I was a bit late to the party and had a lot of good feedback so my expectations were high…
The theater was packed, on a Friday afternoon, so that also says a lot.
I assumed it would be a rom-com gone wrong.
I went with a friend and realized we had two very different reactions to the ending.
Spoilers ahead, obviously.
While my friend was mad at Ian for not succeeding in making it all go away with his wish, and pitied Nikki, I was listing the amount of trauma she now has to go through. Having killed her friend with benefits, her girlfriend, and having to go through life knowing one of her best friends raped her however many times while being fully aware of it.
She didn’t clock it, at all. I had to explain to her how awful it must be and how it will stick with Nikki. Then I saw an entire new level of horror on her face. She saw the nightmare unfold, but didn’t analyze it at all.
She was mad Ian asked for money. I was mad Bear didn’t kill himself sooner.
We both agreed that the movie did a really good job at juggling light jokes with pure terror.
Going in semi-blind is the best way to go to fully enjoy it.
Incredible acting all around
Inde Navarrete completely killed it (pun intended) as Nikki. Going from a caring friend, to an unhinged psychopath, to a lovey-dovey girlfriend in the blink of an eye was executed to perfection.
The Jenga kiss scene is amazing.
That frown was insane !
I’m going to call whatever the wish did a possession. For lack of a better term, this is what came to mind, especially seeing the nods to The Exorcist here and there. Watching Nikki try to break out of it soooo many times, only for the entity to take back control was heartbreaking. Sadly for both her, and her wish version.
The phone call from Bear to the « One wish willow company » was a more depressed version of the one in The Substance, but to the same end. You fucked up, you’re finding out, you’re on your own.
I liked that there was no easy way out for the protagonist.
The horror factor
The creepiest part wasn’t the screaming, the killing, the jump scares etc… it was the walk back to behind the shelves as she watched him sleep. Anyone can fight me on this, but this sent shivers down my spine.
Just picture yourself in that bed. Nothing good can happen from there.
The door hidden behind an absurd amount of tape was hilarious.
The comedy bits are glorious and skillfully sprinkled in.
But the cat dies.
That’s a dick move on any screenwriter, even if it serves the plot.
Those tiny cat pieces in the sandwich, I could have done without.
A severely flawed perspective
Now I’m going to be « that person », but you can tell instantly and 100% that the movie is written by a guy. It’s not a bad thing, but it angles itself painfully on the « friendzone » side of things, not once focusing on Nikki’s point of view at all. It’s beautifully done as this was the main goal. It depicts Bear as « the nice guy » when all of this is due to his lack of respect for her boundaries. He loved an idea of her, not her.
I did like that (even through jealousy) Ian tried to intervene, because Bear did take advantage of her.
Bear’s the asshole. It’s sickening, and no one should pity him.
He had her possessed, trapped, raped and still got offended when she asked him to kill her.
The almighty hero ladies and gentlemen.
It’s one of those rare cases where I’m not choosing the Bear.
Oh and poor, poor Sarah. She was the only one truly friendzoned. She then got killed and her corpse was exposed for all to see, all while her future was opening up. The girls are the true victims here.
It’s a nice addition to the « be careful what you wish for » type of movies.
I expected better, but that’s because of the feedback the movie got. It holds up nicely and sticks with you afterwards, so that’s good work right there. Sadly, the incels don’t get the plot, but I didn’t expect them to.
No, she’s not like your ex.
My rating : 4/5 bats
🦇🦇🦇🦇🐻