We discuss 10 movies like the Netflix film The Wonder you must watch. Check out these excellent recommendations.
Set in The Irish Midlands in 1862, The Wonder follows the story of a young girl who stops eating but remains miraculously alive and well. English nurse Lib Wright (Florence Pugh) is brought to a tiny village to observe eleven-year-old Anna O’Donnell (Kíla Lord Cassidy).
Tourists and pilgrims mass to witness the girl who is said to have survived without food for months. Director Sebastián Leilo crafts a dark piece that pits science and blind faith against each other. Even though it takes place in the 1800s, the conversation can hold some relevance today.
Whether it’s blind faith in what God has created or the scientific fact of what has been studied for decades, the conversation of autonomy over one’s body is always important.
The films listed below all explored faith and science in unique ways. There will always be different perspectives on both subjects, and that’s why media is a reflection of that. It’s important to look at the scope of these topics because they will always be relevant.
Many have their own ideas about science and religion, and many go above and beyond to prove their point when having those discussions. It’s almost as if no one can agree on these matters in a mature fashion so it doesn’t escalate in any way. These films have caused controversies over their stance on certain subjects, and that is what makes them so intriguing. Some films on this list also highlight the psychology behind people’s reasoning towards medicine and religion.
In a way, we can learn from the films on this list because they offer different perspectives.
10 movies like The Wonder you must watch
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
This film is one of the best explorations of mental illness and how some have different perspectives on life. This film is based on writer Susanna Kaysen’s account of her 18-month stay at a mental hospital in the late 1960s, as per the synopsis on IMDb. Angelina Jolie and Winona Ryder were both at the peak of their careers in the 90s. So to bring them together in this film was special.
Hunger (2008)
Sometimes science and religion fall into politics and it could cause some controversies. In one of Steve McQueen’s first outings, he presents Michael Fassbender as Bobby Sands, an Irish republican who leads the inmates of a Northern Irish prison in a hunger strike, as per the synopsis on IMDB.
The Innocents (2021)
Children seem to always be involved with the supernatural or heavily influenced by religion. It consumes them in a different way because they’re highly impressionable. During the bright Nordic summer, a group of children reveal their dark and mysterious powers when the adults aren’t looking, as per the synopsis on IMDB.
Lady Macbeth (2016)
If you’re a fan of Florence Pugh then this film is the right one to watch because it truly shows how incredibly talented she is. It’s always difficult to play a character like this, but Pugh plays it with such power that it has become her most memorable. In 19th-century rural England, a young bride who has been sold into marriage discovers an unstoppable desire within herself as she enters into an affair with a worker on her estate, as per the synopsis on IMDB.
The Last Temptation of Christ (1998)
If you don’t know, director Martin Scorsese originally studied to become a priest. His films have always incorporated religious undertones, but his most controversial is The Last Temptation of Christ. This film explores the life of Jesus Christ (Willem Dafoe) and his journey through life as he faces the struggles all humans do, and his final temptation on the cross, as per the synopsis on IMDB.
Contagion (2011)
Even though this film came out in 2011, it did come off as a warning for what was to come. It’s hard to believe that a pandemic could actually happen because we’ve only experienced it in movies until we actually went through it. When healthcare professionals, government officials and everyday people find themselves in the midst of a pandemic, the CDC works to find a cure. When a film actually becomes reality, that’s when people start to panic.
Arrival (2016)
Aliens do exist and it is another grey area of believing in something greater than the world we live in. A linguist works with the military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world, as per the synopsis on IMDB. Amy Adams gives one of her best performances in this and it is one of Denis Villeneuve’s most powerful films.
Donnie Darko (2001)
After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a man in a large rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit a series of crimes, as per the synopsis on IMDB. The film is a bit ambiguous but it’s incredibly captivating at the same time. It’s almost hard to look away because of everything that happens with Jake Gyllenhaal.
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman is a master of his craft and The Seventh Seal is one of his best projects. A knight returns to Sweden after the Crusades to seek answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague, as per the synopsis on IMDB. It’s an imaginative piece that will have you contemplating life itself.
Doubt (2008)
The majority of the time any film that highlights priests or a monastery has discussions of pastors’ relationships with young children. In Doubt, a Catholic school principal questions a priest’s ambiguous relationship with a troubled young student. Given the long history of the clergy, there are rumors that patter around the school which put the authoritative figures at risk.
Do you have any other recommendations for movies like the Netflix film The Wonder? Let us know!
