'The Wasp' Review

Adaptations from stage to screen aren’t always as impressive asGuillem Morales’The Wasp. Even with A-list actors, movies like 2014’sMiss Juliecan’t shake stageplay habits that land awkwardly in Hollywood.The Waspdodges any such over-projections or one-setting drabness, relying on a marvelously diabolical story that chameleons through scenes. WriterMorgan Lloyd Malcolmadapts her acclaimed West End play without fumbling the narrative’s barbed themes, and like My Chemical Romance, Morales says thank you for the venom.

What Is ‘The Wasp’ About?

Naomie Harrisstars as Heather, a well-off housewife who’s stuck in a neglectful, emotionally abusive relationship. On a whim, she contacts a long-ago friend and once classmate, Carla (Natalie Dormer). Heather’s endured another verbal scolding from her manipulative husband, Simon (Dominic Allburn), and she’s had enough. A pregnant Carla meets a visibly shaken Heather for high-class tea right before reporting to her grocery cashier’s job, where they discuss a possible partnership —a trade of money, an unbelievable request, and a payday Carla cannot fathom.

The Waspis a showcase for Harris and Dormer, portraying adults fated for a reunion after tumultuous childhoods and lingering traumas. Heather is the spurned lover who catches Simon cheating and recalls her former bestie’s perceived heartlessness, thinking she can be helpful. Carla is a lower-class mother struggling with every aspect of her repressive life, sporting a hardened exterior as a circumstantial justification. Most of their curious catchups, schoolyard rehashing, and prickly tension occur in Heather’s suburban residence, juxtaposed against pastel decor and comfy sofas. Heather’s hospitality feels like a trap, while Carla’s snooping is like an intrusion — or, that’s at least what Malcolm and Morales want you to assume.

An avalanche of treachery cracks characters wide open, addressing both women’s metaphorical scars. Malcolm’s screenplay is about more than a jealous partner wanting to even the score with her misogynist worse half. As dominance shifts between Carla and Heather, flashbacks reveal how coming-of-age bullying leaves lasting impressions. This notion of kids being kids is placed under a blinding spotlight that exposes damage carried decades later, whether revenge soothes or rots wounds further. Harris and Dormer are exquisite sparring partners as their moods fluctuate, while repressed memories throttle their performances into opposing gears — we, the audience, are locked on their every move. These are two actors at the top of their game, riding waves of suspense that crash over any momentary reprieve.

‘The Wasp’ Requires Going in With an Open Mind

Suspended belief will endear you toThe Wasp.Reading too obsessively into Heather and Carla’s domestic scuffle won’t do the film any favors. Morales focuses on the symbolic illusions, especially recurring mentions of a “Tarantula Hawk Wasp.” Said insect hunts tarantulas, paralyzes them, and then lays their baby inside to eat its way outXenomorphstyle — hence,The Wasp. Storytelling begs you to ponder who, in this scenario, is the Tarantula Hawk and who is the Tarantula. Heather’s novice abilities as a schemer and Carla’s betting into particular hands aren’t incredibly grounded, yet tonality doesn’t care. What thrives is the furnace that bellows within Heather and Carla’s desperation — Morales isn’t trying to convince you that any of this can happen.

Comparison points are a smorgasbord, fromNick Tomnay’sThe Perfect HosttoAlexandre BustilloandJulien Maury’sInside. Elements of dangerous romantic thrillers, kidnapping scenarios, and conversational teardowns reshapeThe Wasplike an amoeba.A thick haze of dread overtakes once Heather and Carla reach a point of no return, which hits like a sack of potatoes. Malcolm’s screenplay twists and turns with reckless appeal — we begin to crave the next bombshell.

There’s no escape onceThe Waspstabs its proverbial stinger.Harris and Dormer are the best of frenemies in this sneakily stupendous character study, as relentless as it is mysterious. Morales might miscalculate how far we’ll let the story stretch past logic boundaries, but performances quickly charm us with magnetic fixations. Hiccups are easy to forgive, especially when leads spit poison-tipped lines like heavyweight punches. It’s a bitHitchcockian, a bitFunny Games, and always sharpening its wits.The Wasp, shall I say, certainly earns its buzz.

‘The Wasp’ retains the intimacy of its stage play origins while adapting conversational thrills to the screen, resulting in a diabolical character study lifted by tremendous efforts from Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer.