The right marketing campaign can do wonders, and Wicker had a stellar one. The movie absolutely chose to lean into the popularity of romance novels, this one being of the “sentient smut” variety, but at the end of the day it’s simply a heartwarming fable with some poignant commentary on gender norms, small-town stereotypes, and the varying traditions of marriage.
Wicker is based on the 2008 short story, The Wicker Husband by Ursula Wills-Jones, about a grumpy outsider who decides to commission a husband made from wicker. Despite the story being from this century, the subtle magic and occasional darker themes make this story feel like an old folktale passed down through the ages where no one really has names, but instead are identified by their role in society: Tailor, Tailor’s Wife, Doctor, Doctor’s Daughter, Basket Weaver, and, of course, Fisher Woman. This simple choice makes it easy to see the strict display of power and balance amongst the townsfolk. Women are simply identified by the highest role of the man in their life, despite being full and complete humans with identities all their own.
Unfortunately for the Tailor’s Wife (Elizabeth Debicki), despite being one of the most competent, capable, and educated women, she has never been offered the opportunity or freedom to build a life of her own, which leads her to channel her anger and frustration onto others. It’s unimaginable to see anyone else in this role. Debicki commands the screen every time she appears. Despite knowing the terrible things she’s done, you almost can’t help but understand her actions. She becomes a monster, in part because of her circumstances and small-world limitations, not unlike a wild, caged animal — they inevitably fight back, and they don’t care what damage they cause in the process. As her background is revealed, we learn the Tailor’s Wife has always had a villainous streak within her, so it’s no surprise when she sets her sights on the Fisher Woman — the one woman who, despite dealing with years of loneliness, exclusion, and gossip, seemingly gets to have it all: a life partner who both loves her and encourages her autonomy.
Olivia Colman has had her fair share of impressive, iconic characters, but it is so refreshing to watch her bring to life a character that is so incredibly benign. Fisher Woman is an average woman in the better half of her life, with no living family, whose only focus is making an honest day’s wage and begrudgingly participating in town celebrations when necessary. She would have been happy to stay in her tiny corner of life if fate hadn’t intervened. And yet, Coleman brings such depth and joy to this character that you can’t help but want to see her find happiness. Her partnership opens her up to love in so many ways and gives us insight into a fully rounded character who has experienced such loss and grief, yet still continued on. After being at the center of cruel jokes about her spinster life, she commissions the town’s Basket Weaver to make her a husband, partially for some companionship, but mostly to silence her community.
The Basket Weaver, while weaving a sentient being whose sole existence and purpose relies on being someone’s husband, still leaves the Wicker Man’s ability to love and be loved completely up to his own discretion. This means the care and respect the Wicker Man shows his wife come from love and appreciation for the Fisher Woman as a whole person, not as someone who paid for his existence. Such an active partnership and shakeup to gender roles is a stark contrast to the role expectations that have been placed upon their current society, which causes significant commotion and distress throughout the town. The Tailor’s Wife is quick to add fuel to the fire, consistently stoking the flames of gossip and anger towards the Fisher Woman, ultimately sowing seeds of distrust that cause the Fisher Woman to question her husband’s loyalty.
Ultimately, like many fables, the unfairly wronged find their own peace and those with evil intent meet a karmic fate. Everyone walks away having learned lessons, but not always with a happily ever after- this is a fable, not a fairytale after all. There are a handful of moments in Peter Dinklage’s performance that made me question if he was about to burst into song. He brought the perfect mix of magic, mystery, and well-timed humor, even with incredibly limited screen time compared to the rest of the cast. But much of the credit in this movie has to go to Alexander Skarsgård, the costume department, and the sound design.
Weird, unique characters are a magnet for the Skarsgård men, and a man made of wicker is at the far end of that spectrum. Skarsgård, despite being completely covered head to toe, exudes a kindness and a charisma that you can’t help but be drawn to. From the earnest, playful way he speaks to the Fisher Woman to his ability to make her feel seen, appreciated, and satisfied in more ways than one, it’s easy to fall in love with this creation, regardless of what he’s made of. I wouldn’t be surprising if this film is nominated for sound design, because you almost forget he isn’t actually made of wicker when every movement sounds so accurate to what you would imagine a 6-foot plus man made of wicker sounding like as he moves through the world.
If you originally chose to skip Wicker because it might be a little too risqué to watch in public, I promise it’s not nearly as sexually driven as the previews make it seem. This film definitely has its moments, but the story focuses far more on emotional intimacy than physical. Wicker is a little bit of everything; it’s weird, magical, sexy, sad, funny, earnest, and sweet. It’s definitely a film meant to be seen on the big screen… and if you want the wildest experience, I recommend viewing it in 4DX!
