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MOVIE OF THE WEEK August 30, 2024: THE WASP

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Two women in very different circumstances in life who share a complicated history reunite in an unexpected way in The Wasp, a taut, tightly paced London-set psychological thriller with gripping performances from stars Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer. As onetime school friends Heather (Harris) and Carla (Dormer), the two women turn in what is essentially a two-hander for director Guillem Morales, expertly negotiating the story’s many twists and turns.

And twists there are aplenty. The movie opens with the well-heeled Heather heading for a breaking point. Despite having all the trappings of a perfect upper middle-class life, she’s being driven to distraction by an infestation of wasps in her kitchen, and she can barely stand being around her smug husband, Simon (Dominic Allburn). After thinking back to a disturbing day in her girlhood when her friend put a wounded pigeon out of its misery by dispatching it with a rock, Heather reaches out to that friend — the decidedly less well-heeled Carla — with a shocking proposal.

Carla, a scrappy, working-class mother of three with a fourth on the way, is outraged…and then intrigued. As the two women negotiate the specifics of their potential agreement, they also discuss their time as schoolmates and friends. All the while, tension builds: Is this really what Heather wants? Will Carla actually go through with it? No spoilers here, but rest assured that Morgan Lloyd Malcom’s script will keep you on the edge of your seat as the story unfolds.

So, too, will the interplay between the two stars. Both Harris and Dormer are strong actresses on their own merits, but together they take everything in The Wasp up a notch. Exposition-heavy walk-and-talk scenes don’t drag, reactions and revelations are imbued with believable emotion, and they give both of their characters nuance, depth, and agency. They’ll keep you watching until all is revealed and the credits roll — at which point you might want to go right back to the start to watch it again. — Betsy Bozdech

Team #MOTW’s comments:

Loren King This sometimes disturbing but always surprising thriller offers a refreshing twist on the revenge horror film. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? notwithstanding, it’s more typical in movies such as “Promising Young Woman” that the aggrieved woman avenges the villainous man. In The Wasp,” Naomie Harris’ prim Heather methodically extracts her pound of flesh from earthy Carla (Natalie Dormer), the childhood friend whose merciless bullying left deep, if hidden, scars. The film twists and turns, juggling our sympathies; it’s a step by step reveal not only of the suspenseful plot but also of character. Best of all, “The Wasp gives plum roles to Harris and Dormer who make the most of it, delivering a delicious pas de deux of twisted malevolence.

Nell Minow: Two superb actresses keep the twists of this story tense and surprising in this two-hander thriller in the tradition of Dial M for Murder, Sleuth, and Thoroughbreds. Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer keep upping the stakes as performers as well as characters, and the score by Adam Janota Bzowski, costumes by Saffron Cullane (that pink coat!), and production design by Elizabeth El-Kadhi are all exceptional in defining the characters and tone.

Leslie Combemale I love how the press notes for The Wasp call it “a story with a sting in its tail”, because it’s the perfect description of this taut thriller. It offers a wonderful platform for two spectacularly talented actors to perform together, and Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer have more than enough skill and talent to navigate the sharp shifts required in The Wasp, moment by moment, in the name of storytelling and character development. Read full review.

Jennifer Merin The Wasp is a chilling psychological thriller starring Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer as two strong willed and desperate women who need each other but who will never be allies. The complexities and intricacies of their longstanding relationship, which began in grade school, are revealed through surprising plot twists that keep you in the moment. Harris and Dorner give brilliantly nuanced and absolutely convincing performances. I’ll say no more. Except: It’s a must see!

Nikki Fowler: Naomie Harris gives a powerful performance in this thrilling drama as ‘Heather,’ a upper middle class housewife who seemingly has the perfect life until her husband enters the scene with a total disregard for her well being, hinting that something is awry. Simultaneously a childhood friend (played by Natalie Dormer) is summoned, who isn’t quite the childhood fond memory you would think her to be. A plot to free Heather from domestic violence has some twists and turns that unravel lifelong abuse. Harris’ acting chops are on full display with her methodical portrayal of a calm woman who is pushed to a calculated tilt over a spell bounding score and intense direction. The Wasp will have you on the edge of your seat while these two power house actresses hold your attention and command this entire film.

Sandie Angulo Chen: The Wasp, an adaptation of English playwright Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s two-hander play, is a fascinating psychological thriller. Directed by Guillem Morales and written by Malcolm, the movie features two fantastic performances from Naomie Harris as Heather and Natalie Dormer as Carla, Heather’s former best friend-turned adolescent tormentor. This a film filled with shocking twists and betrayals, so it’s best to just say that their increasingly fraught conversations are chilling and reopen wounds one of them would rather keep closed. The two leads give award-worthy performances as they explore trauma-inducing issues ranging from childhood abuse and bullying to infertility and adultery. Although the original stage production features two white actresses, the film’s casting of Heather as an upper-middle-class Black woman married to a white man adds another dimension to the dramatic tension. This is the kind of smart and thought-provoking thriller that basically demands a rewatch.

Liz Whittemore Heather’s abusive husband cheats on her. At the end of her emotional rope, she tracks down a childhood acquaintance, Carla, to help her. The Wasp is a devious and twisted ride. Playwright Morgan Lloyd Malcolm seamlessly adapts her stage play. The film utilizes all the best elements from a stage production, between the playful dialogue, natural lighting, and effortless blocking. Clever editing places the audience inside their childhood trauma in flashback scenes. Natalie Dormer gives Carla an underestimated streetwise. Carla is in survival mode every hour of her life. Jealousy and desperation fuel her rage. Dormer owns the role. Naomie Harris is positively savage in the role of Heather. Her type-A personality barely disguises her sinister insides, and yet you’re cheering her on at every turn. Harris is undeniably captivating. Dormer and Harris’ chemistry is akin to watching a pro tennis match. It’s exhilarating. Together, Lloyd Malcolm and director Guillen Morales create a masterfully crafted revenge thriller—two nuanced female characters volleying for power. For victims of bullying, The Wasp is cathartic in an animalistic way. It will leave you breathless.

Cate Marquis The Wasp is a twisty, nail-biter psychological thriller in which two women, who were once grade school friends until they weren’t, reconnect as adults. In this ever-shifting British thriller, the wealthier Heather (Naomie Harris) reaches out to Carla (Natalie Dormer) whose life has not turned out so well, with a mutually-beneficial proposition. Their lives have diverged from school days, not just financially, but they do share one thing: they are not happy with things as they are. The story starts out one way, someone reaching out to someone who was once a friend, but quickly takes a dark turn. Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer are perfect in their roles, with each playing a shifting cat-and-mouse game brilliantly, as they peel back the layers of their past. What is going on between these two women is far more complicated than first appears, deeply colored by bullying, old grudges and broken friendship.

FILM DETAILS:

Title: The Wasp

Directors: Guillem Morales

Release Date: August 30. 2024

Running Time: 96 minutes

Language: English

Screenwriters: Morgan Lloyd Malcolm

Lead Performers: Naomie Harris, Natalie Dormer

Distribution Company: Shout! Studios

AWFJ Movie of the Week Panel Members: Sandie Angulo Chen, Betsy Bozdech, Leslie Combemale, Nikki Fowler, Pam Grady, Loren King, Cate Marquis, Jennifer Merin, Nell Minow, Sherin Nicole, Liz Whittemore

Previous #MOTW Selections

Other Movies Opening This Week

Edited by Jennifer Merin

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Jennifer Merin

Jennifer Merin is the Film Critic for Womens eNews and contributes the CINEMA CITIZEN blog for and is managing editor for AWFJ.org, the online magazine of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, of which she is President. She has served as a regular critic and film-related interviewer for The New York Press and About.com. She has written about entertainment for USA Today, The L.A. Times, US Magazine, Ms. Magazine, Endless Vacation Magazine, NY Daily News, New York Post, SoHo News and other publications. After receiving her MFA from Tisch School of the Arts (Grad Acting), Jennifer performed at the O'Neill Theater Center's Playwrights Conference, Long Wharf Theater, American Place Theatre and LaMamma, where she worked with renown Japanese director, Shuji Terayama. She subsequently joined Terayama's theater company in Tokyo, where she also acted in films. Her journalism career began when she was asked to write about Terayama for The Drama Review. She became a regular contributor to the Christian Science Monitor after writing an article about Marketta Kimbrell's Theater For The Forgotten, with which she was performing at the time. She was an O'Neill Theater Center National Critics' Institute Fellow, and then became the institute's Coordinator. While teaching at the Universities of Wisconsin and Rhode Island, she wrote "A Directory of Festivals of Theater, Dance and Folklore Around the World," published by the International Theater Institute. Denmark's Odin Teatret's director, Eugenio Barba, wrote his manifesto in the form of a letter to "Dear Jennifer Merin," which has been published around the world, in languages as diverse as Farsi and Romanian. Jennifer's culturally-oriented travel column began in the LA Times in 1984, then moved to The Associated Press, LA Times Syndicate, Tribune Media, Creators Syndicate and Arcamax Publishing. She's been news writer/editor for ABC Radio Networks, on-air reporter for NBC, CBS Radio and for Westwood One's America In the Morning. She is a member of the Critics Choice Association in the Film, Documentary and TV branches and a voting member of the Black Reel Awards. For her AWFJ archive, type "Jennifer Merin" in the Search Box (upper right corner of screen).