Wicker (dirs. Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson)

by Jack Martin | Oct 30, 2026

Certificate: 15

Running Time: 105 mins

UK Distributor: Black Bear Films

UK Release Date: 30 October 2026

WHO’S IN WICKER?

Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage, Elizabeth Debicki, Marli Siu, Nabhaan Rizwan, Richard E. Grant, Ella Bruccoleri, Ben Ashenden

WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?

Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson (directors, writers), Michael Bloom, Lia Buman, Tom Carver, Olivia Colman, Andrea Cornwell, Tim Headington, Ryan Heller, Oliver Kassman, Justin Lothrop, David Michôd, Ed Sinclair, Brent Stiefel and Brad Zimmerman (producers), Anna Meredith (composer), Lol Crawley (cinematographer), Sofi Marshall (editor)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

A lonely fisherwoman (Colman) commissions a wicker-crafted husband (Skarsgård)…

WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON WICKER?

Sex sells, as the old saying goes, and it’s very true in the case of Wicker. The trailer for the latest feature by writers-directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson focused heavily on the prospect of Olivia Colman being constantly railed by Alexander Skarsgård in heavy make-up as a man made entirely from woven materials – which, in a world where Fifty Shades of Grey was once a bestseller, naturally enticed the erotic curiosity of sex-starved audiences and helped the trailer go viral within days of it going live.

Because of that trailer, however, most people will be going into Wicker expecting it to be a non-stop bonk fest, albeit one with more splinters than STIs, and will thus be in for a slightly rude awakening once they actually watch it. While the more sensual scenes are indeed in the movie, they are only a small focus in what is otherwise a very funny and genuinely romantic fairy tale, one that outdoes even The Princess Bride in how it blends whimsical fantasy with farcical commentary and, most importantly, a love story that you won’t be able to get enough of.

The film is set in a small medieval farming town, where the locals are perfectly content with living a life of traditional patriarchal values, including wedding ceremonies where the bride is literally collared by the groom who then proceeds to have a carrot placed in a suggestible position for the local goat to chomp at. All, that is, except for the local Fisherwoman (Colman), who has lived alone all her life on the edge of town and is thus the butt of numerous jokes and judgement by her peers, including Elizabeth Debicki as the snobbish wife of the local tailor (Nabhaan Rizwan). To get everyone off her back, but also due to a slight sense of loneliness, she commissions the local Basket Weaver (Peter Dinklage) to craft her a husband out of wicker – and sure enough, one month later, her Wicker Husband (Skarsgård) shows up at the altar to be her lawfully wedded husband.

In most fairy tale storybooks, that would be pretty much where things would start to wrap up. But Wicker goes far beyond the typical happily-ever-after by showing how this Wicker Husband isn’t just a literal object of affection; he is a legitimate romantic partner with the honesty, patience, empathy and subdued masculinity that most men should be striving towards, not just in this movie but in real life as well. The relationship between him and the Fisherwoman ends up blossoming into something far beyond just bed-breaking sex, and as they share intimate details as well as personal insecurities with each other, you can feel the real spark between them as two people who understand each other well enough to love them in spite of their flaws. It helps that the romantic chemistry between Colman and Skarsgård feels about as real as the absolutely remarkable makeup effects used to bring the latter’s character to life, with certain aspects such as the light shining through the woven holes in his arms making you wonder how exactly they were able to accomplish such a visually complex design without relying too heavily on CGI.

Theirs is by far the healthiest relationship in the entire town, with all the other wives, brides-to-be and their equally frustrated husbands/fiancés left to watch from afar with seething envy. This is where the farce of it all comes in, as Fischer and Wilson present these townsfolk as spiteful, envious people who are either stuck in unappealing transactional marriages where they’re essentially treated as property or miffed that their lives lack the passion and unconditional admiration that this wild new couple possesses. But while we’re certainly meant to laugh at how ridiculously callous and closed-minded they are – not to mention grossly incompetent, as a hilariously morbid scene involving Richard E. Grant as the town doctor proves – we do still pity them as their assigned roles in this conservative society provide constant barriers in their own progression as people. In fact, none of the characters even have proper names, and are thus referred by their job title or as the wife of that person with the job title, further highlighting the inhumanity that has arisen from these backwards mindsets.

The filmmakers easily convey all of their themes and commentaries through plenty of delightful humour, sharp and witty dialogue, radiant cinematography by Lol Crawley, and finely tuned performances across the board, from an ever-delightful Colman to Debicki, to Dinklage who is surprisingly absent for most of the movie but makes the most of his limited screentime with a couple of memorable monologues and a starring role in some of the film’s most satisfying set-pieces. But in the meantime, you have an absolutely wonderful on-screen romance between the least likely of people – an allegedly smelly Fisherwoman and a literal wicker man who was equally literally born days ago – that more than tides you over, and it anchors a fairy tale farce that is already hugely entertaining as well as original in how it handles certain themes of patriarchal authority.

But I must stress once more, you are not going to get the raunchy number that’s promised to you in the trailers. Sadly, this does also mean that any naughty wicker/wood-related puns you may have been thinking up before watching it are not as valid as you may have hoped. “This movie got me so hard,” that’s out. As is “Skarsgård’s a real stud in this.” And don’t forget about the classic, “Colman and Skarsgård get real knotty.” I know there are better ones out there, but I think you get what I mean.

SO, TO SUM UP…

Wicker is a delightful fairy tale romantic-comedy that is rich in both fields, thanks to fantastic make-up effects, an entertainingly farcical script, and a central love story that is as heartwarming as it is highly unusual.