Spiritual framework centers on wish-granting stars as semi-divine beings and self-determined dreams as the highest good — a worldview that conflicts with Christian dependence on God rather than self or cosmic forces. No sexual content or explicit LGBT content. The main character Asha's friend group includes what appears to be a coded gay character. Caution.
Wish's central worldview is that wishes — desires of the self — are sacred, and that a cosmic star-being exists to fulfill them. The film presents self-determined dreams as the highest good and the fulfillment of personal wishes as the ultimate human flourishing. This is not Christian theology; it is closer to the prosperity gospel or secular self-actualization philosophy — the idea that what you want is what the universe (or a star-being) is obligated to provide.
The biblical worldview is different: Proverbs 3:5-6 — "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." The Christian is not promised that their wishes will come true; they are promised that God works all things for good for those who love him (Romans 8:28) — which often means wishes going unfulfilled in service of something better.
Wish contains no sexual content, no significant violence, and no explicit LGBT content. One character in Asha's friend group is widely read as a coded gay character (Sebastian, who is fashionable and flamboyant), though this is implicit rather than explicit. The film received mixed reviews and was considered a commercial disappointment relative to Disney's expectations. See Wish (2023) overview.
48/100 Caution. Wish is not dangerous, but its spiritual framework is worth a conversation. The idea that wishing upon a star is the path to flourishing is a gentle form of misdirection away from dependence on God. For parents who do watch it with children, it is an opportunity to ask: who do we actually depend on for what we need? A star-being, or the God who made the stars?
Available on Disney+.
Children's media shapes formation in ways adult media does not — children are not yet equipped with the critical distance to evaluate what they're consuming. The question is not just "is this harmful?" but "what is this teaching?" GodlyScore evaluates children's content with heightened sensitivity to family depiction, LGBT normalization, spiritual content, and whether the overall tone encourages virtue or passivity. Score: 48/100 Caution.
See our Christian TV Reviews hub for similar content evaluated with the same framework. Common Sense Media provides detailed age-by-age content guidance.