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Weddings are supposed to be a time of love and happiness—of food and family and music. But in writer/director Michael Winterbottom’s gritty thriller The Wedding Guest, a mysterious guest shows up at a wedding and turns the celebration into fear, crime, and suspense.
The Wedding Guest stars Dev Patel as Jay, a British man who travels to Pakistan on a dangerous mission. Posing as an old friend who’s in town to attend a wedding, he makes his way to the compound where the family is staying. That night, he breaks into the home and kidnaps bride-to-be Samira (Radhika Apte), killing a guard as he makes his escape. Suddenly, despite all of his planning, the job takes an unexpected turn—and he finds himself and his hostage on the run through Pakistan and India.
The Wedding Guest is certainly a strikingly beautiful international thriller. Throughout Jay’s journey, Winterbottom takes him through cities and villages, through bustling markets, noisy train stations, and quiet deserts, making it more than just another thriller; it’s a cultural experience of sights and sounds and colors.
Unfortunately, though, the story tends to be meandering and confusing. The setup isn’t really developed, nor is the character. It’s obvious that Jay must have some kind of training to do what he does—and he’s clearly connected—but his background is never explored (or even acknowledged). Meanwhile, it isn’t until after things go wrong that we find out what was supposed to happen at the wedding and why—and, even then, the plan isn’t exactly easy to follow.
Each character here has a different perspective—a different version of the story—and that’s sure to keep viewers guessing. It’s tense and twisting—and as the characters around him accuse one another of cheating, stealing, and deceit, it’s no big surprise that Jay would be suspicious and even a little paranoid. But while the story has plenty of potential, it simply isn’t executed well. There isn’t enough here to make audiences care about the outcome. And, eventually, the film’s tension and suspense fizzle out, ending the story not with a bang but with a shrug.
The Wedding Guest is definitely an eye-catching thriller, but it isn’t an especially cohesive one. Its twisting plotline is often intriguing, but the story and its characters aren’t really memorable—and though the cast members do their best with what they’ve been given, it’s not enough to make this one worth seeking out.
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