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Wish Upon

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General Review

Parent's Guide to Wish Upon

Wish Upon is a 2017 supernatural horror film that follows Clare Shannon, a high school outcast who receives a mysterious music box. This box promises to grant seven wishes, offering Clare a chance to escape her challenging life and attain popularity, wealth, and romance. However, Clare soon discovers that each wish comes with a terrifying consequence: someone close to her dies in increasingly gruesome and elaborate ways.

Things to Consider

High6

Violence

The film features graphic and often elaborate depictions of death and violence, which are central to the plot as consequences of the wishes. These include bloody accidents, suicides, and direct acts of harm.

A woman's hair is yanked forcefully enough to snap her neck. Clare's father, Jonathan Shannon, is decapitated by a dropped chainsaw, with the bloody results shown just outside camera view. Clare's mother's suicide by hanging is a traumatic event Clare witnessed as a child. Clare's friend Meredith dies when an elevator plummets 30 floors, impaling her on glass and metal debris. Another friend, Gina, slips and is impaled head-first on a pointed object. A teen, Paul, slashes his wrists in a suicide attempt, though he survives.

Profanity

The movie contains frequent and strong profanity, including multiple instances of offensive language and misuse of religious exclamations.

Witchcraft & Occult

Witchcraft and occult themes are central to the entire plot, revolving around a cursed object, demonic entities, and the consequences of engaging with dark supernatural powers.

Scary & Intense Content

As a horror film, "Wish Upon" features frequent scary and intense sequences, including disturbing imagery, jump scares, and the graphic depictions of death caused by the cursed music box.

Disrespect & Rebellion

The protagonist, Clare, displays significant disrespect and rebellious behavior, particularly through her selfish use of the wish box and disregard for the fatal consequences impacting those around her.

Anti-Christian Themes

The film prominently features an anti-Christian worldview, with a pagan and occult premise where demonic forces are active and seemingly undefeatable, lacking any positive religious counterbalance or resolution.

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Medium2
Romance and Sexual ContentSubstance Use
Low1
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
Medium2

Romance and Sexual Content

The film includes typical teen romantic interests and mild suggestive elements, along with a concerning portrayal of stalking under the influence of the wish box.

Substance Use

The film includes casual depictions of alcohol consumption by adults and implies underage drinking among teenagers at a party.

Low1

LGBTQ & Gender Identity

No explicit LGBTQ+ characters, themes, or representation were found within the provided content analysis for the movie "Wish Upon". The film's narrative focuses solely on heterosexual relationships and gender dynamics typical of a mainstream teen horror film.

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“Wish Upon” presents a narrative that, while ostensibly a cautionary tale, deeply contradicts biblical values in its core themes and messaging. The film prominently features themes of unchecked desire, selfishness, and materialism, as Clare continually makes wishes for personal gain—popularity, wealth, and romance—without considering the cost. This directly opposes Christian teachings against covetousness (Exodus 20:17) and the pursuit of worldly gain over spiritual well-being (Matthew 6:33). The movie explicitly shows that characters are rewarded for vice, at least initially, as Clare's selfish wishes bring her temporary worldly success, but with devastating consequences for those around her. There is a form of moral accountability through the 'blood price' for each wish, where innocent lives are lost, yet Clare struggles with true remorse and often prioritizes her desires over the lives of her loved ones until the very end. Ultimately, the movie's ending, where Clare tries to undo her mistakes, offers a twisted form of consequence rather than genuine redemption or grace. The worldview presented in "Wish Upon" is largely materialistic and nihilistic, focusing on superficial desires and showcasing a world where a malevolent, demonic entity dictates fate through a cursed object. There is no transcendent view of a benevolent God or a clear moral compass beyond the horrifying consequences of the wishes themselves. The film lacks any elements of sacrifice, forgiveness, or grace in a redemptive sense; instead, it portrays a dark, pagan, and occult premise where evil is powerful and seemingly undefeatable, with no positive religious counterbalance. Family values are depicted as strained and dysfunctional, particularly through Clare's relationship with her hoarder father, who inadvertently brings the cursed box into their lives. Clare's actions further erode any sense of family stability as her wishes lead to harm for those closest to her, including her father. Faith or Christianity is not respectfully depicted; in fact, the movie portrays an anti-Christian worldview where demonic forces are active without any biblical means to defeat them. The narrative ultimately warns against the dangers of unchecked desire and the pursuit of power through dark means, inadvertently highlighting the emptiness of a life lived apart from God's guidance, but without offering a true path to spiritual understanding or hope.

Additional Context

Best For Ages

This film is recommended for ages 15 and older due to its frequent and graphic violence, pervasive supernatural occult themes, strong profanity, and disturbing content including suicides and themes of intense disrespect.

Good to Know

The film's theatrical release was rated PG-13, but the director's cut initially received an R rating due to significantly gorier content, indicating a deliberate toning down for a younger audience, though the core themes and intensity remain. The movie ends with a setup for a potential sequel, as the wish box falls into the hands of another character, Ryan. The protagonist, Clare, evolves into an increasingly unsympathetic character, making it challenging for audiences to empathize with her choices.

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