71
Metascore
37 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 92TheWrapTomris LafflyTheWrapTomris LafflyIn the end, Lelio earns the powerful close of The Wonder with every temperate turn. His film, a career-best, departs like a birdsong, with an optimistic finale as perfect and revelatory as they come.
- 90The Hollywood ReporterStephen FarberThe Hollywood ReporterStephen FarberNothing would work quite as well without the performance by Pugh. She commands the screen from her very first appearance, and we never have doubts that anyone who tries to interfere with her will be facing a formidable adversary.
- 80Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangLos Angeles TimesJustin ChangLelio and his co-writers have made a smart, subtle disquisition on the necessity of both skepticism and faith, with a particularly keen understanding of religion’s uses and abuses.
- 80The GuardianBenjamin LeeThe GuardianBenjamin LeeA film about the danger of believing without questioning that turns us into full-throated believers in whatever Lelio and Pugh can do.
- 80We Got This CoveredMartin CarrWe Got This CoveredMartin CarrSurrounded by a solid ensemble of cast iron characters actors, The Wonder tries to address some serious issues beneath the guise of a beguiling period piece. What audiences are ultimately left with equates to a moral fable with female empowerment holding things together.
- 75IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichImpressive as it is that The Wonder is able to squeeze so much from its spartan trappings, the film still feels clipped at 110 minutes; there may not be a lot to chew on, but there’s almost too much to savor.
- 67The PlaylistGregory EllwoodThe PlaylistGregory EllwoodAs always, Lelio has a way with his actors. Nothing will ever feel forced. Even the most melodramatic stakes will feel grounded. And yet, despite a pointless framing device the film simply does not need, it’s missing some of the visual magic of his earlier films.
- 67ColliderChase HutchinsonColliderChase HutchinsonIt is by no means a perfectly constructed work, but there is something more immense in its thematic aspiration that provides plenty for Pugh to play around with. All that makes it unwieldy also makes The Wonder mesmerizing so that, even when the spell is broken, you can’t shake it from your mind.
- 50VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeAn evenhanded but ultimately preposterous adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s novel, co-written by the author herself (with an assist from Alice Birch).
- 50The Film StageC.J. PrinceThe Film StageC.J. PrincePugh’s performance is more adequate than impressive, a result of her character having background and motivations laid out so there’s little else to take from what’s onscreen.