This week, Netflix releases “The Wonder”, a brand new film dedicated to Ireland! And the subject, inspired by real events, is sure to appeal! He’s interested in the “Fastings Girls” phenomenon, a religious mystery dating back to the 19th century, in which young girls claimed to live for months without eating, thanks to God’s help! The Wonder looks back at this phenomenon in historic, rural Ireland after the Great Irish Famine… And the result is fascinating!
The history of Fasting Girls has always been the subject of heated debate! This phenomenon, observed during the Victorian period in Great Britain and Ireland, is still unsolved today…
But the film The Wonder does not admit defeat, revisiting the subject and bringing to the screen facts that are as mysterious as they are irrational!
Carried by the talented Florence Pugh, the story is set in 1862 in Ireland’s Midlands, a few years after the Great Irish Famine. We discover a precarious and miserable island. A deeply rural and peaty island, strongly attached to its religious convictions.
The local population fervently (or credulously) observes the miracle of an 11-year-old girl who hasn’t eaten in over 4 months… (without losing weight or seeing her health deteriorate).
This is where an English nurse (played by Florence Pugh) comes into the picture, landing in Ireland to investigate the girl. Determined not to let it get to her, she keeps a close eye on the teenager, searching her room, monitoring her walks, chatting regularly and observing her every move…
Will she call it a miracle or a hoax?
The situation becomes more complicated as time goes by, however, when the girl’s condition suddenly deteriorates… The English nurse is faced with a thorny dilemma: should she help her patient and convince the hamlet that it wasn’t a miracle?
Directed by Sebastian Lelio, the film takes the form of an immersive thriller that doesn’t hesitate to play the historical card, depicting an ultra-believing Ireland with a deep-seated rage against the British Empire following the Great Famine. Florence Pugh delivers an impeccable performance, alongside another renowned Irish actor, Ciarán Hinds, famous for his recent role in Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast.
In short, the viewer oscillates between fascination and skepticism… and, above all, the desire to understand.
A brilliant film, available on Netflix now!
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