Netflix movie of the day: Wonder is a coming of age tale that tugs at the heartstrings

It’s hard not to get a little sentimental while watching this one

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Every day, we cut through the bottomless list of streaming options and recommend something to watch. See all ourNetflix movie of the daypicks, or ourPrime Video movie of the daychoices.

I’ve recommended some truly twisted tales in our movie of the day section, but this time, I want to talk about a lovely coming of age story. Wonder is today’s pick, and it’s a movie about a young boy with a rare facial deformity as he tries to fit in at school. But it’s so much more than that, it’s a big movie that’s full of hope, and it might even restore your faith in humanity.

10-year-old Auggie goes through a huge change in Wonder, where we see him transitioning from being homeschooled to joining a public school. This is his first time being in a big class setting and that’s daunting for any kid before you even take into consideration the other struggles he’s been facing. Jacob Tremblay in particular shines in this one, he also made me cry in Room, so he’s definitely perfected the art of heartfelt performance.

Kids can be cruel, but they can also be kind, and this movie focuses on those all important childhood friendships. This includes inevitable conflict resolution, such as a sweet scene where two characters apologise viaMinecraft. We are truly rooted in Auggie’s world and see a lot of it from his perspective, which is a very important part of the movie’s storytelling.

While Jacob Tremblay steals the show, Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson are wonderful as his on-screen parents, who try their best to support Auggie as best they can even if it means sometimes neglecting their other child, Via, who is Auggie’s older sister. Family is front and center of this piece and it doesn’t sugarcoat the struggles that both parents and children often face when trying to navigate the world together.

A truly Wonder(ful) film

Wondercurrently has a 86% Rotten Tomatoes score, making it certified fresh and earning a place on ourbest Netflix movieslist. The general consensus is that it doesn’t shy away from its bestselling source material’s sentiment, and does the novel justice.

Tara Brady from theIrish Timessaid it best with: “Director Stephen Chbosky, who previously adaptedThe Perks of Being a Wallflower(his own novel) for the screen has fashioned a irresistibly warm, unabashedly humanist family picture.”

WhileThe Wrap’s Alonso Duralde added: “It’s never mawkish or manipulative, and its characters are so well-established both in the writing and in the performances that the movie ultimately does the hard work of earning those damp Kleenexes.”

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So if you’re looking for a heartwarming movie this week,Wonderis definitely worth your time while it’s available on thebest streaming service.

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Lucy is a long-time movie and television lover who is an approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes. She has written several reviews in her time, starting with a small self-ran blog called Lucy Goes to Hollywood before moving onto bigger websites such as What’s on TV and What to Watch, with TechRadar being her most recent venture. Her interests primarily lie within horror and thriller, loving nothing more than a chilling story that keeps her thinking moments after the credits have rolled. Many of these creepy tales can be found on the streaming services she covers regularly.

When she’s not scaring herself half to death with the various shows and movies she watches, she likes to unwind by playing video games on Easy Mode and has no shame in admitting she’s terrible at them. She also quotes The Simpsons religiously and has a Blinky the Fish tattoo, solidifying her position as a complete nerd.

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