Wicker takes a silly premise and turns it into a fun examination on what love means and why it’s so important, without forgetting the whimsy to go with it.
Wicker
Directed By: Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson
Written By: Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson
Starring: Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Elizabeth Debicki, Peter Dinklage, Marli Siu
Release Date: October 23, 2026
Based on the short story, The Wicker Husband by Ursula Wills, Wicker puts the focus on the Fisherwoman (Olivia Colman). Somewhat ostracized from the rest of the townspeople, and frequently bullied, the spinster spends her days mostly in solitude. Catching her haul in the morning, gutting them, and then selling them to the ungrateful market only to return to the empty home and prepare to complete the routine once again.
Following the celebration of the town’s latest wedding, and a fresh round of heckling from the local mean-women, the Fisherwoman employs the Basket Weaver (Peter Dinklage) to make her a husband. It’s a strange request, but the man has a knack for crafting all sorts of mechanisms out of wicker. Sure enough, one month later, as instructed the Fisherwoman arrives at the church to find her Wicker Husband (Alexander Skarsgård) awaiting her.
His arrival not only upends the Fisherwoman’s life, but the entire town’s. The once carefully balanced harmony among the village, strictly enforced by the Tailor’s Wife (Elizabeth Debicki) is thrown into disarray. As the Fisherwoman begins to understand what true happiness is, and what she’s been missing, jealous bitties conspire to work against her.
I don’t want to go into any real spoilers here, so I’ll leave the story description vague here. But the result is a hilarious, often emotional folktale that’ll leave you with a big smile on your face. And despite the trailers and setup, this isn’t as spicy a movie as you might imagine. Oh, there’s plenty of implied spiciness going on and lots of talk about it all, but nothing so overt as what you’d get in an actual romance novel with this kind of premise.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though it’s definitely something to set your expectations by. Instead, what you’re given is something that borders more on folk fantasy than it does full on romance. I know the term “folktale” tends to engender more horror connotations, but honestly, that’s not entirely far off either. There are some distinct thriller notes sprinkled throughout the film’s various chapters. They feel at odds with the story initially, but as the central themes and bigger picture comes into focus those subtle notes begin to make sense.
And no, it’s definitely not some sort of secret horror flick. It’s still very much a romantic movie. But the comedic elements veer more into the dark comedy side of things. It’s wickedly sharp, delivering its best gags with either a stoic deadpan dryness or a bite that makes you wince for the character it’s being directed at. How the film balances these moments shows a deft hand in both the scripting phase and its overall pacing. The result is a film that manages to keep you laughing along even as the story begins to dig at you emotionally.
For me, this is what makes Wicker truly stand out. Beyond the humor and its silly little premise is a surprising amount of depth. At its core, the film is an examination about what it means to really love someone. That desire to please someone, not because it prevents nagging, or we expect to get something out of it, but because we enjoy making that person happy. Finding fulfillment in bringing joy to another.
For all the Fisherwoman has been outcast by the village for being something of a recluse and weirdo, it is not her who misunderstands love. It’s the village. They’ve forgotten what love truly means. For them marriage is little more than a business endeavor, meant to keep order and harmony. This is perfectly showcased by the fact that no one actually has a name in this town. Instead, they go by their trade/craft. The women are simply called by their father’s profession, until they are married off and then they are referred to as their husband’s profession instead.
When the Wicker Husband arrives and his doting nature holds up a mirror to themselves they are forced to confront how truly miserable they are, specifically the Tailor’s Wife. This is the primary source of conflict in the film’s story, which I won’t go into much (again to avoid spoilers), but it helps hammer home some great themes on what it means to love, happiness, and being true to yourself.
I only wish the film went a little bit further with some of these themes. It hints at lessons being learned by the townsfolk, but ultimately doesn’t give enough time for them to suffer any consequences are learn anything from them. It feels like a minor gripe, however, considering the heart of the story is supposed to be on the Fisherwoman and her Wicker Husband, to which the film gives them the proper, satisfying ending you want.
All in all, Wicker isn’t the film I was expecting. To be fair, I’m not sure what I was expecting. It’s got the romantic comedy elements to be sure, there’s the fantastical whimsy and charm, but there’s also something so much deeper. Combine that with a dark, sharp wit, and impressive visual effects (seriously, he LOOKS like he’s made of wicker!) and it’s a certified hoot.
