Synopsis
The Wasp is a psychological thriller set for release in 2024. It is produced by Guillem Morales, who is served as director, and written by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm. This film is an adaptation of Malcolm’s of stage play: “The Wasp”, written in 2015, evolving the work with an emphasis on cinematic storytelling while preserving it’s intense scintillating nature.
The play centers on a woman known as Heather, who, is married to a husband named Simon, and resides in a pristine domicile. Despite Simon been married to Heather, as the audience we are given insight into the dark “wasp” realities that symbiotically coexist in their ostentatiously well-off life. The presence of a wasp infestation and the consequent slipping of Heather’s mental firmness and stability is deeply intertwined with her traumatic past that in tandem with relentless gaslighting by Simon’s “too good to be true” presence, propell her into further despair and suspicion – a sense of closet chaos. “Happily married” on the surface, however, as a husband, Simon is a wasp in her life, infesting true stability, and levying in her a sense of wanting.
The desperation of her mental and social state drives her to reach out to someone she has never spoken in a while: a school friend named Carla. The two women, unlike Heather, lead a poverty driven life. Pregnant with her fourth child, Carla’s life is about scratching the surface for bare minimum. Ellen and Carla had not been in touch for many years, and the emotional tension is palpable.
Heather’s unusual calmness and nervousness take a turn when she makes a shocking request: she wants Carla to kill her husband. Initially, Carla is horrified and assumes Heather is joking. But as the conversation deepens, the two women unpack the secrets that shaped their shared trauma. Carla’s moral compass begins to shift as she gets pulled deeper into Heather’s sinister web.
The rest of the film is set mainly in Heather’s house and primarily unfolds through incisive dialogue as a tightly wound chamber piece. Ongoing revelation of new truths makes it more and more impossible to tell who is outmaneuvering whom. The interplay and blurring of the women’s identities as Heather and Carla’s roles begin to reverse is steeped in memory, trauma, guilt, and a shocking climax of power.
Cast & Crew
- Director: Guillem Morales
- Writer: Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
- Runtime: 95 Minutes
- Genre: Psychological Thriller
- Release Date: June 2024 (Festival Premiere), August 30, 2024 (Limited Theatrical)
Main Cast
Naomi Harris as Heather
Harris performs with controlled tension as a woman coming apart at the seams emotionally and morally. Aiding her sullen gaze and hunched shoulders is a meticulous, deliberate portrayal, which reveals more through pauses than dialogue.
Natalie Dormer as Carla
Dormer infuses strength, defiance, and nuance into Carla. While she starts as the more vulnerable character, she gradually reveals layers of complexity, cunning, and trauma that shifts how the audience views her completely.
Dominic Allburn as Simon
Although Simon remains mostly off-screen, his character looms large over the story. He becomes central to Heather’s motivations and the tension that unfolds between her and Carla.
Production & Release
The Wasp is a film adaptation of a stage play by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, which premiered in London in 2015 to great acclaim. The play received acclaim for its gripping, two-character structure and sharp dialogue, which the film retains while widening its visual and psychological scope.
The film was shot on a modest budget and within a limited number of inner spaces to maintain the intense, suffocating feeling of the original play. Morales uses this limited space to instill a sense of unease and emotional claustrophobia.
Set to debut at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2024, the film has already received acclaim for its performances and the precision of its screenplay. It had restricted theatrical distribution in the US from August 2024 where it was marketed as a character-driven thriller instead of a psychological horror film.
Critical Reception
Due to the minimal release and marketing, The Wasp did not become a box office success, However, the film received positive reviews from critics. Its writing and the performances received the most acclaim.
Strengths highlighted in reviews:
Acting Performance: The interplay between Harris and Dormer was highlighted by critics to standout due to their chemistry. Their clashes were described as both electric and emotionally charged. Heing a two-handed film, both actresses are tasked with driving the story, something they do with exceptional grace.
Screenplay: The script by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm is both sharp and interlaced. It is clear the play was preserved as a blueprint for the film, and in honoring that blueprint, the film edit incorporates pauses, tension, and visual subtext that bolster its impact.
Direction: Guillem Morales received recognition for not succumbing to the urge to “open up” the story too much. Instead, he leans into the film’s theatrical roots, employing multiple close-ups, shadows and long takes to build a palpable atmosphere of psychological tension.
Common criticisms:
As a first point of contention, some reviewers overshadowed Heather’s compulsive need to control her surroundings as well as the titular wasps with a rather heavy use of symbolism.
A small number of viewers noticed that the pacing stiffens toward the middle of the film, especially as it shifts toward dialogue-driven flashbacks.
Critics were divided over the last act’s twist—while some found it brilliant, others thought it unforgivably steeped into melodrama.
Even with its targeted appeal, The Wasp found a decent following among viewers who appreciate slow-burn thrillers, as well as intelligent, female-driven narratives.
Themes and Analysis
Revenge and Power
The Wasp: A film that recounts a revenge tale, albeit not the type we’re all accustomed to. It examines the more quiet forms of revenge. It is the story of how people slowly reclaim their life power from the clutches of trauma. In a way, the story transports the viewer into Heather’s world, who seems to be in control. As it unravels, it becomes clear that her meticulously crafted plan is a product of fear, not strength. On the flip side, we have Carla, who transforms from a passive character into a powerful one, becoming a more active person and turning the tables in unexpected ways.
Class Divide
A defining characteristic of The Wasp explores the relationship of Heather and Carla—two women who decades ago shared the same economic and social world, only to diverge and lead completely opposite lives. Their reunion is strung with heavy class nuance. One of them can be seen well dressed, relaxed, and comfortable. The other is the picture of a worn down and apprehensive woman. The dialogue and exchanges reveal not only unexpressed anger from the past, but also an imbalance of power not limited to the past but steeped in present economic inequality.
Childhood Trauma
A violent incident from their childhood deeply impacts the character’s memories and their perception of reality. Where one character recalls the incident guilt and the other recalls it with pain. Heather’s motivation for murder connects to the trauma and psychological conflict between established identities and memories.
Symbolism of the Wasp
I’m sure we all can relate to the feeling of psychological trauma or danger that the feeling of wasps evokes to Heather in the movie. Suppressed trauma, lies, and revenge also acts in a similar manner to a wasps sting. Heather’s fear of wasps embodies her fears of losing self control.
Final Thoughts
In my opinion, “ The Wasp” is a brilliant combination of performance, atmosphere, and relentless writing. What also makes this film appealing to me is the tense yet calm energy that makes it feel real. The movie also makes you think of the darkest thoughts in the world two of them being “At which point does a person’s struggle for control spiral so far out of their grip that it becomes deeply counterproductive?” The fact that there are so many morally complex questions that revolve the film is, in my opinion, the best part about it.
The fact that the movie is filled with incredibly complex questions about reality makes the picture to me a masterpiece. Actors Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer have shown the audience how impactful their performance can be with deeply layered portrayals and in my opinion, the film’s emotional impact has been elevated.
The Wasp might not capture the attention of lovers of fast-paced thrillers or classic horror movies, but it is a profoundly stimulating, character-driven film which lingers in the mind long after viewing it. For those who enjoy nuanced but well-structured plots, ethical complexity, and the interplay of two great performances, this is a film which deserves attention in the year 2024.
Watch Free Movies on Gomovies