Wicker hits theaters: Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård and a husband made of twigs in a bawdy fable

“Wicker,” the Sundance comedy in which Olivia Colman plays a lonely fisherwoman who orders a husband woven out of wicker, arrives in theaters on Friday, Oct. 23, and a wave of reviews this week put the oddball fable firmly on moviegoers’ radar.

What is Wicker about?

Adapted from Ursula Wills-Jones’ short story “The Wicker Husband,” the film is set in a storybook village where characters are known by their trades or marital status. Colman’s Fisherwoman is ostracized and mocked for her fishy smell. So she goes to the local Basket Weaver (Peter Dinklage) and asks him to make her a husband. He does, in the form of Alexander Skarsgård, woven from twigs.

The wicker husband turns out to be a near-perfect spouse, which is exactly the problem. As Deadline’s Pete Hammond put it, word gets around, and the locals are not happy. Elizabeth Debicki plays the village’s queen bee, who sets out to convince the Fisherwoman that her husband is unfaithful, and the couple’s happiness exposes the strain in every other marriage in town.

Deadline described the film as “a comedic fable about sex, marriage, and the absurdities of social convention” when the release was announced in June. It’s rated R, for sexual content, language and brief full nudity, and runs 1 hour, 45 minutes, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Who is in the cast?

• Olivia Colman as the Fisherwoman
• Alexander Skarsgård as the Wicker Husband
• Peter Dinklage as the Basket Weaver
• Elizabeth Debicki as the Tailor’s Wife
• Richard E. Grant as the doctor

Deadline’s review also lists Marli Siu, Nabhaan Rizwan, Gustav Lindh, Ella Bruccoleri, Ben Ashenden and Kiell Smith-Bynoe. The film is written and directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, and Colman is among the producers.

Is Wicker a good movie? What critics say

Early reviews are warm, with some reservations.

• Deadline’s Hammond called it “the year’s most unexpected charmer,” a film that is “sexy and satirically funny, but also oddly haunting,” and said Colman “is incapable of playing any character with just one note.” He praised Skarsgård for making the wicker man “undeniably more human” than the men “who were born and not woven into being,” and singled out the makeup and visual effects from Weta Workshop.
• The Los Angeles Times’ Amy Nicholson called it “a mischievous, crowd-pleasing folktale with several sweet beats of romance” and “a parable with plenty to say about today,” likening it to “‘Frankenstein’ if the rabble wanted to be (or be with) the monster.” But she wrote that the second half “skips several emotional beats” and that “by the end, we’re barely inside her head or heart at all.”

Deadline reported in June that the film was 91% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes coming out of its Sundance premiere.

Is it related to The Wicker Man?

No. The Times noted that this wicker man “isn’t an object of punishment” like the one in the horror film “The Wicker Man.” This is a romantic fable, not a horror movie.

Where can I watch Wicker?

Reports differ on how wide the opening is. Distributor Black Bear set an Oct. 23 limited theatrical release with a nationwide expansion planned for Oct. 30, Deadline reported in June. The Los Angeles Times’ review lists the film as opening Friday, Oct. 23, “in wide release.” Check local theater listings for showtimes near you. There’s no word yet on a streaming date.

FAQ

When does Wicker come out? Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in theaters, with a broader expansion planned for Oct. 30, according to Deadline.

Who plays the wicker husband? Alexander Skarsgård.

Who directed Wicker? Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, a married filmmaking team, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Is Wicker rated R? Yes, for sexual content, language and brief full nudity.