The 2024 psychological thriller film,
THE WASP, directed by
Guillem Morales, tells a suspenseful story revolving around two female friends, Heather portrayed by
Naomie Harris and Carla portrayed by
Natalie Dormer. Heather is seen right from the beginning grappling with wasps that have built a nest in her house and hers personal pains which include infertility pains. This is brought out by Heather’s unsympathetic husband who hardly cares to listen to her complaints but is rather preoccupied with preparing for a dinner party.
The twist of event starts when Heather tries contacting Carla, an ex-girl friend who is on a bad financial position and pregnant with her fourth child. In keeping with this set up, instead of a warm reunion between Carla and Heather, Heather pay Carla to kill her husband. It is then followed by a number of climaxes, and the occasional glimpse into the past and hostility that probably exists between two women. In the course of the film, both the lead characters’ weaknesses and sinister aspects are revealed, which makes it a very dramatic exploration of the themes of mistrust, desperation, and fear.
THE WASP” (2024): Is The Movie Based on a True Story?
Despite its raw emotional depth and intense narrative, THE WASP is not based on a true story. The movie is actually based on the play of the same name written by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm in 2015. The play that was staged at Hampstead Theatre and later at Trafalgar Studios in London was infamous for its dark themes and a rather unflinching commentary on female camaraderie, personal history, and toxic relationships. Malcolm’s script is full of metaphors and emotional strings, delivering a plot of two imperfect women and their relations complicated as much as intense. Myanna Buring and Laura Donnelly star as Carla and Heather, respectively, in “The Wasp” Play.
These aspects are retained in the screen adaptation although the screen play is a much wider version of a stage play psychological thriller. The performances by Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer particularly enrich the narrative by offering more passion and dimensions to the plot and, while the entire plot is a work of fiction, there is nothing that relates it to real-life events.
In that movie the main symbol is a wasp which conveys both characters’ themes and their nature which is sting-like or sharp. Talking about the original play in the interview, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm said that both women embody the wasp’s sting and are closely, largely mediated connected. Malcolm came up with the idea that with the women characters in the novel, their past experiences such as the use of emotional baggage do impact the characters as it impacts a bee with the sting it possesses.
Though the film doesn’t follow a true-life experience, the feelings which are depicted in it, and the relations between the characters – jealousy, hatred, and complicated drama – are always topical and well-liked by the viewers.
In an interview for Screen Rant in 2024, Director Guillem Morales spoke about his work on the film and emphasized the tense nature of the roles played by Harris and Dormer. Morales complimented Harris for her performance as Heather, which he said was signed on before he joined the film. He thought that there was a possibility to do something interesting with the script, though it made him glad that both the actresses had a chance to develop their characters in ways impossible with male characters.
Morales also pointed that, primary cast Naomie Harris was instrumental in portraying the Heather’s express emotions ranging from anger, strategic personality. He also focused on the role of Natalie Dormer, who manages to convey both strength and fragility in the character of Carla, who is initially portrayed as a woman in need of money but whose personality gradually becomes more sinister.
Naomie Harris said that Natalie Dormer advised her on how to play Heather. Dormer has been a part of Game of Thrones and thus she had tips to give Harris on how best to portray her character’s complexity and retain the plot from the viewers’ gaze. Harris also identified with Heather and her abuse and was able to bring this personal experience in being bullied to the realisation of Heather character. She loved the fact that the character allowed for so much emotion in the film, and when she could go back to Heather’s tortured childhood in the flashbacks.
Dormer on the other hand was attracted to Carla due to the character’s recklessness, which was quite different from other role models that she has portrayed in the past such as The Tudors and Game of Thrones. The actress liked the opportunity to work with a new type of a character; it allowed her to grow and she likes both Carla and Heather as the characters are two strong, three-dimensional women with feelings.
It is important to say that unlike other movies which would thrive on mere action and suspense, this movie also focuses on the personality study of the two main characters. Another message of this movie,
The Wasp, is a reflection of manipulation and betrayal of power and trust, and people’s willingness to kill in order to keep their secrets hidden.
Therefore it is quite clear that while it may not represent real life events and happenings, it remains a very engaging movie courtesy of the layered performances and
THE WASP’s brilliant script. This could be explained by the psychological intrigue and outstanding acting of Harris and Dormer, which makes the show reverberate in the thriller genre.
