Available on Netflix, “The Wonder” by Sebastián Lelio follows the mission of a nurse facing a young girl who claims to survive without feeding. Is this thriller inspired by a real news item?
In The Wonder, Florence Pugh plays Lib, a young English nurse sent to Ireland to observe a young patient, Anna, who claims to survive without food. Is this a manipulation or a supernatural phenomenon? Sebastián Lelio’s twilight thriller provides an answer by pitting science against religion.
If the story and the characters of the feature film never existed, the phenomenon of “fasting girls” is very real. Also called fast girls, this anomaly appeared in the 15th century before disappearing in the 20th century. The cases listed are often linked to religious elements. At that time, these young girls claimed to be chosen by God and invested with a divine mission.
Considered as saints, they enjoyed public notoriety. Many curious people rushed to their bedside to verify the phenomenon and ask for absolution. Of course, all cases turned out to be false. These manipulations were mainly thought by the parents to earn easy money.
netflix Image taken from “The Wonder”.
From the 16th century, “fasting girls” became more and more numerous. Many historians consider this phenomenon to be the first form of anorexia. One of the most famous stories concerns that of Sarah Jacob in the 1860s. The daughter of farming parents, this nine-year-old Welshwoman fell ill. Very quickly, she stopped eating so as not to return to the difficult tasks of the family farm.
His parents, Evan and Hannah Jacob, took part in the manipulation and claimed that their child had not eaten for two years. Word spreads and Sarah Jacob becomes a phenomenon. A total of six nurses are called to observe him. Each stayed with her for a period of five days. As a result of these sightings, Sarah Jacob died of starvation.
The Wonder on Netflix: Florence Pugh in a dark thriller about a girl who survives without eating
Evan and Hannah Jacob were convicted of murder. The medical profession – doctors and nurses – have not been judged. The Wonder is interested in another form of manipulation. Sebastián Lelio’s film is adapted from the eponymous book by Emma Donoghue.
The Wonder is available on Netflix.