Netflix’s Wasp Network – A Dull and Convoluted Thriller (Early Review)

Olivier Assayas is a French filmmaker active since the late 1970’s, but has just recently achieved international recognition. Throughout the 2010’s, Assayas released a string of critically acclaimed films that challenged audiences with their ambiguity and thought-provoking themes. His over 5-hour epic Carlos, alongside his two English-language collaborations with Kristen Stewart (Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper), established Assayas as one of the most prolific international filmmakers currently working. Over the years, he has become an extremely versatile director not afraid to take risks and tackles wildly different themes with each production. Within recent years, Assayas has been frequently stepping outside of his comfort zone as a filmmaker and somehow has never had a true misfire; until now that is. 

Wasp Network is the latest film from Assayas and it sees him reuniting with the star of Carlos, Edgar Ramírez. Adapted from the novel The Last Soldiers on the Cold War, the film is a political thriller following the true story of a group of Cuban spies during the Castro regime who infiltrate exile groups to prevent terrorist attacks against the country, but at a high personal cost. This film has a higher budget and is broader in scope than many of Assayas’ previous efforts. Besides Ramirez, it also features a high profile cast including Penélope Cruz, Wagner Moura, Gael García Bernal and Ana De Armas. Despite strong performances and high production value, the film is a complete misfire and pales in comparison to Assayas’ last few films. 

Wasp Network may tackle gripping subject matter but it does so in a surprisingly dull and conventional fashion. Assayas’ signature ambiguity and subtlety isn’t present, in fact the film doesn’t leave the audience with much to read into it or analyze. Despite some tense moments and an interesting depiction of Cuba under the Castro Regime, Wasp Network follows a cookie-cutter formula and seems to value spectacle over everything else. Though the film is loaded with action sequences that are somewhat thrilling to watch, they often come at the expense of more intimate, character driven moments.  

Attempting to balance five separate storylines simultaneously is a difficult feat and Wasp Network unfortunately fails to pull it off. It’s convoluted by nature, making it relatively difficult to follow. Additionally, the most sympathetic and interesting characters are often sidelined by characters who don’t have clear motives and are difficult to empathize with. Wasp Network is a particularly frustrating watch because it oozes potential. Assayas had an all star cast and a captivating premise at his disposal. If he focused more on exploring the political turmoil that the film revolves around and further developing the characters, it would have been a much more fascinating watch. Unfortunately, there’s nothing artful about Wasp Network. It’s convoluted and never fully gets its point across. It’s almost difficult to believe that this is coming from the same filmmaker who directed complex and atmospheric films such as Personal Shopper. 

At the end of the day, Wasp Network is a below average thriller from a filmmaker who is capable of so much more. 

still courtesy of Netflix

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Tristan French