The narrative [is] dreamlike, skipping a few links like a bike with a loose chain […]. But those gaps feel like gifts rather than errors, signs of respect from a director who wants to leave space for us to imagine our way into the world she creates.
— Elise Nakhnikian (Slant Magazine)
When [Rohrwacher] was casting Gelsomina in The Wonders, she looked for a face that resembled a Piero della Francesca painting.
The film is ambivalent in its portrayal of the father, depicting his dominion but also his dignity and vulnerability, his acts of resistance against contemporary capitalism.
— Emma Wilson (Film Quarterly)
Synopsis: In the Tuscan countryside, a family of traditional honey farmers struggles to make ends meet. The household consists of only daughters—four of them—led by the eldest, Gelsomina, who takes on the responsibilities of the family. When a small boy is sent to stay with them for rehabilitation, their routine is disrupted. As financial troubles threaten their home, Gelsomina sees an opportunity in a reality TV contest searching for 'Italy’s Most Traditional Family.' Willing to expose their secluded life for the prize money, she clashes with her father’s rigid ways in a bid to secure their future.