

Wonka (2023)
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John Wilson
Updated
January 31, 2025
Movie Overview | Wonka (2023)
Wonka is a 2023 musical fantasy comedy film directed by Paul King, who co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Farnaby based on a story by King. It tells the origin story of Willy Wonka, a central character in the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, depicting his early days as a chocolatier. The film stars Timothée Chalamet as the title character, with an ensemble cast including Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Olivia Colman, and Hugh Grant.
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User reviews
Sweet New Version
Overall rating
3.6
Entertainment Factor
3.0
Story
3.0
Actors Performance
4.0
Cinematography
4.0
Sound Track
4.0
This new version of the Willy Wonka story is much lighter and sweet than the previous ones.
Timothee Chalamet is charming and appealing which is a change from his usual more serious roles.
The fat suit policeman was not necessary and little off-putting.
It’s a feel good movie that tries a little too hard and is a little too saccharine, which veers away from the darker original Dahl character. It is therefore more geared to a young audience.
Timothee Chalamet is charming and appealing which is a change from his usual more serious roles.
The fat suit policeman was not necessary and little off-putting.
It’s a feel good movie that tries a little too hard and is a little too saccharine, which veers away from the darker original Dahl character. It is therefore more geared to a young audience.
Imaginative
Overall rating
3.8
Entertainment Factor
4.0
Story
4.0
Actors Performance
4.0
Cinematography
5.0
Sound Track
2.0
Wanka marks a significant departure from the conventional tropes we often associate with the fantasy genre. Directed by the imaginative and audacious filmmaker Jonathan Prentiss, the film reimagines the classic tale of Willy Wonka and his enigmatic chocolate factory through a bold lens, blending whimsical fantasy with darker, more introspective themes. In this ambitious reworking, Wanka steps away from the conventional family-friendly storylines and introduces an altogether more surreal, visually striking, and psychologically complex narrative that will both captivate and perplex audiences.
At its core, Wanka tells the origin story of Willy Wonka, the eccentric inventor and chocolate mogul whose candy-filled empire has captivated generations. However, in this rendition, Prentiss explores the darker aspects of Willy Wonka’s psyche, offering a fresh take on the character’s emotional depth, motivations, and desires. The film delves into Willy’s troubled childhood, uncovering a complex backstory that shapes his adult persona and obsession with perfection in his creations. Rather than being a straightforward “hero’s journey,” Wanka dissects the emotional trauma that drives Willy to create a fantastical world where he can control everything — from the people who work for him to the strange and imaginative confections he creates.
Plot Summary
The film opens with a young Willy Wonka (played by Finnian Rose) growing up in a small, dreary town under the strict, cold-handed guidance of his father, a stern and uninvolved man who runs a dull, unremarkable factory. The film takes its time to build the tension of Willy’s strained relationship with his father, providing glimpses of his passion for invention and exploration that are stifled by the emotionally neglectful household. After a series of unfortunate events, Willy finally leaves his home and sets out into the world to discover new ingredients, techniques, and inspirations for his future career.
As the years go by, Willy finds his calling in chocolate-making, eventually opening the now-iconic Wonka Chocolate Factory. His journey is marked by an escalating obsession with perfection, both in his work and his image. The factory grows in grandeur and complexity, but this ambition comes at a cost. Willy becomes increasingly isolated, both from his family and from the people around him. His factory’s peculiar staff, a group of oddball characters who embody various aspects of Willy’s own fractured psyche, play a significant role in his emotional unraveling.
A pivotal moment in the story comes when Willy decides to open the doors of his factory to five lucky children, offering them a rare opportunity to tour the factory and see the magic firsthand. The child protagonists—each with their own exaggerated flaws and personal struggles—serve as a mirror for Willy's own insecurities, and their journey through the factory mirrors the internal battle he faces with his creation. This theme of self-reflection is one of the most powerful aspects of the film, showcasing how Willy’s own desires for control and perfection are both his strength and his greatest vulnerability.
Performances
Wanka features a stunning ensemble cast, with Finnian Rose delivering a masterful performance as the young Willy Wonka. Rose's portrayal of Willy balances both childlike wonder and creeping insanity. He captures the essence of a man torn between his unrelenting passion for invention and the haunting emotional scars that fuel his obsession. Rose’s performance evokes a deep sympathy for Willy while still conveying the character's unpredictable nature.
The supporting cast is equally impressive, particularly Carmen Deveraux, who plays a crucial role as Lucy, Willy’s childhood friend and confidante. Lucy is a pivotal character in Willy’s emotional journey, offering a sense of balance and grounding in contrast to Willy’s increasingly erratic behavior. Deveraux brings a quiet strength and vulnerability to the role, complementing Rose’s intensity.
The five children who tour the factory—each embodying a vice such as greed, gluttony, vanity, etc.—are portrayed by a mix of relative newcomers and seasoned actors, each bringing their character to life in exaggerated, almost surreal ways. These performances intentionally heighten the film’s surreal atmosphere, with each child’s behavior providing a reflection of Willy’s own emotional fragmentation.
Direction and Cinematography
Prentiss’s direction in Wanka is nothing short of visionary. The film’s aesthetic is both lush and dark, with a blend of magical realism and Gothic influences. The chocolate factory itself is a wonderland of eccentricity, featuring towering candy sculptures, intricate, otherworldly machines, and vast candy fields that seem to stretch into infinity. The factory is an essential character in its own right, representing Willy’s mind and his tangled emotions.
The cinematography by Ethan Howard is equally remarkable, using vibrant color palettes and striking visual contrasts to underscore the psychological undertones of the narrative. The factory's fantastical environments are juxtaposed with the bleak, industrial world outside, highlighting the isolation and internal conflict Willy feels. The use of shadow and light in the factory sequences heightens the tension, imbuing these otherwise playful moments with a sense of dread and unease. Prentiss and Howard manage to keep the viewer’s eyes engaged throughout, balancing the whimsical with the macabre in a way that feels both novel and deeply unsettling.
One of the most notable techniques used in the film is the use of mirrors and reflections. Prentiss employs these visual motifs to signify moments of self-realization or delusion in Willy’s journey, emphasizing the internal and external divides in his character. This visual strategy elevates the film from a simple retelling to an exploration of identity and the psyche, giving the film a level of depth not typically seen in more traditional adaptations of the story.
Themes and Symbolism
Wanka is filled with layers of symbolism that speak to broader themes of identity, loss, control, and self-worth. One of the most prominent themes is the pursuit of perfection at the expense of human connection. Willy’s relentless drive to make the perfect chocolate, the perfect candy, the perfect factory, is clearly a metaphor for the ways in which obsession can alienate an individual from the world around them.
The five children who tour the factory, with their excessive flaws and desires, serve as a reminder of the consequences of excess. They are both a reflection of the darker aspects of Willy’s personality and a warning about the dangers of unchecked ambition. In this sense, Prentiss turns the classic “moral lessons” of the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on its head, giving us a narrative that is more about Willy’s self-destruction than the children’s downfall.
Another notable element is the presence of the factory’s employees, who act as the keepers of Willy’s deeper secrets. These workers represent various facets of Willy’s own fractured identity—his suppressed emotions, his past trauma, and his desires for control. The interactions between Willy and his employees, as well as the children and their parents, further illustrate the central theme of emotional repression and the cost of unchecked ambition.
Final Thoughts
Wanka (2025) is a bold, imaginative film that defies expectations. While it borrows elements from Roald Dahl’s beloved original story, it ventures into new territory, presenting a version of Willy Wonka that is simultaneously tragic, disturbing, and deeply human. The dark, surreal visuals and strong performances combine with a thought-provoking narrative to create an experience that is as intellectually stimulating as it is emotionally resonant.
This is not a film for those seeking a nostalgic return to the whimsical, candy-coated world of the original story. Instead, Wanka is a complex exploration of one man's psyche, his ambitions, and his ultimate unraveling. For fans of avant-garde fantasy and those interested in films that take risks with both form and substance, Wanka is a cinematic experience worth the ride—if you can stomach the darkness beneath the surface.
Great Movie
(Updated: January 04, 2025)
Overall rating
5.0
Entertainment Factor
5.0
Story
5.0
Actors Performance
5.0
Cinematography
5.0
Sound Track
5.0
I didn’t know what to expect as this is the third version of a typically odd Roald Dahl story . I did like the Tim Burton version, but I had never seen a Timothee Chalamet performance, so I was curious. It was wonderful. They did fiddle with the original story in a major way, but it was engaging and beautifully filmed and Chalamet was absolutely superb. He was a joy to watch. Great cast..and an hysterically funny Hugh Grant as an oompa loompa. It is a story fraught with drama and intrigue and deception, but is ultimately joyful and uplifting.
Great Fun
(Updated: January 04, 2025)
Overall rating
5.0
Entertainment Factor
5.0
Story
5.0
Actors Performance
5.0
Cinematography
5.0
Sound Track
5.0
A very sweet remake of the Willy Wonka story.
Timothee Chalumet is perfect and gives Willy a sweetness not seen in previous movies with Gene Hackman and Johnny Depp
Visually beautiful and perfect casting
A feel good movie
Timothee Chalumet is perfect and gives Willy a sweetness not seen in previous movies with Gene Hackman and Johnny Depp
Visually beautiful and perfect casting
A feel good movie
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