Wish Upon

Wish Upon centers on Clare Shannon, a teenage girl who feels stuck between school pressures and a fragile family life. When she stumbles on a mysterious wooden box at a yard sale, she discovers its keeper a guardian who claims the box can grant almost any wish. At first she tests it with small favors for her friends and herself, hoping to quiet the chaos around her. But each wish comes with an unsettling price that escalates as the box demands more. As consequences pile up, Clare must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice and whether power is worth the risk. The tension grows as secrets surface and Clare questions who she can trust or what she really wants anymore.

Directed by John R. Leonetti with a screenplay by Barbara Marshall, Wish Upon brings her concept to the screen as a horror tale anchored in teen life and anxieties. The production leaned on practical effects to heighten the box's power.

Box office was modest, grossing about 14.3 million worldwide on a 12 million budget, a respectable return for a mid range horror release rather than a summer blockbuster, and it found a continued life on streaming and home video globally.

Reception was mixed, with audiences noting the brisk pacing and familiar teen horror setup while critics pointed to uneven scares and predictable twists. The movie probes desire and consequence, hinting at how wishing for control reshapes relationships and fate. Joey King gives Clare real emotional shading here and critics alike.

Wish Upon finds its place in the late 2010s trend of teen thrillers built around cursed objects. It didn't spark a lasting cultural phenomenon, but it helped spotlight Joey King's rising profile and contributed to ongoing discussions about wish fulfillment as a plot device in later teen horror discussions online.