The historical phenomenon of in the Victorian era.
Directed by Sebastián Lelio and based on Emma Donoghue's novel, The Wonder (2022) is a haunting psychological drama that explores the high cost of faith when it collides with rigid dogma. Set in the Irish Midlands in 1862, the film follows Lib Wright (Florence Pugh), an English nurse trained by Florence Nightingale, who is summoned to a remote village to conduct a "watch" over an eleven-year-old girl, Anna O’Donnell. Anna claims to have lived for four months without food, surviving solely on "manna from heaven." What begins as a medical investigation quickly evolves into a harrowing confrontation between science and superstition, revealing how stories—whether religious or personal—can be both a source of survival and a tool for destruction.
If you'd like to explore more about the historical context or themes of the film, we could look into:
A deeper analysis of performance in other period dramas.