Film Review: Nick Jonas’ Careful What You Wish For Is A Surprisingly Good Thriller
Admittedly, I went into Careful What You Wish For with a blank slate. I did not know what to expect. It had a young Hollywood cast (Isabel Lucas, Nick Jonas), and a stereotypical teen thriller plot. Boy meets girl for a summer tryst and nothing is how it appears. Thus, I was surprised it would daringly different in its twists.
From the beginning, Careful What You Wish For wants you to believe it will be like any other youth-based thriller. It is filled with summery images of glossed youth laughing and enjoying the sun. The audience meets its protagonist, Dougie, played cooly by Nick Jonas. Dougie is the shy nerd that is overly studious and serious for his age: i.e. a thriller film archetype and a note that many fellow characters will make throughout the film. Yet, Jonas adds a casualness and naivety to Dougie that makes him approachable. Yes, he is smart and a little tightly-wound, but he is a good, kind-hearted kid. Having that balance allows you to follow Dougie as he begins a dangerous affair with Lena, played by Isabel Lucas, and makes some pretty bad choices for himself.
Lena is stuck in a loveless, at times, abusive marriage, which makes Dougie a “breath of fresh air”. The audience like, Dougie are led to believe that this is a “Romeo and Juliet” situation of star-crossed lovers, but mid-film that turns right on its end.Thus, for the first-half of the film you do get the sense that this thriller will go down cliché routes of storytelling. The lovers give pining looks across their summer homes, and Dougie petitions for Lena to leave her cruel husband, played by Dermot Mulroney, and run away with him, a la stereotypical. Moreover, the dramatic, noir music heavily playing throughout scenes, adds that this film wants to be intense, but it is only mid-film when it happily achieves that incentive. It is here when Lena goes from meek wife to manipulative genius.
Lucas shines in this film by playing the unexpected turn of Lena from broken woman to a top player in life’s chess game. Here the film takes so many twists that I CANNOT spoil it. The pacing of the film and amount of action might not be adrenaline inducing, but it is certainly enough intrigue for you to watch, especially because of Nick Jonas’ Dougie. You genuinely feel so bad for this heartfelt kid, and might find yourself humorously quipping on occasion “Oh NO! Dougie!”. At first, I thought the film would be stuck in “filler limbo”, my casual term for films that are usually left on so someone could hear noise in the background or catch their few favored scenes. Yet, the film leaves you glued by its two leads’ performances and its bold plot decisions that I will NOT spoil. This film is based in the summer sun but is deliciously shady. Lucas can give “real housewife” glory with how vicious she turns, and fans of deranged characters will definitely enjoy hers.
The film is a Starz production and is 90 worthy minutes. For all its faults, it was entertaining and one that I would watch again and again. Moreover, it very much fits the Starz vibe. Each movie channel has its own essence and appeal, which if you are a fan of Starz productions, you will LOVE this film.
It is released On Demand and iTunes on June 10.
