Wicker

As many folk/fairytale-inspired films veer towards either a horror or more child-friendly tilt, Wicker feels a fairly fresh outlier.

Based on a short story, this is a true modern fable set in its own small world with its own rules, traditions, quirks and fantasy elements.

It’s a simple story with plenty of room for interpretation.

This small town (seemingly out of place and time but most similar to medieval England) contains characters named after their profession (Tailor, Fisherwoman etc.) It’s a place of outdated patriarchy and shuns anything new or different.

All the unfortunate modern parallels are present and correct as the mystical Basketmaker (a magnetic Peter Dinklage) crafts a wicker husband for the aforementioned Fisherwoman, seemingly the only non-married woman in the village.

This wicker husband not only becomes the talk of the town but threatens to be the final straw that breaks the camel’s back with regards their somewhat fragile existence.

Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgard are wondrous in the lead roles. Colman always has a way to balance sincerity, aloofness, heart and fragility and is a character to root for whilst also understanding how she remains on the town’s fringes.

Skarsgard’s very different wicker man is the Frankenstein’s monster part. Learning as he exists, being made solely to love and care and dealing with how the town reacts to him.

The magical element to proceedings isn’t explained and he perfectly tows the line between engaging and alluring but decidedly non-human.

As ripe for interpretation as it is, and the straight-ahead nature to the story makes it lean and concise, it simultaneously feels like more perhaps could have been added to raise the film another level.

However, what is here is sweet, thought-provoking, funny (the script has some brilliant moments), romantic and heart-warming.

It makes its position clear without being blatant and perhaps will even encourage those watching to look at themselves and reflect on how they could change for the better.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️