The Wisher (2002)

Powerful

Overrated and overhyped

How sad is this?

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This flick is an attempted allegory and seems meant to mean something beyond the usual cheap, demented thrills sought by true slasher movie fans. So, if you're into breasty young things getting their bodies mutilated as some sort of cathartic reaction to changing gender roles, this film is not for you.On the other hand, if you like films that leave you in a "hmm..." state of mind, this is more your cup of tea. It is, unfortunately, hampered by an under-skilled director and some occasionally truly horrid editing, but the acting is well-done. Liane Balaban delivers well in the role, though it is not one that is BEST suited for her well-developed talent.

It was just yesterday that I saw the film. I do acknowledge the fact that English movies do contain the "chill element", but "The wisher", could not chill, except for its sudden appearances. The question which arises is - do these movies really bring out the fear in us, or are we subjected to emotions which are otherwise dormant. I certainly as a sane person, do not see somebody slashing me in a weird dress and running away in broad daylight.Horror was Rebecca.. it made a shiver run up Ur spine. The Wisher can and does give its scary moments, all thanks to the camera-work, and the sudden moments of suspense created by the director.The bottomline - the film could have been much better.

You know, when 3/4 of the females are hot in a movie, you can overlook the horrible plot and be entertained by the women alone....but in this movie the stench of the plot is too horrible to overcome.The overall plot completely rips off The Wishmaster and tries to rip off Nightmare on Elm Street. It seems the movie was made in two parts, the first part dealt with the main character sleepwalking and the second half was about the main character getting chased by a weird demon.By the end, the plot was so unbearable and nobody died. A lot of people were hacked by the monster but no one died, what is with that? The monster in the end was played by the young caddy from Happy Gilmore.Think about that, a singer from 98 Degrees saved a girl from the young caddy from Happy Gilmore. Horror has hit rock bottom 4 out of 10 for cute girls but the rest was horrible.

Another cheap horror movie which borrows heavily from both big and cult hits of the genre, but one which manages to be quite enjoyable even if we have seen it all before. There are some good performances, some not so good, a few typical scares and jokes(some which work, some which don't), a fair amount of blood, a simple but well executed story, and quite a creepy bad guy. Probably not worth searching for, but worth watching if it is on TV, especially if you are a horror fan.Mary is a teenage girl with a love for horror movies, always searching for the next scare. When she hears about a new film called The Wisher which has been getting good reviews from terrified audiences, her and her friends go to see it, against her father's wishes. Mary has a habit of sleepwalking which her father believes is caused by all the rubbish she watches. A short time into the movie, Mary vomits and leaves knowing the film is too much for her. After an argument with her father she wishes he would just go away. Soon her father is dead, and Mary believes she keeps seeing the Wisher creature from the movie. She becomes paranoid and after a few more gory events related to what she has innocently wished for, she believes that The Wisher, or someone dressed up as him is stalking her, obsessively carrying out her wishes in the worst way possible. She finds out that the film makers imbued the film with subliminal messages, and thinks that school hunk Brad, who likes her, has been hypnotised by the film. She tries to find a way to reverse the process, planning to watch the film to see how it ended. The Wisher is on to her plan though...Although everything is pretty predictable there is still enough fun to warrant watching this. There is some cheesy dialogue and effects, and you would think that once you believed that your wishes were coming true you would immediately wish for The Wisher to leave. Liane Balaban is very good as Mary, at times carrying the film on her own, and Ron Silver is good though seems uninterested in a smaller role. The rest of the cast are OK, but the film is quick and never tries to over-achieve. The Wisher itself does look scarier than your typical cheap horror movie bad guy, and the director's best moments are when the Wisher is stalking in the shadows or on reflections. There is not much heavy violence and nothing is over-the-top. Give it a go if it's on, but do not expect a masterpiece, just a quick piece of entertainment.7 out of 10