Careful What You Wish For (2016)

Kept me intrigued until the end when a final rushed plot twist spoilt it. Nick Jonas impressed. Sheriff Sorvino does a good turn.

Careful What You Wish For is a good case study in the failings inherent in the Hollywood star system. The film is essentially star vehicle that is produced well but which fails to deliver anything substantial due to the lackluster performances of its leading actors around whom the film has been structured.Nick Jonas plays Doug Martin, an adolescent without personality who falls for the gorgeous Lena Harper (Isabel Lucas), a married woman with a dark and devious plan to make big bucks fast. As a leading lady, Lucas does nothing more than showing us her very skinny body as she seduces her way into Jonas' very silly heart. The film, directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosen, is not essentially a bad product. Rosen's direction is competent, the cinematography is pretty, editing is tight, the script holds up alright, and the production itself is of a good quality. There is a solid story arch that held my interest till the end. And it is a nice star vehicle for Lucas and Jonas. But the supposed stars have a very limited acting ability, even at the hands of a director who has a good grasp of her craft born from a long and stable career in television. Unfortunately, all the potential of this film is lost through a leading couple who never quite arrive as the stars in the vehicle. Unless you are interested in learning from the mistakes made by Lucas and Jonas, you can safely give it a miss. Direction: 6||Acting: 2||Cinematography: 7||Concept and delivery: 4|

I went into 'Careful What You Wish For' not really knowing what to expect. Often when thrillers cast non-actors (often musicians) in their lead roles they are trying to garner some publicity and cover up a weak script. So I was surprised to find myself genuinely enjoying it. The acting wasn't all that bad and Nick Jonas carried himself well especially. Isabel Lucas also impressed me. She has a mysteriousness about her that worked perfectly in this film. The story was patient and building, while never becoming stale or boring. It had a couple of nice twists to keep things exciting and really ticked all the boxes a thriller should.The plot has a bit of a "seen it all before" feel about it. There's no question Hollywood is lacking originality and 'Careful What You Wish For' does nothing to expel those claims. The ending (after the twist) also came up seriously lacking, showing perhaps a touch of laziness on the writer's part. Those faults aside though it really isn't a bad little watch. Don't be put off by the casting of Jonas, give it a shot and you'll be pleased you did.

After reading an interesting premise, I was disappointed when I found out that this film was going to star Nick Jonas; however after watching it in its entirety, it came clear that he was not the weak link of this film. Despite not having much acting experience, Nick doesn't do too bad, however I cannot say the same for Isabel Lucas who I felt was far too immature to play the role with credibility.'Careful What You Wish For' is your typical thriller that sports the usual plot twists which you will probably be able to figure out before they are revealed. If you can look past concepts from other films being recycled and if you're a fan of Isabel Lucas and/or Nick Jonas, you'll enjoy this film for what it is; but if you were expecting something better, than you will be left feeling disappointed.I think that the relationship between Doug (Nick Jonas) and Lena (Isabel Lucas) is what let this film down due to Isabel's casting. I felt as though she did not look old enough to play the alluring cougar which is what made their affair less realistic. But thanks to another great score composed by John Debney, I was able to ignore this thought and stay attached to the story until the end.It may not be the most captivating thriller, but it is a film that you can enjoy on a rainy night in.