
Director: Nicholas Tomnay
Distributor: Magnet Releasing/Magnolia (theatrical/VOD)
Release Date: May 31, 2024

WHAT YOU WISH FOR takes its title from the familiar phrase that begins with “Be careful.”

In this instance, the person who ought to exercise more caution is Ryan Moseley (Nick Stahl). Ryan has come to South America (the country is unnamed, but the film mentions Bogota and was shot in Colombia) to visit his old friend Jack (Brian Groh). They were at culinary school together, but haven’t seen each other for twelve years.

Ryan, we learn, is a chef at a Texas Marriott hotel, which isn’t exactly work that excites him. Worse, he’s on the run due to a gambling debt. He is amazed by Jack’s gorgeous isolated house, even though Jack explains he doesn’t own it, he’s just doing a gig here. Jack gets paid enormous sums of money and is flown around the world to prepare meals at super-exclusive dinner parties in places like this. He is apparently popular with and appreciated by his clientele and employers alike.

Even so, Jack – truly glad to see Ryan’s friendly face – is clearly absolutely miserable. Ryan can’t figure out why. It seems like Jack has everything that Ryan wants: wealth, travel, acclaim.

Then something happens and Ryan has the opportunity to do what Jack’s been doing.

Written and directed by Nicholas Tomnay, WHAT YOU WISH FOR puts several big twists in a row early on. The movie actually benefits from front-loading this information, as it provides plenty of time and room for tension to increase.

Filmmaker Tomnay neither previews nor hides what he’s up to, although the set-up makes it easy to guess and the trailer is fairly clear. This is fine, as we wonder what Ryan will do at each new turn, and how his new colleagues, Imogene (Tamsin Topolski) and Maurice (Juan Carlos Messier), will react.

WHAT YOU WISH FOR has a lot of bone-dry wit, though its narrative qualifies as horror. It’s hard to quantify the gore level. There are a few visuals, but most things are suggested. However, depending on one’s outlook, those suggestions may be as disturbing as onscreen depiction. Likewise, there are no jump scares, though we certainly worry about what may happen.

There is one big honking requirement for suspension of disbelief regarding the fact that Imogene and Maurice’s unfamiliarity with their chef, given that they’re veterans at the company. This turns out not to be a plot point, but it could easily have been covered with a few lines of dialogue.

Stahl does extremely well as the out-of-his-depth Ryan, while Groh is convincing as a man who has truly gone numb. Topolski and Messier project confidence and class. Randy Vasquez is engaging as a canny police detective.

WHAT YOU WISH FOR is clever, moves briskly, and keeps us wondering which way things will go through its last scene.

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