Every autumn brings a few films that refuse to fit into the usual boxes, and this year one of them arrives with a premise that sounds like a bedtime story told after midnight. In Wicker, a lonely fisherwoman grows tired of her neighbors’ mockery and commissions the local basket weaver to craft her a husband. What she gets is tall, attentive, endlessly loyal and made entirely of woven willow.
Olivia Colman leads the film, with Alexander Skarsgård playing the creaking, devoted spouse and Peter Dinklage as the weaver whose craft seems to hold a little magic. The supporting cast adds Elizabeth Debicki and Richard E. Grant, which already hints at how much dry humor the story has to offer. Rather than relying only on digital effects, the production built much of the wicker husband physically, giving the character a tangible, tactile quality that suits a fairy tale.
Do not mistake it for a family film, though. The movie carries an R rating and early reactions describe it as cheerfully bawdy, with frank conversations about marriage and desire. The fun comes from watching an entire village react when the woman everyone pitied suddenly becomes the happiest person in town, and other couples start comparing notes.
The film is adapted from a short story and comes from the filmmaking duo behind Save Yourselves!, which explains its blend of offbeat comedy and genuine warmth. Critics have mostly praised Colman’s timing while noting a slightly long final stretch.
For release dates, cast details and a closer look at the reviews, the preview of Wicker’s Friday opening is a handy starting point. If you are hunting for a date-night pick that is not another sequel, this strange little fable is worth putting on your list this season.
