Watch Wishmaster
- R
- 1997
- 1 hr 30 min
-
5.8 (26,066)
Wishmaster is a horror movie from 1997, directed by Robert Kurtzman and starring Tammy Lauren, Andrew Divoff, and Angus Scrimm. The film follows Alexandra Amberson, a young woman who unknowingly unleashes an evil djinn (genie) upon the world when she makes a careless wish. The movie begins with a prologue set in ancient Persia, where an evil sorcerer named Ahura Mazda (Divoff) seeks to summon a djinn and use its power to conquer the world. He succeeds in summoning the djinn (Scrimm), but is consumed by its power and imprisoned inside a gemstone. The gemstone is sent to the west, where it eventually ends up in the hands of a wealthy collector.
Cut to present day, where Alexandra Amberson (Lauren) is working as a gemologist at a museum. She is tasked with cataloguing the collection of the wealthy collector who possesses the gemstone containing the djinn. While working, she accidentally frees the djinn from the gemstone by making a careless wish. The djinn, now free, begins to wreak havoc upon the world, granting wishes to those who summon him, but always twisting the wishes to serve his own malevolent purposes.
Alexandra learns of the djinn's true nature from a scholar named Wendy (Jenny O'Hara), and sets out to put an end to his reign of terror. She is aided by a security guard named Nick (Chris Lemmon), who becomes romantically involved with her.
As the djinn continues to grant wishes and grow stronger, Alexandra and Nick race against time to find a way to defeat him before he can bring about the end of the world. Along the way, they encounter various characters who have made deals with the djinn, and must confront their own fears and desires in order to survive.
One of the strengths of Wishmaster is its imaginative use of horror tropes. The djinn's ability to grant wishes provides ample opportunity for the filmmakers to showcase a wide variety of gruesome and terrifying scenarios. From a woman who wished to be beautiful being transformed into a living glass statue, to a man who wished to know the secrets of the universe being consumed by knowledge, the movie is full of shocking and gory set-pieces that are sure to stick with viewers long after the credits roll.
The film also benefits from a strong cast. Tammy Lauren is an appealing and sympathetic lead, and Andrew Divoff is delightfully sinister as the djinn. Angus Scrimm, best known for his role as the Tall Man in the Phantasm series, lends his distinctive voice to the djinn, adding an extra layer of menace to the character.
Overall, Wishmaster is an enjoyable and well-crafted horror movie that offers plenty of scares and imaginative set-pieces. While it may not reach the heights of classic horror films like The Exorcist or The Shining, it is definitely worth a watch for fans of the genre looking for a fun and twisted take on the genie mythos.
Wishmaster is a 1997 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 30 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.8.