On Oct. 23 the fantasy-romantic comedyWicker (2026) premiered in theatres after months of anticipation. Why, you may ask? Well, the film is essentially a Homesense version of Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) with elements of Pinocchio (1940). The trailer made a lasting impact when audiences realized that lead actor, Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little Lies), was adorned in a full-wicker suit while breaking a bed with British actress, Olivia Colman (The Crown).
Wicker is an adaptation of the ten-page 2006 short-story, The Wicker Husband, written by Ursula Wills, which recounts the story of a lonely fisherwoman (Colman) who would rather be alone than in a loveless marriage akin to the rest of the women in her small village. Until, that is, she employs the services of her local basketweaver (Peter Dinklage; Game of Thrones) who crafts the Fisherwoman a husband entirely from wicker. Yes – like the material used in baskets. And yes, every part is made of wicker; the basketweaver adds a touch of magic to his creation like Geppetto did for Pinocchio, but in a rated-R kind of way.
Though the film grounds itself in modern themes like repressed sexuality, the story is situated against a backdrop of a small fictional feudal-medieval town where tradition is highly-valued… at least until Fisherwoman shows up with her newly-crafted wicker husband. At first, the relationship was purely for sexual pleasure but as the plot advances, the Fisherwoman begins to realize that marriage can be a freeing partnership rather than something oppressive and patriarchal. In fact, the wicker husband embodies the rigidity of wicker but surprises the Fisherwoman by being the idyllic husband who is deeply poetic, fiercely committed but also sexually explorative and tender.
The middle-aged newlyweds share many intimate moments throughout the film, which catalyzes a jealous frenzy amongst the village women, who begin to realize their distaste for their own husbands. This is in sharp contrast with the beginning of the story, which paints a picture of the Fisherwoman’s life alone in her cottage where the loudest sound is the noise of her chamberpot. Once her wicker husband arrives, however, the village is awoken abruptly by the blissful screams of Colman after literal bed-breaking love-making. Then, as a plant-based magical gentleman must, he built his beloved an entirely new bed.
Wicker (2026) was directed by real-life lovers, Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer, who came across the aforementioned short story which had yet to be published. Yet from the materials, they created an entire village of bitterly jealous neighbours, who went from taunting the Fisherwoman to vying for her newfound satisfaction with her basket-shaped lover. Equally distinct is how the directors and production created a dynamic village, teeming with folklore and fable. A community is a necessary condition for jealousy, and the accompanying cast of villagers do a fantastic job gossipping and bestowing judgement toward the Fisherwoman. The costuming reflects this social distinction between the village wives and the Fisherwoman, where the Fisherwoman trods along in rags and sweat whereas the wives’ costumes reflect their comfortable, domestic lives. Despite being set in a fabled fictional village, the film’s themes parallel today’s dating scene of jealousy and repressed desires which is why this fable is even more timely, it reminds us that settling for mediocrity should not be romanticized.
Coined as the horniest and most tender movie of the year, the film’s folkloric romance is certainly watch-worthy as both a social criticism, and for its expert cinematography.