By Peter Kougias
Hometown Weekly Intern
“Wish Upon” is the new horror movie directed by John R. Leonetti (“Annabelle”) and written by Barbara Marshall.
Clare (Joey King) comes from a broken home and stays afloat on the social food chain. She witnessed her mother’s suicide and her father (Ryan Phillippe) is a dumpster diver hoarding junk to cope with his loss. One day he finds a music box with ancient Chinese written on it. He gives it to Clare as an early birthday present. Soon, she realizes that the box grants seven wishes and answers her rags-to-riches prayers.
But each desire brings with it a ghastly consequence.
The film opens on a strong note, recognizing its campy flaws, but owning them. Once examinations and hypotheses of the music box untwine, the plot tumbles into patterned story devices and surrenders its diverting charm. Exposition saunters into “Final Destination” territory with a retro flair, but falls victim to its lack of prospect and PG-13 rating. A synth soundtrack and peppy montage gleam of a John Hughes flick, all while the gore splatters in the background.
King’s performance mitigates the plot’s scarcity of genuine scares and narrative. Her credentials include the found-footage “Quarantine” and modern classic “The Conjuring.” Following in the steps of Jamie Lee Curtis, King has a head start in the genre and validates her ability to engage the audience in her character’s world. Her performance bundles the angst, fun, and fears of adolescence, even if the dialogue lacks ingenuity.
The supporting cast, which includes several crowd favorites, provides an anchor for casual viewers. Philippe (“I Know What You Did Last Summer”) delights as the heart-throb father role. Sherilyn Fenn (“Twin Peaks”) cameos as the doomed neighbor. Clare’s crew consists of Meredith (Syndey Park) and June (Shannon Purser of “Stranger Things”), who steal the screen with their comic relief and dramatic guidance of Clare’s actions.
While the story admits its corniness, it never seizes the day to take risks. Marketing to a younger audience overall diminishes any pretense of making a mark on the horror genre. However, this movie is a popcorn flick.
Not once was the audience bored or weary of the plot. Everybody basked in the cheap thrills. For its 90 minute runtime, “Wish Upon” is an underdeveloped, yet courageous movie that has potential to lurk and amuse on midnight television.
