Olivia Colman Orders a Husband Made of Wicker in the Fable Wicker

Wicker, a fairy tale for adults, opens in US cinemas on 23 October. Olivia Colman plays a lonely fisherwoman and Alexander Skarsgård plays her husband, woven from willow. The UK release follows on 30 October, with Black Bear Pictures distributing.

Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson wrote and directed the film, adapting Ursula Wills-Jones’s short story The Wicker Husband. Colman is also one of the producers.

What the film is about

The story is set in a medieval village with a rigid hierarchy. The Fisherwoman, shunned by her neighbours, has no one to marry, so she mockingly commissions the local basket weaver to make her a husband out of wicker. He brings his creation to life, and the sincere romance between the Fisherwoman and her woven husband throws the whole village into chaos.

Who is in it

• Olivia Colman as the Fisherwoman;
• Alexander Skarsgård as the Wicker Husband;
• Peter Dinklage as the Basket Weaver;
• Elizabeth Debicki as the Tailor’s Wife;
• Nabhaan Rizwan as the Tailor;
• Richard E. Grant as the village doctor;
• Marli Siu and Ben Ashenden.

Dev Patel was originally attached to play the wicker husband before the role went to Skarsgård.

Behind the camera

The film was shot in Budapest. The cinematographer is Lol Crawley, the editor is Sofi Marshall and the music is by composer Anna Meredith. Australian director David Michôd is among the producers. The running time is 105 minutes.

What critics say

The film premiered on 24 January at the Sundance Film Festival. Screen Daily called it a charming love story in which Colman and Skarsgård are made for each other, and Collider described an absurd fantasy with a surprising spark between the leads. The Wrap was harsher, calling the fable well-intentioned but wooden. On Rotten Tomatoes 91% of 23 reviews are positive, and the Metacritic score is 70 out of 100.

When to watch

Wicker opens in the US on 23 October, in the UK on 30 October and in Australia on 5 November. Cast and stills are on the film’s page in our AMDB database.