WISH UPON (2017)

Directed By: John R. Leonetti 
Written By: Barbara Marshall 
Cinematography By: Michael Galbriath 
Editor: Peck Prior 
Music By: Tomandandy 


Cast: Joey King, Sydney Park, Shannon Purser, Ryan Phillippe, Ki Hong Lee, Sherilyn Fenn, Elisabeth Rohm, Alice Lee 


A teen girl discovers a magical box that will grant her seven wishes. As she uses her wishes for personal gain, bad things begin to happen to those around her. She discovers an evil entity lives inside the box and may be behind the gruesome deaths.

When you mix two songs it seems easy but there are certain Inflections and flows you have to mix precisely to work or it will be fun at first and seem like a good idea as long as it is short but then will get monotonous after awhile and make you realize how much you liked the originals that they are trying to copy and mix.

Like the films mentality the direction by John R. Leonetti is simple with no style or any real flourish. Purely straightforward.

I knew going into the film it would probably be silly, but I expected something of a guilty pleasure and there was no pleasure at all to be found at all during this.

This is what I would consider a started horror film as it is predictable and the only offensiveness is the violence the film has which is actually lite. As this film is obviously aimed at a more younger teenage audience.

It also doesn’t help that the teenagers cast as her bullies are obviously twenty year old models and she and her friends are actually still teenage age. So that it makes a curious dynamic watching these adult actors pick on teenagers and then later one tries to seduce her and makes it seem more unsettling then the actual material on screen.

The film has a little fun but is rather simplistic with a monkey paw update scenario that feels like it has been cross referenced with the FINAL DESTINATION films school of shock kills, but they forgot to add any real shocks or thrills in the film and in it’s kills not matter how hard it tries. Then it takes some inspiration from THE CRAFT with some of it’s storylines and some general Asian mysticism horror.

Which showcases that athlete is nothing that makes this film feel singular or special. It feels almost like a greatest hits package done poorly. Overall it feels disposable made for all audience that would have an interest in seeing the film but teenagers overall.

Casting Ryan Philippe in the film. Feels like a passing of the torch in teen horror or a reminder of another teen horror film that is noteworthy that he starred in I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER.

The films logic makes no sense or never really covers itself and it’s loose ends. For instance her father is a garbage picker not by trade but by hobby but is really a talented ex saxophonist who stopped because of his wife’s death. Just as he tells his daughter to stay away from a relative but the film never really gives a reason why.

The film feels more built on theatrics over story and other material. As this is a film more built on jump scares that might work a bit better in a theater, but makes little impact watching it at home. As everything here comes off as flat. Especially as is the case that most of the victims in the film. Are so one note and attitude. We know nothing about them so the audience feels little though it’s a film that wants us to come for the violence. None is particularly noteworthy or inventive.

The suspense feels fakes and uneventful as anyone who has seen a film can figure this out. Everything is taken to a modern extreme.

The only props that I can give the movie is that the ending isn’t necessarily a happy one. Though still leaves room for a sequel. Which then cancels out any good graces one could have for the film.

The film even has a recognizable actress in a role that you think will be bigger but is only there really to be a noted and big death sequence.

As it tries to do the usual and shows what happens when you try to outsmart the villain or evil. Which never really goes well unless it’s an action film. Even as this film feel like a throwback to 1980’s studio horror.

Grade: F