“The grass is always greener” is one of those sayings that’s as ubiquitous as oxygen, but in Nicholas Tomnay’s indie thriller What You Wish For, the familiar message is sent in a manner much gnarlier than any comforting catchphrase. Nick Stahl stars as Ryan, a struggling chef with a gambling addiction who is desperate to repay his debts. Searching for a quick buck, Ryan flees to his friend Jack’s swanky Latin American villa in the hope of getting help. Living in the lap of luxury doesn’t seem to suit Jack, and the side effects of work are clearly troubling him despite having over a million bucks in the bank.

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When Ryan gets the chance to step in for Jack’s lucrative culinary gig (the particulars of which I won’t get into for the sake of spoilers) he soon learns what was weighing on Jack is now his responsibility – whether he likes it or not. Add to that a law enforcement officer hanging around the villa incessantly trying to solve the disappearance of his nephew, and Ryan’s problems go from bad to worse. That is, until a new coworker informs him there may be a way out. But is it even worth the risk?

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What You Wish For achieves a lot with a little, churning out a Michelan Star movie on a fast-food budget. It starts out slow, but a reveal around the 40-minute mark got an audible gasp out of me, and from there it was uphill to the film’s conclusion. The movie is a not-so-subtle commentary on the insatiable appetites of the world’s richest people (much like 2022’s The Menu) and the supporting characters are the kind you love to hate. It knows exactly what it wants to be, and it’s refreshing for a film to be so in-your-face instead of drowning its viewer in a sea of metaphors. Even if your proverbial plate of films to watch is full, I suggest making room for this oddly delectable delight of a flick.