Bear (Michael Johnston) is a timid 'nice guy' who works in a music shop in a small American town. He’s deeply in love with his co-worker, Nikki (Inde Navarrette), a childhood friend. He’s far too shy to make a move, assuming he wouldn’t stand a chance, while she views him as a lifelong, platonic friend.
The gang they socialise with includes Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and Sarah (Megan Lawless). Bear finds himself in a curiosity shop one day looking to buy a replacement necklace for Nikki, who has lost hers. Whilst browsing, he stumbles upon a One Wish Willow - a novelty toy that is supposed to grant a single wish to the person who breaks it in half. There is a catch: only one per person. Clearly, the mysterious, otherworldly organisers of this supernatural scheme would notice if someone tried to cheat the system - a detail we must remember for later!
Bear buys one on a whim, not realising for a second that it might actually work. After a night out with the group, Bear gives Nikki a lift home. They flirt in the car, but he knows she has no romantic designs on him; frustrated, he pulls out the One Wish Willow and wishes that Nikki would love him more than anyone else in the world. Guess what? It works. Nikki is immediately all over him, inviting him in and promising him the world.
Bear thinks his luck has changed, and we follow them as they develop a relationship. They are soon inseparable, living in each other's pockets at the expense of their friends, with Nikki having eyes for nobody but him. He is head-over-heels and can’t quite believe his luck - that is, until things start going pear-shaped! Thirty-five minutes into the film, Nikki starts behaving erratically. She becomes dangerously jealous, prone to manic outbursts and will scream blue murder if she doesn't get what she wants. She becomes deeply manipulative and, when necessary, violent to maintain the status quo.
Bear learns from a customer service number on the back of the box that his wish can only be undone by death. Eek! In the midst of all this, it turns out there have been underhand goings-on within the group; secrets are revealed, proving they were perhaps not as tight and loyal as we were led to believe at the outset. The rest of the film follows Bear as he tries desperately to placate Nikki’s outrageous behaviour whilst searching for a way to undo the damage caused by this sinister, supernatural trinket. It culminates in a bloody finale that attempts to explain the structure of the scheme and the dark impact it has on those who dare to dabble with it!
It’s all good fun and undeniably silly. The two leads do a great job - especially Navarrette, who handles the bizarre material brilliantly - and Barker, along with the cast and crew, is clearly having a blast. It is fairly frantic in places, leaving you guessing what on earth is going to happen next. Much of the film is set inside Bear’s apartment, providing a controlled environment to lay out the gory special effects, which are quite well done. There is only one cheap jump-scare - instead, the film relies on a sense of dread in spooky dark corners and lingering close-ups that often create a genuine chill. It’s available on various streaming services now in the UK, so yes - go and have some fun with it is my vote!
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