Wonder Wheel is a 2017 American period drama film directed by Woody Allen.
Mickey (Justin Timberlake) is a lifeguard on Coney Island who gets involved in a love triangle with Carolina (Juno Temple) and Ginny (Kate Winslet). Carolina has just returned home after leaving her mobster boyfriend. Her father, Humpty (James Belushi) is eager to see her back in college and improve her life. Ginny is Humpty's wife, a former actress who now waitresses at a bar and is unhappy with her lot, which leads her to carry on an affair with Mickey. When Mickey starts paying attention to Carolina, Ginny gets jealous. Meanwhile, a couple of mobsters are trying to find Carolina.
Tropes:
- The Alcoholic: Humpty has a problem with drinking too much. He is recovering during the story, only to fall back into it when Carolina goes missing in the end.
- Downer Ending: Carolina leaves to protect everyone from the mobsters chasing her and is not found by the police afterwards. Mickey finds out that Ginny chose not to warn Carolina about the mobsters out of jealousy and leaves her, while she is left stewing in guilt and with a husband who is descending into alcoholism again out of grief at his daughter's disappearance.
- Love Triangle: Mickey has an affair with an unhappily married waitress and later develops feelings for her step-daughter.
- Pyromaniac: Ginny and Humpty's son is a source of concern for them because he loves to start fires.
- Removing the Rival: Ginny is pretty okay with letting the mobsters catch Carolina if that means it'll get her out of the way of her and Mickey. She feels immense guilt when it results in Carolina disappearing, though.
