What You Wish For (2023) ★★★

What You Wish For

Overview

Escape. Forever.

Ryan is a talented, down-on-his-luck chef with crushing gambling problems. Circumstances being what they are, he leaves town in a hurry for the safe haven of an unnamed Latin American country where his friend Jack, a more prestigious chef with his own unique troubles, welcomes him into his home. Ryan has no idea how Jack’s able to afford his extravagant lifestyle cooking for the elite in paradise; he doesn’t want to feel envious, yet he can’t help but want this life for himself as well. Soon, a grim twist of fate will give that to him. Ryan assumes his friend’s identity and soon discovers just what Jack’s been doing to maintain the lifestyle he so desperately craved.

Review

This is showing up as horror in some categorizations, but it’s much more thriller. As a horror fan, I felt this wasn’t all that great. Mostly due to the kill-count (low), the really lack of any real suspense or dread. Predictable story. There is simply one horror staple that the film surrounds, but that’s where it ends. What you get is someone stuck in a sticky situation and the lengths he will go through to get out.

What You Wish For might be classified as loosely culinary horror in the neighborhood of The Menu. But The Menu had more profound horror elements and edgier psychological trauma. It also had better acting and a more interesting storyline.

So I’ll rate this one an average film overall. But would recommend those looking for a movie that nestles better in the horror genre to look elsewhere. If you want a straight thriller, it’s not a bad rental.

Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

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