Wander Darkly (2020)

(On Cable TV, November 2022) Mark me down as solidly mixed about Wander Darkly. While I sort-of-get the ambition of its purpose, its intention to portray the process of choosing life after trauma, and the occasional (make that very occasional) vivaciousness of its execution… Haven’t we seen enough of those movies already? This may have more to do with the movies I pick, but it seems to me that we’ve been up to our necks with imaginary protagonists, heightened reactions to trauma, disorienting editing and psychological dramas that (while not impossible) are exceptionally implausible. At least writer-director Tara Miele has a clear vision (inspired by her own story), and two fairly capable actors in Sienna Miller and Diego Luna: their characters may be flawed to the point of distraction, but at least they give it all they’ve got. I do have something against the length of the film—even at 97 minutes, Wander Darkly indeed wanders because there simply isn’t a whole lot of plot to go around: everything seems to take about twice as long as it should, and exasperation at the way the film obstinately refuses to get to a point is an integral part of the third act. It’s a film that depends a lot on audience mood, though—not just temperament (although that’s a part of it) but very specific in-the-moment mood. Something to keep in mind as I straddle the fence in my assessment.