Key Highlights
- Directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson adapt Ursula Wills-Jones’ short story The Wicker Husband into a raunchy, heartfelt artisanal fantasy comedy starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård.
- Co-starring Peter Dinklage and Elizabeth Debicki, the medieval satirical romance uses practical craftsmanship by Wētā Workshop to skewer traditional marriage and gender roles.
- Following its screening at the BFI London Film Festival, the feature film is slated for theatrical release on Oct. 23 in the U.S. and Oct. 30 in the UK.
An Artisanal Fairy Tale Reimagines Romance in ‘Wicker’
Premiering to gasps, laughter, and enthusiastic audience reactions at the BFI London Film Festival, Wicker adapts Ursula Wills-Jones’ short story “The Wicker Husband” into a bawdy, satirical fantasy. Directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, the feature leans into an intentionally absurd, fairy-tale premise: an independent spinster commissions a custom-made spouse to silence the judgment of her small-minded neighbors. Anchored by a script full of humor and vulnerability, the project transforms an outlandish concept into a clever, artisanal retelling of Mary Shelley’s classic creation myth.
The story takes place in a medieval village where marriage is enforced to the point of placing a literal collar on brides, and societal expectations weigh heavily on women. Olivia Colman stars as the Fisherwoman, an unapologetic social outsider content with her solitary life and peeling cottage despite smelling perpetually of her trade. However, her nonconformity draws harsh scrutiny from the local villagers, spearheaded by Elizabeth Debicki’s Tailor’s Wife, who is trapped in her own disappointing marriage to the Tailor, played by Nabhaan Rizwan. Eager to shut down the constant harassment, the Fisherwoman hires a reclusive, exceptionally talented Basket Weaver—portrayed by Peter Dinklage—to construct a spouse out of wicker materials. The result is the Wicker Husband, brought to life by Alexander Skarsgård, whose romantic chemistry with Colman quickly turns into a joyous sexual awakening echoing throughout the local valley.
Subverting Medieval Patriarchy and Domestic Roles
While the feature delivers dirty humor, deadpan banter, and clever foley design, its narrative core centers on an exploration of genuine equality and intimacy. As the Wicker Husband attempts to understand his own existence alongside a mandate to treat women with dignity, his considerate nature and domestic partnership begin to disrupt the village’s entire patriarchal hierarchy. Because he willingly splits the labor of fishing and household chores while engaging in mutually pleasurable affection, the local wives begin questioning their own domestic arrangements.
The community’s men grow progressively frustrated as their partners reconsider the baseline of their marriages. Characters openly complain about the shifting dynamic: “All of a sudden I don’t say enough words to her!”
protests one husband, while another laments, “The wives, they’re all aflutter!”
The surrounding ensemble fuels these deadpan comedic exchanges, featuring notable turns from Ella Bruccoleri as the Baker’s Wife, Ben Ashenden as the Baker, and Kiell Smith-Bynoe playing the Innkeeper.
Wētā Workshop’s Practical Craft and Sound Design
The romantic and physical comedy relies heavily on elaborate production craft to sell Skarsgård as an alluring figure made entirely of woven wood. To achieve this, the filmmakers recruited visual effects supervisor Joe Dunckley alongside New Zealand’s famed Wētā Workshop. The creative team assembled a full wicker suit complete with visible gaps between woven strands, allowing light to pass directly through the character’s muscular physique while applying precise facial prosthetics that mirror Skarsgård’s features.
The technical team embraces the physical realities of the medium during bedroom scenes, where every bend and twist of basketry creates audible creaks and groans. Foley artist and editor Adrian Medhurst and foley recordist Simon Koehn designed detailed audio effects to capture the strain of timber and straw during intimate moments, delivering standout auditory punchlines for the festival crowd. Behind the humor and sensory flair, the film balances its raunchy comedy with sincere inquiries into human connection, even as the protagonist remains acutely aware that her partner is “very flammable”
near open flames.
Why This Matters
The reception of Wicker at the BFI London Film Festival highlights an enduring appetite for adult-oriented, high-concept original comedies that rely on physical practical effects over generic digital visuals. By enlisting high-tier visual artists like Wētā Workshop alongside an award-winning cast including Colman and Dinklage, the production demonstrates that medieval period satires can balance lowbrow physical humor with substantive social commentary on division of labor and emotional labor. The film’s commercial performance will serve as a key metric for independent theatrical releases blending fantasy, romance, and adult comedy when it lands in theaters this autumn.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the source material for ‘Wicker’?
The film is adapted from author Ursula Wills-Jones’ short story titled “The Wicker Husband,” which follows a village outcast who commissions a spouse woven from flexible wooden rods.
Who stars in the cast of ‘Wicker’?
The movie stars Olivia Colman as the Fisherwoman, Alexander Skarsgård as the Wicker Husband, Peter Dinklage as the Basket Weaver, and Elizabeth Debicki as the Tailor’s Wife, with supporting appearances from Nabhaan Rizwan, Ella Bruccoleri, Ben Ashenden, and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.
When will ‘Wicker’ be released in cinemas?
Following its screening at the BFI London Film Festival, the film is scheduled to open in U.S. movie theaters on Oct. 23, followed by a theatrical launch in the UK on Oct. 30.
