PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Note: This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SGA-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, What You Wish For being covered here wouldn’t exist.
The feeling of being unfulfilled in your profession is a universal theme. It transcends time and cultures and can become a catalyst for drastic measures to be met. Dissatisfied and desperate for a change, American hotel chef Ryan (Nick Stahl) embarks on a journey from Dallas, Texas, deep into Latin America to meet up with Jack, a long-lost culinary school buddy.
Arriving at an isolated posh villa surrounded by the lush jungle, Ryan becomes enamored with the luxurious conditions his friend has become accustomed to. But as the pair catch up over drinks, it’s very clear that despite the benefits of being a private chef for the ‘company’ – travel, pay, accommodations – Jack is fucking miserable and Ryan fails to fully note this.
There is a lot I don’t want to share in this review. What You Wish For, with all of its devilish little twists and dark charm, was a treat going into blind. Nick Stahl nails his character’s eagerness to push on with passion while battling a valid moral quandary after assuming the identity of his friend, Jack. Ryan’s hell of being incredibly unfulfilled – namely his job – is also incredibly easy to empathize with. Fully committed to taking on this new identity, Ryan finds himself in some very precarious situations setting in motion the more humorous tones of What You Wish For. But what director Nicholas Tomnay also throws in the fire are the themes of depression and classism that, admirably, don’t get lost in his dark, comedic, culinary chaos. Tomnay’s previous film from 2010, The Perfect Host, is also foodie-centric which makes the line cook in me smile.
With an epic dinner service scheduled for an exclusive guest list hosted by the icy Imogen – who may or may not know of Ryan’s deceitfulness – and a crashing of the party courtesy of the local authorities, the film moves at a respectable pace and continues to engage with over-the-top tension that is well executed.
What You Wish For reminds us that when we lose our spark in life, we need to find a way to reignite it within ourselves and ignore our envious eyes, because not everything is what it seems to be. What You Wish For had its U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin on Friday, September 22, 2023.
