The Talented Mr. Ripley* (1999): The gold standard of imposter thrillers. A charming but penniless Tom Ripley is sent to Italy to retrieve a millionaire's son and soon becomes obsessed with his lavish lifestyle.
2. *Saltburn* (2023): A socially awkward student finds himself drawn into the world of a wealthy, aristocratic classmate, spending a summer at his family's sprawling estate where obsession and desire curdle into something sinister.
3. *Enemy* (2013): A history professor discovers his exact double, an actor, living nearby. His curiosity leads him down a surreal and paranoid rabbit hole from which there may be no return.
4. *Single White Female* (1992): After a bad breakup, a young woman gets a new roommate who slowly and methodically begins to copy her in every way, with terrifying results.
5. *The Imposter* (2012): A gripping documentary that feels like a thriller. It tells the true story of a young Frenchman who convinced a Texas family that he was their son who had been missing for years.
6. *Possessor* (2020): A sci-fi twist on the theme, this film follows an agent who uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people's bodies, driving them to commit assassinations.
7. *Goodnight Mommy* (2014): Two twin boys welcome their mother home after she has cosmetic surgery, but with her face wrapped in bandages, they begin to suspect the woman in their house isn't their mother at all.
Faustian Bargains: Dramas of Desperate Deals & Dire Consequences
Ryan, the protagonist of *What You Wish For*, makes a deal out of desperation. The films in this category are all about that fateful moment of choice—the seemingly simple offer that spirals into a nightmare.
1. *A Simple Plan* (1998): Two brothers and a friend discover a crashed plane with a bag full of cash. Their "simple plan" to keep it secret soon unravels into a web of paranoia, betrayal, and violence.
2. *Nightcrawler* (2014): A driven but sociopathic man enters the high-stakes world of L.A. crime journalism, discovering that the best way to get the shot is to become part of the story.
3. *The Gift* (2015): A young married couple's life is thrown into turmoil after a chance encounter with an old acquaintance, who brings mysterious gifts and a horrifying secret from the past to their doorstep.
4. *The Killing of a Sacred Deer* (2017): A charismatic surgeon takes a fatherless teen under his wing, but when the boy's behavior turns sinister, the surgeon is forced to make an unthinkable sacrifice.
5. *Indecent Proposal* (1993): A classic "what would you do for money?" drama. A billionaire offers a financially struggling couple one million dollars for one night with the wife.
6. *Cheap Thrills* (2013): A down-on-his-luck family man is goaded into a series of increasingly depraved and dangerous dares by a wealthy couple looking for entertainment.
7. *Uncut Gems* (2019): A charismatic jeweler and gambling addict makes a series of high-stakes bets that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime or his ultimate ruin.
When the Rich Play Games: Thrillers Set in Sinister Elite Circles
The clients in *What You Wish For* represent a wealthy class for whom morality is a triviality. These movies dive into the dark, predatory worlds of the super-rich.
1. *The Menu* (2022): A young couple travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the celebrity chef has prepared a lavish menu... with some shocking surprises for his wealthy guests.
2. *Ready or Not* (2019): A bride's wedding night takes a terrifying turn when her new, eccentric, and wealthy in-laws force her to partake in a deadly game of hide-and-seek.
3. *The Game* (1997): A wealthy, cold-hearted investment banker receives an unusual gift from his brother: a live-action game that consumes his life and makes him question what is real and what isn't.
4. *Parasite* (2019): A poor family masterfully cons their way into working for a wealthy household, but their new life of comfort is threatened when they discover a secret in the house's basement.
5. *The Invitation* (2015): A man attends a dinner party at his ex-wife's house, but as the night progresses, he grows convinced that his ex and her new husband have a sinister agenda for their guests.
6. *Knives Out* (2019): A funnier take on the genre, this whodunnit sees a brilliant detective sift through the lies and secrets of a wealthy, dysfunctional family after its patriarch turns up dead.
7. *Eyes Wide Shut* (1999): A New York City doctor embarks on a bizarre, night-long odyssey after his wife's confession, leading him to a secret, masked society of the ultra-elite.
Kitchen Nightmares: Culinary Dramas with a Sinister Twist
The culinary setting of *What You Wish For* adds a unique flavor of high-pressure professionalism to the terror. These films use the intense world of food and restaurants as a backdrop for drama and suspense.
1. *Boiling Point* (2021): Filmed in one single, continuous take, this film follows a head chef navigating a relentlessly stressful night in his popular London restaurant, where personal and professional crises collide.
2. *Hunger* (2023): A talented young street-food cook is invited to train under an infamous and ruthless fine-dining chef, pushing her to her physical and psychological limits.
3. *Burnt* (2015): A brilliant but troubled chef who destroyed his career with drugs and ego attempts a comeback by spearheading a top London restaurant in a bid for a third Michelin star.
4. *The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover* (1989): A visually stunning and grotesque film about the boorish owner of a high-end restaurant whose wife begins an affair with one of the patrons right under his nose.
5. *Pig* (2021): A reclusive truffle hunter living in the Oregonian wilderness must return to his past in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped.
6. *Big Night* (1996): Two immigrant brothers pin all their hopes on a single, spectacular dinner to save their failing Italian restaurant in 1950s New Jersey.
7. *Delicatessen* (1991): In a post-apocalyptic world, the landlord of an apartment building, who is also a butcher, has a gruesome method for keeping his tenants supplied with meat.
No Escape: High-Stakes Contained Thrillers
Much of the tension in *What You Wish For* comes from its remote villa setting, creating a sense of isolation and entrapment. These films excel at building unbearable suspense within a single, confined location.
1. *10 Cloverfield Lane* (2016): After a car crash, a woman wakes up in an underground bunker with two men who claim the outside world is under a widespread chemical attack.
2. *Green Room* (2015): A punk rock band witnesses a murder at a remote neo-Nazi skinhead bar and finds themselves trapped in the green room, fighting for their lives against the club's violent owners.
3. *Coherence* (2013): During a dinner party, a passing comet causes a bizarre and mind-bending series of events, fracturing reality and turning the friends against one another.
4. *The Guilty* (2021): A demoted police officer assigned to 911 dispatch duty scrambles to save a distressed caller during a single, harrowing shift. The entire film is seen from his perspective at his desk.
5. *Buried* (2010): A U.S. truck driver in Iraq wakes up to find he is buried alive inside a coffin with only a lighter and a cell phone.
6. *Exam* (2009): Eight candidates for a highly desirable corporate job are locked together in an exam room and given a final test with one seemingly simple question, leading to a brutal psychological battle.
7. *Phone Booth* (2002):** A slick publicist picks up a ringing payphone and is told by a sniper that if he hangs up, he'll be killed.
### Find Your Next Obsession
This list is your starting point for a deep dive into the kind of thrilling, thought-provoking drama that makes *What You Wish For* so compelling. Each of these films offers a unique take on ambition, desperation, and the dark side of human nature. So, dim the lights, silence your phone, and get ready for your next favorite movie. Just be careful what you wish for.