Okay, so I read Ursula Wills-Jones’ short story, The Wicker Husband back in 2008, and honestly, going into the movie Wicker, I was bracing myself for something super sentimental and maybe even a little depressing. I figured it would lean heavily into the sad stuff.
The original story, about marriage and jealousy, is written in a straightforward style – simple enough that it was even adapted into a musical performed in Newbury. The film version, though, is a surprisingly wild and entertaining ride, and it still manages to capture the dreamy, fantastical quality of the author’s writing.
The new film Wicker, written and directed by Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer, recently debuted at the Sundance Film Festival. It features a compelling performance by Olivia Colman, who plays a solitary woman known as the Fisherwoman. Set in an unspecified past time, the story takes place in a small village where people are identified by their jobs or their relationships to others, and where the Fisherwoman is known by a more sympathetic name than the original story’s ‘ugly girl’.
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Elizabeth Debicki plays the role of the Tailor’s Wife, a well-liked and ambitious woman who was originally known as the Doctor’s Daughter. She’s essentially the ringleader of the town’s gossip circle, and her popularity and beauty often make life hard for the Fisherwoman. The Fisherwoman’s limp, constant fish smell, and resulting loneliness are frequent targets of the Tailor’s Wife and her friends.
The Fisherwoman, constantly harassed when she’s out in public, asks the local Basketmaker (played by Peter Dinklage) for a very strange favor: to weave her a husband. The movie never quite makes it clear what this request means, and even the character’s thoughtful comments don’t fully explain the film’s unique style or central idea.
Using the fantastical elements of magical realism, the Basketmaker crafts a life-sized Wicker Husband – a remarkably attentive and attractive partner brought to life through her vivid imagination, and resembling a fictionalized Alexander Skarsgård. This creation exists solely to cater to the Fisherwoman’s needs, both in the bedroom and around the house, even going so far as to make their bed each night.
This charming and playfully suggestive story is both funny and heartwarming. The Wicker Husband’s unwavering devotion and surprisingly tender expressions of love brighten the Fisherwoman’s life, sparking envy among the other women and making their husbands wish they were more like him.
This story unfolds with the gentle feel of a fable or bedtime story, but quickly becomes surprisingly dramatic. This is largely due to the Fisherwoman’s reaction to suddenly being the center of attention, and the intense focus on her and everything she says.
Olivia Colman is perfectly suited for the role. She plays a character who is both sharp-tongued and self-critical, and her insecurity often causes her to lash out at others. This is particularly frustrating because her outbursts are frequently directed at her kind and supportive husband, making her difficult to like even when she shows moments of genuine warmth. Colman excels at portraying this complex emotional balance.
It’s hard to overstate how convincingly Skarsgård and the filmmakers brought their wooden Romeo to life. He feels genuinely human and solid, yet still manages to appear subtly hollow, as if light could shine through him. The fact that he’s so physically and emotionally believable – truly resembling and acting like a real person – is a remarkable achievement with practical effects. And his unwavering loyalty, honesty, and kindness are incredibly touching.
He’s completely unrealistic, but stands out from the crude, self-centered villagers because of his genuine kindness, which infuriates them. He’s also genuinely selfless, making Wicker a surprisingly sweet and romantic fantasy – a type of story rarely seen outside of films like The Shape of Water, and usually found only in more explicit monster romances enjoyed in private.
The movie blends sharp, playful humor with the gentle feel of a children’s story, creating a uniquely thrilling experience. It’s as if cherished childhood memories are being playfully subverted with a knowing smile.
Wilson and Fischer, a married couple who both create, bring a delicate and insightful touch to this larger story. They make it deeply personal by focusing on a woman who desperately believes her idealized love will heal her, despite her problems being rooted in a society that seems determined to make her unhappy.
The film’s most heartfelt moments surprisingly come from its strangest elements – specifically, the protagonist learning to love herself and accept affection, even from a surprisingly charming character made of wicker.
Wicker held its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival. It does not yet have a UK release date.
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2026-01-28 19:21