THE WASP

UK, 2024, 96 minutes, Colour.

Naomie Harris, Natalie Dormer, Dominic Allburn, Leah Mondesir-Simmonds, O;ivia Juno Cleverly, Rupert Holliday-Evans.

Directed by Guillem Morales.

Audiences who enjoy a 90 minutes psychological thriller will be intrigued by The Wasp. It is basically a two-hander, based on a stage play by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm who adapted the play for the screen. This is a film of very strong dialogue, interactions between two women, gradual revelations of the characters both in the past and in the present.

In the early part of the film, there are scenes outdoors, views of an English city, walking in the streets, visits to a supermarket. However, the main part of the film takes place in the house, in one room in the house. But with the dialogue, the performances of the two actresses, the intriguing developments, the claustrophobic atmosphere, the audience becomes involved and does not notice the limitation of action within the room.

Critics have been very strong in their admiration for the performances by Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer, British actresses who stro have had ng screen presence in films for almost two decades. Naomie Harris plays Heather, wealthy, seven years married to Simon, his response to her rather brittle, she more sensitive, house proud, but obsessed with a nest of wasps in the house, creating an embarrassing scene during one of Simon’s business socials.

Wasps, with the title, have some symbolic significance, framed photos of wasps on the staircase – and Heather explaining the symbolism of the tarantula wasp, the small wasp inside the tarantula, growing and eating away the spider will it finally emerges free. Which, of course, is the final image of the film.

The two women meet, conspire, but, ultimately remember the past, their childhood friendship, some terrible experiences of bullying and the consequences, and step by step further revelations, twists, continually intriguing, leading up to a battle of wits. And a tribute to the quality of the screenplay which keeps us interested and very much involved.

And, the aftermath of reflecting on each of the women, their experiences, the good and the bad, responsibilities of children, responsibilities of adults, and the consequences of vengeance.

1. The focus on wasps, the plague, Simon’s personal interest, the framed pictures? The story of the tarantula wasp in the final images and meaning?
2. The British setting, Heather sitting and looking over the city, Carla later sitting in the same place? The overview? The scenes in the street, the supermarket, the women walking to work? But the focus on the house, the main room, the second half of the film within the room, moments upstairs? The musical score?
3. Heather, her age, the marriage, Simon and his brittle behaviour, her responses, the issue of the wasps? Her sitting at the mirror, the make up? The social, the guests, Simon’s hopes, Heather and her battering the wasp nest, Simon upset? His ambitions, going out…?
4. Heather, on the computer, the files, the contacts, the ironies and revelations about her setting up fictitious characters, entrapment of Simon, entrapment of Carla?
5. Heather and the memories of Carla and the rocks for the wounded pigeon? Her decision to contact Carla? Motivations? Meeting with Carla, the restaurant, the proposition, their walking, at the supermarket checkout, the proposition, the money, Carla’s second thought? Pity about the money?
6. The portrait of Carla, at the checkout, slovenly, antagonistic towards customers, at home, her children, television, asking permission, her partner sitting in the chair, his gambling? Her going out, being picked up, with James? The money?
7. The return to the house, the drama with the two women? Heather, upper-class, Carla, working class, contrasts, the taunts? The proposal, Carla’s acceptance, working on the plan, something in the drink, the weapon for battering, Heather and talking of cutting up the body and disposing of it? The theory of the burglary? protective of her possessions? The time frame?
8. Carla’s return, the discussions, Heather and the flashbacks and memories, from the rock and the pigeon, to the various scenes at school, the range of bullying, torment, humiliations, nicknames, Dirty Heather, the scene in the toilet, the physical abuse, the consequences? Heather and the emotional impact of these events, not able to have children, the attempts, IVF, her sense of something within her?
9. Drugging Carla, tying her up, telling her the stories? Carla’s story, the abuse at home, that as did Heather knew what was happening her mother, their not intervening? The limitations of children’s experience?

• Carla, the explanations, the viciousness in the past, the behaviour of children, bullying, friends, her apologies, continued attempts?
• Heather going upstairs, the red dress, the knife, Carla’s attempts to be free, the final confrontation, Heather and her bitterness, Carla and the excuses, the revelation about James, his affair with Carla?
• The background with Ruby, the neighbour, looking in the window, , h her mother, Heather putting the letter in the box?
• Heather taunting Carla, the knife, whether to be violent or not, Carla with the knife, stabbing Heather, Simon returning home, tending Heather, Carla watching, Ruby and her mother, giving the letter to Simon, his reading it, Carla with the knife, the audience seeing the letter? Heather and her death and revenge, entrapment of Carla and Simon?
• The final image of the tarantula wasp, the wasp emerging from Heather’s body, her being the tarantula, it way by the wasp which escaped?