‘Wonderwell’ is a fairy-tale, set between modern Italy and another realm, that tells the story of Violet (Kiera Milward), a 12-year-old girl who embarks on an adventure with Hazel (Fisher) and Yana (Ora), one that changes her life. The film was shot in Rome and throughout Italy during winter and produced by Fred Roos, Alexander Roos, Vlad Marsavin, Orian Williams, Lee Rudnicki and Robert Bernacchi. Kenji Katori served as the cinematographer. ‘Wonderwell’ feels like it belongs alongside films such as Alice in Wonderland, In the Company of Wolves, Labyrinth, Pan's Labyrinth, and Mirror Mask. However, it bulldozes past any nuance when dealing with metaphors about young girls, growing up, puberty, and sexuality. It’s hard to figure out who this film was intended for or how Carrie Fisher became involved; her final performance is a real loss. The music composed by Angelo Badalamenti—who has worked on films like Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks—is beautiful, and it's easily the best thing about ‘Wonderwell.’ The cinematography also stands out as exceptional. The actors seem to have done their best with the material they were given. It’s possible that a film focused on an older character coming of age in the adult world would have been better, because this story clearly wants to be about that. Perhaps it should have avoided its intense focus on the “flower” of puberty and the problematic ideas surrounding purity, all centered around a twelve-year-old girl supposedly losing something precious. Again, who was this film for? It seems like an attempt at a feminist piece, but it doesn’t quite succeed. The movie follows the pattern of American Beauty by showing young girls in revealing clothing (in this case, focusing on the modeling industry) and then criticizing them for it—an outdated approach for a film released in 2023. It feels like something made for middle-aged men who want to see young girls as both sexual objects and innocent. If I could, I’d go back in time and skip this movie just to protect Carrie Fisher's legacy. How did she even agree to say some of those lines? Was there some kind of coercion involved? Hating this film would be an understatement; loathing it still doesn't quite capture how unpleasant the experience was. Maybe society has moved past needing men to tell coming-of-age stories about little girls.

Source on TMDB