FEATURE: The old adage, "Be careful what you wish for," gets interpreted in very literal — and very horrifying ways — in Wish Upon, the latest from John R. Leonetti, the director behind the 2014 horror hit Annabelle. In this cautionary tale of teen-centric terror, Joey King plays Clare Shannon, a high school student whose mother, Jo (Elisabeth Rohm), hung herself when Clare was a little girl, and whose father, Jonathan (Ryan Philippe), is a junk scavenger whose hoarding ways are a constant source of embarrassment for his daughter. But when dear old dad finds a mysterious, wish-granting music box in a dumpster one day, Clare finds her life irrevocably changed. At first, the box appears to be a godsend, delivering comeuppance to a bully and gifting Clare with wealth, popularity and the adoration of her high school crush. Soon, however, the true price of those wishes becomes all too apparent. And when the loved ones in Clare's life — including her dog and the kindly neighbor across the street — begin meeting gruesome and untimely ends as a direct result, she turns to her classmate, Ryan (Ki Hong Lee), to help her unravel the box's origins and decipher the ancient Chinese text written along its exterior. Needless to say, what they end up discovering is a demonic curse that goes back generations, one that preys upon the greed and selfishness of the owner of the box before claiming the ultimate price — their soul. Will Clare be able to escape the fate of those who have come before her? Wish Upon keeps viewers guessing until its final frames, but in the meantime, moviegoers looking to get their fix of Final Destination-like kills won't be disappointed. AUDIO & VISUALS: Set against a backdrop largely comprised of residential neighborhoods and high school hallways, with the occasional dark alleyway thrown in for good measure, Wish Upon's blood-splattered visuals provide little to complain about, thanks to a sharp 1080p transfer and abundant colors. Likewise, the accompanying DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound mix rounds off this package nicely, whether it's the not-so-sinister noises of cafeteria chatter and late night parties, or the chilling sounds of horrified screams and revving chainsaws. EXTRAS: D Films' two-disc Blu-ray release includes two cuts of the film (a theatrical version and an unrated version), a DVD copy, and the following Blu-ray extras:
Wish Upon is available from D Films as of October 10th, 2017. The Blu-ray features English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Spanish DTS 5.1 tracks. The film is presented with English SDH and Spanish subtitles. The total runtime is 1 hr. 30 min. (theatrical version) and 1 hr. 31 min. (unrated version) |
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