Is Wicker Worth Seeing? Olivia Colman's R-Rated Romance With a Man Made of Wicker Opens Oct. 23 at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, and I'd Read the Rotten Reviews Before Buying a Ticket

There's a version of this weekend where one of the biggest movie conversations is about a man made of basket. I'm not saying that to make fun of anyone. That's genuinely what happened online when the first trailer for Wicker landed on July 30, and even IKEA couldn't resist a wink about its wicker furniture, according to TODAY.

Here's what keeps pulling me back, though. Under the meme is a movie most critics are embracing, and the few who aren't seem to be describing the same film in different words. That's the part I wanted to untangle. I haven't seen Wicker yet, so this isn't a review. It's my read on the premise, the reviews and the way it's being sold, with my opinions labeled as opinions.

What is Wicker about, and is it a horror movie?

Wicker is written and directed by the married filmmaking team of Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson. Colman plays a fisherwoman on the edge of a seaside village who's mocked for smelling of fish and for being single. When the jokes get louder, she responds by commissioning a husband made entirely of wicker from the local basket maker. The husband, played by Skarsgård, turns out to be honest, helpful and devoted to her, and the village can't stand how happy they are.

So no, it isn't horror. Black Bear's own description, as relayed by Deadline, calls it a comedic fable about sex, marriage and the absurdities of social convention. Variety's Sundance preview described a fantasy world reminiscent of feudal times. That's the world you're stepping into: a place that never really existed, with a very practical wicker man in it.

• Olivia ColmanThe Fisherwoman
• Alexander SkarsgårdThe Wicker Husband
• Peter DinklageThe Basket Weaver
• Elizabeth DebickiThe Tailor's Wife
• Richard E. GrantThe village doctor
• Marli Siu and Nabhaan RizwanAlso in the cast

Is Wicker connected to The Wicker Man?

Not as a sequel, remake or spinoff, according to every report I read. Wicker is adapted from a short story, and the 1973 folk-horror classic isn't credited as a source. As far as I can tell, the shared word is where the connection starts and stops, though one critic did notice the nod. Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph, who gave it a rotten review, wrote that the title winks at that bawdy British classic but that the film could have used some of its menace.

How did a 14-page short story become a Sundance movie with Weta Workshop in the credits?

The story behind the story is a nice reminder that weird, original movies usually take years. Here's the path, in order.

1. The short storyUrsula Wills-Jones's “The Wicker Husband” is about an isolated, mocked woman who has a basket maker weave her a husband. TODAY says Goodreads lists it at 14 pages, which is worth remembering when critics later say the film feels stretched.
2. October 2023Variety reports that Colman and Dev Patel are set to star, with Black Bear launching sales.
3. October 1, 2025Variety reports that Skarsgård has replaced Patel, with Dinklage and Debicki joining, and that the film has wrapped. Wikipedia says shooting finished in Budapest by September 2025. The reports I read don't say why Patel left.
4. January 24, 2026World premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
5. February 2026Black Bear picks up North American rights, according to Wikipedia.
6. June 18, 2026Deadline reports Black Bear's plan: a limited release on Oct. 23, then a nationwide expansion Oct. 30, with the film at 91% fresh out of Sundance.
7. July 30, 2026The first trailer drops and the internet goes wild for a wicker man.
8. October 8, 2026Skarsgård walks the premiere at the London Film Festival, per a KING 5 photo caption.
9. October 20, 2026Forbes reports 93% fresh from 43 reviews, with Thursday previews coming before a Friday opening.

One note on that rollout, because the reports don't line up perfectly. Black Bear's June announcement described a limited Oct. 23 opening and a wider Oct. 30 expansion. Forbes's Oct. 20 piece says nationwide on Friday. I'd check your local theater's listings before planning around it.

The detail I find most charming is that the wicker man is mostly real. Skarsgård's character was built as a physical suit by Weta Workshop, with lead prosthetic designer Joe Dunckley overseeing it. Deep Focus Review says CGI was used for the character's empty look, and The Film Stage called the practical effects the movie's standout. In a year full of digital everything, a man made of actual wicker feels almost rebellious.

What are critics saying about Wicker, and who didn't like it?

As of Tuesday morning, Oct. 20, Forbes reported a 93% fresh Tomatometer score from 43 reviews. CBR cited a Metascore of 63 at an earlier point, which is good rather than rapturous. Scores move as reviews come in, so treat both numbers as a snapshot.

Why I think the rotten reviews are the best guide to whether you'll like Wicker

Read the negative reviews next to the positive ones and something funny happens. Nobody I read says Colman or Skarsgård is bad. Nobody says the suit doesn't work. The fight is over tone. Lee says the comedy, fantasy and romance don't mix. Collin wanted more menace. Lawson, meanwhile, praises the same mix as lively and humane, and Daniels says it feels emotionally real.

That's my whole take, honestly. Whether Wicker works for you probably comes down to whether you want a movie that picks one lane. A fable about loneliness and jealousy that swerves between goofy and harsh is risky on purpose, and I'd rather watch a movie take that swing and miss a little than play it safe. But plenty of people want a film to commit to one tone, and that's a perfectly fair thing to want.

The other thing I'd flag is the gap between the marketing and the movie. The trailer turned a man made of wicker into an internet crush, and the memes were funny. But the reviews describe a film about jealousy, patriarchy and being seen. Wilson has said it's about the Fisherwoman's journey toward self-acceptance, per Vogue Adria, and Debicki said at the Sundance premiere that what drew her to the script was its take on patriarchy. If you walk in expecting only the meme, the sincerity might feel like a left turn. If you walk in expecting the sincerity, the jokes become a bonus.

And here's the optimistic part. A strange, original, adult romance with no sequel number in its title is getting talked about at all. That feels like a good sign for anyone who misses movies that take chances.

Who should see Wicker this weekend, and who should wait?

This is my own sorting, based on what critics describe, not on having seen the film. Find the card that sounds like you.

One more thing, about the photo at the top. It's a real photo of woven wickerwork on display at the Museum of Cretan Ethnology in Greece, chosen because wicker is the craft at the heart of the film's title. It isn't a still from the movie, and it doesn't show anyone from the cast.

Wicker movie: questions, answered fast