Sebastián Lelio’s “The Wonder”

The Wonder (2022)

A brilliant, layered and compelling film about belief, faith, grief and storytelling led by an exceptional performance from Florence Pugh and a crackling script from Emma Donoghue

Based on Emma Donoghue’s book of the same name with a screenplay adapted by Donoghue with Sebastián Lelio and Alice Birch, “The Wonder” is rich in ideas which it presents subtly and creatively. Nuse Elizabeth Wright(Florence Pugh) is seconded to a rural Irish village to observe a young girl who has not eaten for months. Having served in the Crimean war, she’s none too pleased on discovering the purpose of her task but quickly forms a bond with the girl, Anna(Kíla Lord Cassidy). Is it a miracle, fraud or something more sinister?

The film moves along at a good pace and is so compelling from the start which incidentally begins from outside the film set before the camera drifts into the story itself. With great supporting roles from the Tom Burke, Toby jones, Niamh Algar, Josie Walker, Elaine Cassidy, and Ciarán Hinds, the film quite interestingly passes the Bechdale test with spades.

To say much more would spoil the film, but know that this is among the best of 2022. It’s also worth noting that Emma Donoghue wrote the screenplay to 2015’s “Room”, a terrific film that I’ll have to revisit soon.