The quest for truth in a mad, mad world can be a path laden with thorns. Paranoia lurks amid the shadows, revealing the illusory nature of reality, which is often warped beyond recognition by those in power. Cinematic narratives committed to the unraveling of real-world conspiracies can either be wildly misleading or immensely rewarding - the latter being an accomplishment by films like John Carpenter’s They Live and Costa-Gavras’ Z. Wander, the latest collaboration between director April Mullen and writer Tim Dorton, straddles the thin line between paranoia and truth, yet emerges as a compelling thriller with a genuine thirst for exposing what lies beneath.

Wander plunges right into the heart of conspiracy, opening with the murder of Zoe Guzman (Elizabeth Selby) at the town limits of the quaint desert hamlet, Wander, in New Mexico. Post setting a suspenseful premise, Wander zeroes in on Arthur Bretnik (Aaron Eckhart), an ex-homicide detective turned PI, who seems haunted by a visceral trauma, the kind which seeps into one’s darkest nightmares, and is often indistinguishable from waking reality. Having lost his daughter in a horrific car accident, with his wife in a catatonic state, Arthur is broken and battered from within, invariably nursing wounds that seem unhealable. He is constantly vigilant and ever-armed, waiting for the shadows to pounce upon him, as he grounds himself with affirmations like “I am protected” and “I am powerful” while struggling with mental illness, grief, and acute loss.

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Wander
Arthur (Aaron Eckhart) in Wander

Arthur finds solace in the company of conspiracy theorist Jimmy (Tommy Lee Jones), who is a steady presence in his life, along with that of long-time lawyer friend Shelley (Heather Graham), who blames Jimmy for twisting Arthur’s perception of the world and often riling him up in spite of his precarious mental state. The two men host a conspiracy podcast together, discussing everything ranging from the Illuminati to the possibility of continued human-experiment operations like that of the much-real Project MK-Ultra. During one such podcast, Arthur receives an on-air call from a distressed woman (Deborah Chavez) claiming that her daughter, Zoe, has been murdered, and urges Arthur to investigate the town of Wander. Initially reluctant, Arthur decides to take the case after being egged on by Jimmy, and this when things spiral out of control, as Arthur finds himself mired in an investigation that seems directly linked with his daughter’s death.

The town of Wander looms like a threat, an omen, as Arthur makes his way through a trail of clues that point towards a heinous government experiment involving missing immigrants, chip surveillance, and the complex politics of border control. Driven by an obsessive force, Arthur dives deep into the rabbit hole, instincts at an all-time high, limping his way through a game of “pawn, patsy, or dead” - something at lies at the heart of every conspiracy. However, from the get-go, Wander establishes Arthur as an unreliable narrator, a trope that is executed remarkably well throughout the film’s meandering narrative. While it is apparent that nothing is what it seems, Mullen expertly weaves suspense, doubt, and intrigue into the events, leaving audiences on the fence regarding the true nature of reality, which often conceals a dark, seedy underbelly beneath an ordinary exterior. Arthur soon comes to realize that in the town of Wander, nothing is true, yet everything is permitted.

Eckhart in Wander
Arthur (Aaron Eckhart) in Wander

Wander boasts of stellar performances from the majority of the cast, including a brilliant Jones, who plays Jimmy with startling conviction and unpredictability, evoking a balanced dynamic between him and Eckhart. However, it is Eckhart who truly shines as Arthur, belting out a stand-out performance with palpable, frenetic energy, while managing to sustain empathy right up till the end. Audiences will find themselves rooting for Arthur and his quest to rage against the dying of the light, a silent warrior who leaves no stone unturned to uncover the truth, no matter how painful the process. Shot in vibrant tones that heighten the beauty of almost-deserted spaces, Wander lifts the veil of darkness, allowing a dramatic view into the heinous venter of human torture and trafficking, which is a very disturbing, very real occurrence in the world we reside in today.

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Wander is currently available for American audiences via digital/on-demand, and is now playing in theaters. It is 94 minutes long and rated R for violence and bloody images.

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Key Release Dates

  • Wander movie poster
    Wander
    Release Date:
    2020-12-04