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What You Wish For

What You Wish For is a 2023 American thriller film written and directed by Nicholas Tomnay.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

What You Wish For is a 2023 American thriller film written and directed by Nicholas Tomnay. It stars Nick Stahl, Tamsin Topolski, Randy Vasquez, and Penelope Mitchell. The film premiered at the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival and was released in U.S. cinemas in May 2024.

Plot

The film follows Ryan, a down-on-his-luck chef with gambling debts, who travels to a Latin American villa to meet an old friend. He then assumes the friend’s life and discovers disturbing truths about the seemingly enviable position he has taken over.

Production and release

What You Wish For was written and directed by Nicholas Tomnay, whose earlier feature was The Perfect Host. It premiered at Fantasia in 2023 and later received a U.S. theatrical release through Magnet Releasing in 2024.

Cast

The principal cast includes Nick Stahl as Ryan, with Tamsin Topolski, Randy Vasquez, Penelope Mitchell, Brian Groh, Juan Carlos Messier, and others in supporting roles.

Reception

Critical response was generally positive, with review aggregators noting a favourable reception from critics. Coverage highlighted the film’s thriller-to-horror tone and its moral ambiguity.

Key facts

  • Premiered at the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal.
  • Released in selected U.S. cinemas by Magnet Releasing on 31 May 2024.
  • The story centres on a chef with gambling problems who flees to Latin America and takes on another man’s identity.
  • The film was written and directed by Nicholas Tomnay.
  • It received generally positive reviews from critics.
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Canadian context

The film premiered at Fantasia International Film Festival, a major genre festival based in Montreal, making it relevant to Canadian film audiences.

Frequently asked questions

What is What You Wish For about?
It follows a chef with gambling problems who flees to Latin America, assumes another man’s identity, and becomes entangled in the dark realities behind a wealthy lifestyle.
Who directed What You Wish For?
Nicholas Tomnay wrote and directed the film.
When was What You Wish For released?
It premiered on 30 July 2023 at Fantasia and opened in selected U.S. cinemas on 31 May 2024.
Who stars in What You Wish For?
The film stars Nick Stahl, Tamsin Topolski, Randy Vasquez, and Penelope Mitchell.
What genre is What You Wish For?
It is primarily a thriller, with some reviews describing it as moving into horror territory.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_You_Wish_For
    Supports: Basic release information, director, cast, festival premiere, and U.S. release date.
  2. Disney+ — https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-2816eab2-b7f6-454c-8994-a62caf4b3402
    Supports: Synopsis, runtime, director, genre, and principal cast.
  3. RogerEbert.com — https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/what-you-wish-for-film-review-2024
    Supports: Critical description of the film’s tone and plot context.
  4. Variety — https://www.variety.com/2024/film/reviews/what-you-wish-for-review-1236019484/
    Supports: Review context, plot details, and critical reception.
  5. YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiljqpKZNpw
    Supports: Official trailer synopsis and principal cast.