Wishploitation horror is as scanty as it is distinct. Leprechaun and Wishmaster, being the most prominent examples in this meager subgenre, bear wish-granters with sinister intentions. Other similar movies are largely inspired by W.W. Jacobs’ “The Monkey’s Paw.” From Deathdream to Wish Upon, this short story gets a lot of mileage. Then we have Richard Wenk‘s Wishcraft, perhaps the most unique adaptation of the bunch. While the eponymous, clenched mitt is absent, the threat of “be careful what you wish for” remains intact.
The short but sweet teen slasher revival triggered by Scream had practically come to an end by 2002. Bringing up the rear was Wishcraft, a movie people don’t remember much less know of. It yields all the trappings of its predecessors — namely a high school setting and a disguised killer — while still offering an element that made it stand out. This, of course, being the underplot of supernatural wish fulfillment.
All the standard movie cliques are present and accounted for at Martin Van Buren High School. As tension brews between the jocks and the goths, brainy Brett (Michael Weston, Cherry Falls) and his best friend Howie (A. J. Buckley, The Forsaken) people-watch from the sidelines. They’re coasting through their senior year still without a group to call their own. Howie is looking to be more social, whereas Brett nurses an unrequited crush on classmate Samantha (Alexandra Holden, Drop Dead Gorgeous). She’s friendly with Brett, but it’s clear she sees him as nothing more than a tutor. That is, until Brett receives an anonymously gifted totem with instructions stating “it will grant its owner three wishes.” At a curio shop, the owner identifies the object as a bull pizzle, or, as the same man clarifies ever so bluntly—a centuries-old, mummified “bull dick.” Although technically not a monkey’s paw, it works all the same.
Brett immediately wishes for Samantha to ask him to the spring dance. To his and Howie’s amazement, she invites him the next day. As confused as Brett is, imagine how Samantha’s current boyfriend Cody (Hunter Ridley, Bring It On) must feel. The connection is brief, which only leads to Brett reiterating the same wish—this time, he emphasizes that things last “forever.” In the meantime, someone wearing a grotesque mask and a black cloak is picking off Brett’s classmates one by one. Does this string of gruesome murders have anything to do with the mystic pizzle? All signs point to “yes.”
Now, it just wouldn’t be a slasher without kills, would it? And, on the whole, Wishcraft does not disappoint. The villain gets more creative as the movie continues. We’ve got basic butchery (decapitations and stabbings) along with a few convoluted sequences involving axes, a bowling ball, and swordplay. Any chance at authentic tension is usually undercut by feeble dialogue or humor. Still, the deaths inch towards clever. The most deserving is one character’s tortuous suspension from a traffic light that defies logic. And when it comes time to remove the mask, the killer’s identity is a pleasant surprise. Watch out for that bracing monologue doubling as a ludicrous motive.
The script is where the movie fizzles; Wishcraft struggles with story lines competing rather than cooperating. By that, a sizable chunk of the film is dedicated to Brett and Samantha’s relationship, one that often feels creepy for reasons made known later. Streamlining that plot, emphasizing the killer’s scenes, and removing Howie’s irritating side antics would have not only made for a more acceptable runtime, but also a better movie. Larry Katz’s writing never reaches the heights of his contemporaries back then. In spite of that, the main characters here are singular and amusing so long as you’re all right with the stock they come from.
Wishcraft sits on a gimmick that’s ready-made for outward chaos. The consequences Brett faces from using the totem are instead tame and concern morals. Ignoring the fact that Brett never once considers wishing away the serial killer, it’s almost endearing as to how juvenile his actual wishes are. However, his desire for Samantha to be his girlfriend incidentally robs the character of her power. This makes many of their scenes together uncomfortable to watch knowing Samantha has no control over her actions. Howie, of all the characters, acts as the moral compass. He reminds his best friend of what he’s done to Samantha, which then urges Brett to confess and give her a chance to make a conscious choice. It’s a small patch on a worrisome design.
Wishcraft comfortably fits right in with the likes of Urban Legend and Valentine, two mainstream slashers from the same era that have each found sizable cult followings. Above-average production values and a tendency towards practical effects work in the movie’s favor. Had the cast included more familiar faces — with the exceptions of Meat Loaf and Zelda Rubinstein, both of whom are underutilized — the film might have been guaranteed more attention. As it stands, Wishcraft doesn’t entirely improve on a classic story. Richard Wenk’s movie is a charmed paste-up of good, if not well-worn, ideas. It’s a shame this one didn’t get a chance at the big screen, but, as we all know with hidden gems, we can only wish they find a wider audience one day.
