The delightfully quirky Wonka hits streaming this month, so you can see for yourself why we named it one of the best movies of 2023. The film earned Timothée Chalamet, who plays a young and bright-eyed Willy Wonka in the prequel, a Golden Globe nomination for his interpretation of the iconic character. Not to mention, it was a box office hit, earning over $600 million worldwide.
Directed by Paul King, the brilliant mind behind Paddington and Paddington 2, Wonka also stars Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, and Keegan-Michael Key. Here's all the nitty gritty details you need to know to watch Wonka from the comfort of your couch.
What is Wonka about?
As Mashable's film editor Kristy Puchko puts it, "the plotline is outrageous." Wonka follows a young Willy (Chalamet) who dreams of opening his own chocolate shop one day. However, he has a few barriers in his way: an evil chocolate cartel, a corrupt police chief, and a conniving landlady. To make his chocolate dreams a reality, he teams up with a wise-beyond-her-years orphan named Noodle and an eccentric Oompa-Loompa named Lofty (Hugh Grant). Oh, and did I mention it's a full-blown musical?
"Wonka shouldn't work, but it does," says Puchko in her review of the film. "The narrative's audaciousness is a feature, not a glitch."
Peep the official trailer for a glimpse into the whimsical world of Wonka.
Is Wonka a remake?
Wonka is not a remake nor a sequel to 1971's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It also has no ties to 2005's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory — although Chalamet does resemble Johnny Depp more than he does Gene Wilder. Wonka is actually an origin story for the eponymous candy-making extraordinaire, adapted largely from the 1964 children's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.
Is Wonka worth watching?
Despite the internet's merciless mocking of the Timothée Chalamet-led film, it managed to secure an 82 percent critic rating and 91 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It also secured Chalamet a Golden Globe nomination and blew up the box office. Even if you're a skeptic, it's worth watching and judging for yourself.
"Full of humor, heart, madcap music, and fantastic fun, Wonka is an absolute delight, sure to entertain the whole family — even the curmudgeons snarking at its existence," writes Puchko in her review of the film.
Read our full review of Wonka.
When is Wonka coming to streaming?
While it's still floating around select theaters, Wonka is officially coming to streaming on March 8, 2024. That's just shy of three months after its theatrical release. Since it's a Warner Bros. film, it will be headed to Max — the official streaming home for Warner Bros. Discovery. It's also currently available to purchase on video-on-demand services like Prime Video and Apple TV+ (learn more about that below).
Best Max subscription deals
The golden ticket to streaming Wonka at home is a Max subscription. There are both monthly and annual options, as well as three different tiers to choose from. We've broken down the options below to help you choose what's best for you.
Best Max streaming deal for most people: Save 17% on Max With Ads annual subscription
Paying for a monthly Max subscription (with ads) will run you $9.99 per month. You can easily sign up for a month to watch Wonka, then cancel, if that's your cup of tea. However, if you're looking for more bang for your buck, you can save about 17% if you opt for the annual subscription instead. An annual plan will run you $99.99 per year, which breaks down to only $8.33 per month instead. You will have to watch a few ads during your streaming sessions, but it could certainly be worse.
Best Max deal with no ads: Save 22% on a Max Ad-Free annual subscription
Can't bear to have your viewing experience interrupted by ads? You'll want to sign up for one of the higher tiers — Max Ad-Free or Max Ultimate. The best option, in our humble opinion, is to go with the Max Ad-Free annual subscription for $149.99. That's 22% in savings compared to paying $15.99 per month. For cinephiles seeking the best viewing experience possible, however, the Max Ultimate subscription is probably best. It also offers an ad-free viewing experience, plus 4K Ultra HD video quality, Dolby Atmos immersive audio, the ability to stream on two more devices at once, and 70 more downloads. It's also a bit more per month at $19.99 or per year at $199.99 (save 17%).
Best Max deal for Cricket customers: Free Max With Ads for customers on the $60/month unlimited plan
If you're a Cricket customer on the $60 per month unlimited plan, you get Max with ads for free as long as your account remains in good standing. Navigate to Max on a browser or on the app, choose Cricket as your provider, and log in using your Cricket credentials. Voila! You're able to watch Wonka and plenty more Warner Bros. films for no extra cost. If you're a Cricket customer on a different plan, you can upgrade or change over to the $60 per month plan and still secure the deal. Questions? Check out the terms and conditions on Cricket's website.
Best Max free trial: Get 3 months of Max with DirecTV Stream Entertainment package
At one point, there were multiple ways to get a free trial of Max before committing to a subscription. However, most of those free trials have disappeared. The only way to currently get a taste of Max before subscribing to a plan is to sign up for a DirecTV Stream package (starting at $79.99 per month). The DirecTV Stream Entertainment package gives you three free months of Max (as well as other premium channels), so you can see what it has to offer before pulling the trigger. It's certainly not the most affordable way to watch Wonka, but if you're in the market for a cable replacement service, DirecTV Stream offers a ton of long-term value with over 75 live channels.
Other ways to watch Wonka
Don't want to subscribe to another streaming service just to watch Wonka? You can also purchase the film through digital retailers like Prime Video or Apple TV+ for $19.99. A rental option will also be available beginning March 12, which will most likely cost you $5.99 and give you 30 days to start watching and 48 hours to finish once started.
Prime Video — $19.99 to purchase
Apple TV — $19.99 to purchase
Vudu — $19.99 to purchase
Google Play — $19.99 to purchase
YouTube — $19.99 to purchase
Topics Film Streaming How to Watch
