The Wasp

Ladies and gents, what we have here is a well-acted, well-written, well-cast, well-directed, psychological thriller. It works well, it keeps you offguard, and the time passes very quickly indeed. These sorts of films were all the rage in the 1940s, a time when the industry was still transitioning from the static feel of a stage play (few backgrounds, lots of dialog) to the more kinetic medium of film. The only unusual thing about it is the fact that some big-name critics went nuts for the project, saying it was the best thing they had ever seen. Not really. But it does hold the attention. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

I didn't expect much seeing the ridiculous IMDB rating but noticing some intelligent praise about this film from others. All of us who saw it really enjoyed it.

A woman is in the middle of an abusive relationship and feels trapped. She turns to her childhood friend whom she hasn't seen in many years, with whom she shared a jarring experience but admired her friend's seeming innate bravery and ability to do what this trapped woman could not. And that act is to get rid of her miserable, abusive husband. But there is a much deeper meaning to the wasps in this movie, which take on literal, comparable, metaphoric roles in this film in a very clever way.

The acting is seriously top notch as this film is all about whether the main characters can pull off their performances and boy do they ever. These two women are absolutely riveting. I saw a comment about a child actor who plays a very small role and it was actually perfectly played as a clueless neighbor and a funny scene at that.

What probably drove this film's rating downward is that it doesn't have an ending that would make many 'happy' and what they'd want to see. But it's quite clear from all that occurs that it's definitely the right one. It may not have the huge punch that some were expecting - but that's likely because they were looking in the completely wrong place. What would drive someone to their limits? That's what this film is about and I'm guessing some may relate personally.

This is a rare gem and is easily a major cut above average. Anyone who says it isn't is not being honest with you.

In dark Bath-based British dramatic-thriller "The Wasp" middle-class Naomie Harris is stuck in a loveless marriage to douchey Dominic Allburn, so reaches out to pregnant old school-bully 'friend' Natalie Dormer with an indecent proposal... but as the two discuss details etc together, it becomes apparent that all ain't what it seems. For his debut screenplay Morgan Lloyd Malcolm adapted his own play (it has the clear feel of being based on a play) which Guillem Morales brings modestly home (with its various flaws) as his first English-language film as director. It's original, and decently engaging, though it lacks the strong stinging edge that woulda made it great.

Follows Heather (Naomie Harris) and Carla (Natalie Dormer), after being childhood schoolfriends, meet after not having spoken in years. Heather has done well in life, while Carla has a gambler for a husband, 4 kids and struggles to make ends meet. Heather makes contact with Carla and has a surprising proposition to put to her that could change their lives forever.

Harris and Dormer are the two main actors in this taut thriller, and they do very well too. I've never actually seen Dormer act in anything (I never watched GOT) but she carried this role really well and was totally believeable as Carla. It's got lot's of tension, lots of unanswered questions along the way, lot's of misinterpretations by the viewer and a few twists to boot. All in all it has the ingredients of a good film and while the directing and cinemaphotography are not ground breaking or outstanding, they're both more than equal to the task. Unusually for me I sat and watched from start to finish without a break and never once felt bored. There was some interesting and thought provoking questions raised too, about revenge, guilt, forgiveness and shame, and it made me think of my childhood and how it affects my adult life. I absolutely loved the ending, even though it was totally unexpected. Overall a great thriller with fine performances and I give it a solid 7.

Lately I've been watching a lot of thriller/mystery movies, some better rated than this one, but most of the time I figured out the entire story after twenty minutes which is not really beneficial for my personal ratings. The Wasp took me by surprise though, didn't see this one coming and that's what I like about movies in this genre. Not a complete satisfying ending but still much better than what I was expecting considering the rather low ratings. Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer played the two main characters and they did a really good job in my opinion. The entire story/movie is about them but it never got boring, on the contrary. A good watch if you like surprising twists and turns.