“We are nothing without stories, so we invite you to believe in this one,” a woman’s voice insists. This is the beginning of Sebastián Lelio’s newest film, The Wonder, based on Emma Donoghue’s novel of the same name. The voiceover continues, asking audiences to think as the characters do, believing that this story is real and limitlessly powerful.
As the unknown woman’s monologue ends, we are introduced to Lib Wright (Florence Pugh), an English nurse who has been called to Ireland in the aftermath of the Great Famine to observe Anna O’Donnell (Kíla Lord Cassidy), an eleven-year-old girl who miraculously claims to have not eaten anything for four months, yet remains perfectly healthy. “Manna from Heaven,” is all Anna claims to need for sustenance. Lib receives instructions from a committee of powerful male figures in the town— doctors, priests, and landowners alike. She, along with a nun, Sister Michael (Josie Walker) are to watch Anna in alternating eight hour shifts, then provide separate testimonies at the end of a two-week period, with the goal of determining if the child is a miracle or a hoax.
Lib is rightfully skeptical as a woman of science surrounded by unquestioning believers. Still, she performs her duties with precision and efficiency, and occasionally with annoyance as a charming journalist William Byrne (played by Tom Burke) pesters her, trying to get the story to the press back in England. Through quiet grief and heart-wrenching revelations, the lives of Lib, Anna, and the people of their rural Irish village are changed forever.
As much as it is a story of guilt, innocence, and humanity, The Wonder is also a glaring criticism of blind faith and the Catholic church. Author of the original novel and screenwriter Emma Donaghue refuses to shy away from condemning religious dogma that punishes and places impossible burdens on its most vulnerable. The screenplay is as expertly crafted as the novel which shares its name, with a surprising and refreshing dash of modernism bookending the film.
Florence Pugh has proven herself once again to be one of the most reliable actors currently working. She has consistently brought intensity and intrigue to each of her roles, and this movie is no exception. Pugh is captivating in her empathy, her grief, and her passion, enthralling to watch in every scene. She is the central force of the film, a responsibility she handles with her usual poise and expertise. Kíla Lord Cassidy, an unknown in a breakthrough role, is astounding as the sweet, pious Anna. Every actor is perfectly cast, making the story that much more real to the audience.
Equally as captivating as the brilliant cast of actors is the breathtaking cinematography by Ari Wegner (The Power of the Dog), capturing the vast beauty of Ireland’s midlands. The Oscar-winning cinematographer demonstrates an awe-inspiring ability to display both the unique setting and every intimate human interaction, without either overshadowing the other. Every shot of the film is a work of art.
As both a visual spectacle and a powerful story of human compassion, The Wonder is one of the year’s best films. It doesn’t rely on bright colors or flashy sequences, but instead on the power of storytelling and art on an audience, at a time where it has perhaps never been more crucial.
The Wonder is now streaming on Netflix.