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Careful What You Wish For

Play trailer 2:20 Poster for Careful What You Wish For R 2016 1h 31m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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17% Tomatometer 24 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Complications arise when a young man (Nick Jonas) has an affair with the seductive wife (Isabel Lucas) of an investment banker (Dermot Mulroney).

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Careful What You Wish For

Careful What You Wish For

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Critics Consensus

Audiences yearning for a modern update on the erotic thriller formula will be sorely disappointed by this turgid incarnation, hobbled by stale plotting and a curious lack of sensuality.

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Critics Reviews

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Katie Walsh Los Angeles Times 06/24/2016
Everything that comes before is rote and by-the-book, from the groan-worthy innuendo-laden puns to the two-dimensional cookie-cutter characters, it's a color-by-numbers thriller that's flat. Go to Full Review
Kristy Puchko Pajiba 06/10/2016
Careful What You Wish For is the unwanted child of Porn and Lifetime made-for-TV movies. Go to Full Review
Matt Fagerholm RogerEbert.com 06/10/2016
0/4
Plays like a painfully stilted high school production of "Fatal Attraction." Go to Full Review
Stephen Mayne Under the Radar 06/29/2016
3/10
As a purported erotic thriller, it's neither particularly erotic nor remotely thrilling. Go to Full Review
S. Jhoanna Robledo Common Sense Media 06/24/2016
2/5
Nick Jonas stars in clichd thriller with sex, language. Go to Full Review
Glenn Lovell CinemaDope 06/19/2016
2/4
In the mood for a teen twist on a James Cain mystery, with a soupcon of T&A? You could do worse than this slick variation on 'Double Indemnity.' ... The cinematic equivalent to beach reading. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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TheMovieSearch R @TheMovieSearch Apr 14 Careful What You Wish For is a thriller with a strong premise that draws you in from the start, following a teenage boy who becomes involved with a married woman, leading to a dangerous chain of events. The concept is intriguing and sets up expectations for tension and escalation. Nick Jonas delivers a grounded performance that helps stabilize the film, keeping it believable even when the writing becomes uneven. The supporting cast also contributes well, particularly the police officer character, who adds a steady and tense presence throughout. The screenplay is the weakest element, often feeling like it builds toward bigger moments without fully developing them. Some scenes lack payoff, and the pacing occasionally flattens instead of escalating, which affects the overall tension. Despite these issues, the film remains watchable due to its central story and character dynamics. The final act provides a strong twist that improves the overall impact and leaves mid impression See more Bisquiteen T @RT65021124 Nov 11 The most mid people you've ever seen are having the most mid sex ever, in the laziest "thriller" of all time. Calling the movie "mid" would actually be a compliment. See more Wendel L @BRZRKR Jun 26 Direção: Bom Atuação: Ok Roteiro: Bom Caracterização: Ok Soundtrack: Ok See more Stephen O @RT14796656 02/04/2025 Exactly what it says on the tin, though it's paint by numbers plot effectively conceals a pretty decent twist ending. Not great, but certainly not awful. See more 08/15/2021 The lead actress looks like a bean pole. Weighing in at 74 pounds is this broad who's a horrible actress. No thanks. The movie itself was terrible and deserved to go straight to video. You'd have more fun watching cartoons. See more 01/26/2021 Eh. It's an ok movie. A one and done viewing movie. See more Read all reviews
Careful What You Wish For

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Movie Info

Synopsis Complications arise when a young man (Nick Jonas) has an affair with the seductive wife (Isabel Lucas) of an investment banker (Dermot Mulroney).
Director
Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum
Producer
Ashok Amritraj, Michael A. Helfant, Robert L. Stein, Bradley Gallo, Kirk D'Amico
Screenwriter
Chris Frisina
Distributor
Starz Digital Media
Production Co
Troika Pictures
Rating
R (Some Sexual Content/Nudity|Language)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 10, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 1, 2016
Runtime
1h 31m
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