Those who enjoyed the rich emotions, haunting landscapes and textured explorations of Florence Pugh's new film, The Wonder, will enjoy these movies.
Florence Pugh’s newest movie, The Wonder, is a haunting and evocative exploration of an English nurse’s journey to Ireland, where she encounters a young woman who may or may not be experiencing a miracle. Anchored by Pugh’s extraordinary performance, it explores issues such as religious faith, scientific skepticism, and female friendship.
Though it is arguably one of the most unique films of 2022, it also shares some traits in common with several other movies. Those looking for signature dramas with rich emotions, haunting landscapes, and textured explorations of human relationships will find many movies from which to choose.
10 The Banshees Of Inisherin (2022)
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The Wonder’s Irish setting is key to its appeal. It is also important to The Banshees of Inisherin, which follows the dissolution of two friends, played by Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. What begins as a fairly innocuous friendship breakup soon degrades into something darker and more violent.
What characterizes this film, however, is its bleak sense of humor. It so expertly blends comedy and tragedy that it’s hard to tell where one begins and the other ends, and it is anchored by strong performances from both Gleeson and Farrell.
9 Saint Maud (2021)
Stream On Prime Video
One of the most important thematic through lines in The Wonder is religious belief, and the extraordinary things that people will do when they believe what they are doing is divinely sanctioned. This is also a central theme of Saint Maud, which focuses on a nun who comes to believe she must save a young dancer’s soul.
Saint Maud is a bit of a slow burn, relying a great deal on its atmosphere to convey its horror. It also features some nuanced performances from Morfydd Clark (who would go on to become famous for playing Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) and Jennifer Ehle.
8 Brooklyn (2015)
Stream On YouTube
Brooklyn is undoubtedly one of Saoirse Ronan’s best movies. It focuses on a young Irish woman’s journey to the United States in the post-World War II years. It is truly an extraordinary film, given the extent to which so many stories about immigrants are usually led by men.
Since part of the story is set in Ireland and has glorious landscape cinematography, the movie will surely appeal to fans of The Wonder. What’s more, with its rich well of emotion, conveyed so ably by Ronan, it is also the type of romantic drama that takes some time to unfold but is nevertheless richly rewarding in the end.
7 Don’t Worry Darling (2022)
Stream On HBO Max
The Wonder proves to be a strong showcase for the formidable acting talents of Florence Pugh, and she brings out hidden depths in her character. This is also true of Don’t Worry Darling, one of the most talked-about movies of 2022. Its particular focus on Pugh’s character, a young woman who becomes convinced her husband is hiding something from her, earns it a place among other feminist movies.
In that sense, it also has a great deal in common with The Wonder. Both movies explore the sometimes-fraught relationships that exist between women and how they navigate this territory.
6 Philomena (2013)
Stream On Netflix
As a slow burn, The Wonder takes its time, but it ultimately sheds important light on its two main characters. It is a moving human drama that shares a lot in common with Philomena, which focuses on the main character, played by Judi Dench, trying to reconnect with her son who she gave up for adoption.
Also similar to The Wonder, it is a searching look at the sometimes dangerous role that religious faith plays in the lives of people. Though it can often be uplifting, it can also distort, and, even more sinisterly, it can provide a cover for acts of cruelty and self-sabotage.
5 Hunger (2008)
Stream On Tubi
The history of Ireland and its struggles hangs largely in the background of The Wonder, but it influences everything about the story. It takes a far more central role in Hunger, the acclaimed debut film by director Steve McQueen.
Focusing in particular on the Irish hunger strike of 1981, it is a searing, and, at times, difficult movie to watch, but this is what makes it so vital. Michael Fassbender delivers a spellbinding performance as Bobby Sands, one of those who went on the hunger strike. It manages to be both a haunting portrait of one man’s effort and a look at a significant moment in Irish history.
4 Black Swan (2010)
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Among other things, The Wonder focuses on the relationship between Florence Pugh’s Lib Wright and the young girl Anna O’Donnell, and their relationship provides the spine of the film. Though Black Swan is considerably darker than The Wonder, it still foregrounds the relationship between two women, Natalie Portman’s Nina Sayers and Mila Kunis’ Lily.
Tightly woven and compellingly acted, the film explores their increasingly tense dynamic, particularly as both yearn to be successful ballet dancers which brings them into competition with each other. It’s a dark and atmospheric movie, one which only slowly gives up its secrets. There’s also no secret that it is one of Natalie Portman’s best movies and is a testament to her skills at digging deep into the tortured psychology of her characters.
3 Lady MacBeth (2016)
Stream On Tubi
As she has shown time and again, Florence Pugh has an almost unrivaled skill at creating complicated female characters. This is particularly true in her period pieces, which include both The Wonder and Lady MacBeth, the latter of which helped launch her to stardom.
In Lady MacBeth, she portrays a young woman who has to contend with a largely unsatisfying marriage to a much older man. Pugh digs deep into the many fascinating depths of this particular character, giving audiences someone they can identify with, even if some elements of her personality remain beyond their grasp.
2 Joyride (2022)
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Olivia Colman has many great roles and 2022 has been a particularly strong year for her. Among other films and TV shows, she stars in Joyride, which tells the story of the extraordinary connection that emerges between a middle-aged mother and an Irish youth.
Like The Wonder, Joyride explores how two people can find unexpected connections even in the strangest of circumstances. Although there might be some bumps in the script from time to time, there is a powerful chemistry between Olivia Colman and her young co-star, Charlie Reid.
1 The Lost Daughter (2021)
Stream On Netflix
The Lost Daughter is rightly regarded as one of the best Netflix original movies. Featuring yet another of Olivia Colman’s acclaimed performances, she appears as Leda Caruso, a professor who meets a young mother while on vacation in Greece.
As is the case with The Wonder, it plunges into some rather dark territory, particularly once it becomes clear that there is more to Leda than meets the eye. There is, moreover, something also bittersweet about its story, as Leda grapples with the difficult relationship that she has with her daughters, from whom she is mostly estranged.
More: Ranking All Of Florence Pugh's Movies, According To IMDB
