Food is usually comfort. But in the 2023 thriller What You Wish For, a high-end meal is basically a death warrant. You’ve probably seen the trope before where someone steals an identity and realizes the life they inherited is way more dangerous than the one they left behind. It’s a classic setup. However, director Nicholas Tomnay—who some might remember from the twisty 2010 film The Perfect Host—takes that premise and turns it into something much more stomach-churning.
Honestly, Nick Stahl is incredible here. He plays Ryan, a chef who is talented but absolutely drowning in gambling debt. He’s desperate. He flees to a lush villa in Latin America to visit an old culinary school buddy, Jack, played by Brian Geraghty. Jack is living the dream. Or so it seems. He’s a private chef for the ultra-wealthy, making insane money and living in a gorgeous estate. When Jack suddenly exits the picture, Ryan decides to just... become him. It’s a split-second choice born of pure survival instinct. But he has no idea what Jack was actually cooking.
The Problem With Stealing a Life
The tension in What You Wish For doesn't come from a masked slasher or a supernatural ghost. It comes from a menu. Ryan assumes Jack was just a fancy chef for rich people. He figures he can fake it. He’s a good cook, right? He can whip up a bisque or a perfect steak. But then the guests arrive. And the "special ingredient" is revealed.
It’s a slow burn. The first act feels like a sun-drenched travelogue. Then the mood shifts. You start noticing the way the camera lingers on the knives, the grinding of the meat, the silence of the staff. It’s a movie about the moral decay of the one percent, sure, but it’s also a deeply personal character study of a man who realized he traded his soul for a temporary reprieve from a bookie.
What’s wild is how the movie handles the "cooking" scenes. Most food movies make everything look delicious. Here, even the high-end stuff starts to look clinical. Gross, even. You’re watching Ryan realize that his new employers aren't just demanding—they’re predatory. They don't just want a meal; they want an experience that exists outside the bounds of human law.
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Why Nick Stahl Was the Perfect Choice
Nick Stahl has this specific energy. He looks like a guy who hasn't slept in three days but is trying really hard to pretend he’s fine. That’s exactly what Ryan needs to be. In the middle of the film, there’s a scene where he has to prepare a multi-course dinner while a detective is sniffing around. The sweat on his forehead isn't movie makeup; it feels real. You feel the claustrophobia of the open air.
Compare this to something like The Menu. While The Menu was a satire that went for big, theatrical swings, What You Wish For stays grounded in a grittier reality. It’s less "eat the rich" and more "the rich will eat you, literally and metaphorically, and they’ll pay you to help them do it."
The pacing is deliberate. It doesn't rush to the "big reveal" because the movie knows you’ve probably guessed the secret ingredient early on. The horror isn't the secret; it's the execution. It's the way Ryan has to methodically go through the steps of a task that should be impossible for a decent human being.
Breaking Down the Moral Bankruptcy
The script explores a very specific kind of greed. It’s not just about money. It’s about the entitlement of people who have run out of things to buy. When you can own anything, what’s left? Taboos. Breaking them is the only high left for the characters Ryan is serving.
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There is a supporting character, Imogene, played by Tamsin Topolski. She’s the "coordinator" for these dinners. She is terrifying because she is so professional. To her, this isn't a crime; it's a high-stakes catering gig. The way she talks about the logistics of the "ingredients" is chilling. It’s the banality of evil in a crisp white blouse.
- The film was shot on location in Colombia.
- The cinematography uses a palette that shifts from warm, inviting golds to cold, sterile blues as Ryan gets deeper into the mess.
- The sound design focuses on the "wet" sounds of cooking—the chopping, the sizzling—which becomes increasingly nauseating.
Most people might find the ending polarizing. It’s not a neat bow. It’s a cynical, dark look at what happens when you finally get everything you wanted and realize you’ve lost the ability to enjoy it. Ryan’s journey is a circle. He started as a guy running from his past, and he ends as a man with no future, regardless of how much money is in his bank account.
A Masterclass in Suspense
Let's talk about the kitchen scene. There's a sequence where Ryan has to process "the meat." The camera stays close. It’s intimate. You don't see the gore as much as you hear it and see the reaction on Stahl's face. This is where the movie wins. It understands that our imagination is way worse than any CGI blood splatter.
The dialogue is sparse. It doesn't over-explain. The movie trusts you to keep up with the identity swap and the mounting stakes. You see the internal struggle. Ryan keeps looking for an exit, but every door he opens leads to a room where he’s more complicit than before. It’s a trap of his own making.
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How to Watch and What to Look For
If you’re going to sit down with What You Wish For, don't expect a fast-paced action movie. This is a psychological pressure cooker. It’s the kind of film that sticks in your teeth. You’ll find yourself thinking about it the next time you’re at a fancy restaurant.
- Watch the background characters. The local staff at the villa know more than they let on. Their silence is a narrative tool.
- Pay attention to the music. The score is minimalist, often using discordant notes to signal that something is "off" even when the scenery is beautiful.
- Notice the hands. The film focuses heavily on hands—Jack’s hands, Ryan’s hands, the guests' hands. It’s about the physical act of doing, of taking, and of consuming.
The film serves as a harsh reminder that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Especially not one that costs your humanity. It’s a grim, tight, and exceptionally well-acted thriller that deserves way more eyes than it got during its initial release.
Actionable Insights for Thriller Fans
If you enjoyed the tension and themes of this film, you should look into the "Culinary Horror" subgenre which has been booming lately. Start by comparing this film to Fresh (2022) or the series Hannibal. For a deeper look at the director’s style, track down The Perfect Host—it’s a great double feature with this one. If you're a filmmaker or writer, study how Tomnay uses a single location to create escalating stakes without needing massive set pieces. The secret is in the character's specific expertise being used against them. Look for the film on streaming platforms like Hulu or Kanopy, which often host these high-quality indie gems.