The Final Wish

After his father dies, Aaron Hammond heads home to support his grieving mother and to face memories he’d rather bury. While sorting through his father’s keepsakes, he uncovers a strange relic that seems harmless at first but hints at a darker lineage. The object appears to grant a wish or ease a burden, yet its true nature begins to surface in ways Aaron and his family can’t ignore. As the family bonds stretch under the strain of grief, the artifact’s influence deepens, pulling them toward a price that has nothing to do with money. What started as a gesture of relief spirals into a test of trust and resolve.

Directed by Timothy Woodward Jr and released in 2019, The Final Wish is built from an original screenplay by Jeffrey Reddick, Jonathan Doyle, and William Halfon rather than adapting a known source. Lin Shaye leads the cast.

Box office data are not publicly available. The film had a limited release and a modest box office footprint, with most viewers discovering it through streaming services and home video.

Critics gave The Final Wish a mixed reception, noting that it sticks to familiar horror rhythms but gains momentum from its focus on grief and family ties. Lin Shaye delivers a steady, empathetic turn as Kate Hammond, grounding scenes that lean on mood and dread rather than novelty. The movie toys with the idea that seizing a simple remedy for pain can unleash a heavier price, pressing characters to reckon with guilt, memory, and the limits of control. The tone blends supernatural menace with a domestic melodrama, letting suspense grow from private losses rather than loud shocks. While not reinventing the genre, it invites viewers to consider what a desperate wish asks of those left behind and at what point mercy turns dangerous.