By George & Josh Bate
Upon the release of its initial trailer, Wicker took on a level of vitality most movies can only dream of. The concept of a woman conjuring a man out of wicker (a man who happens to look like the strapping Alexander Skarsgård) to be her husband fostered such a feral thirst among horny moviegoers that Black Bear Pictures have even commissioned a 4DX release for their film.
But while much of the attention on Wicker prior to its wide release on October 23 have circulated around a woman exploring the positions of the Kama Sutra with a man made out of wood, filmmaking duo Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson’s film is far more than just an unconventional sexual fantasy brought to life. With the rhythm, whimsy, and necessary lessons of a fairy tale, Wicker puts the likes of Wuthering Heights to shame as the most beautifully romantic movie of the year.
Wicker unfolds in a small medieval farming town defined by rigid gender roles. Men are referred to by their profession (e.g., the Tailor, the Butcher), while women are named based on the profession of their husband (e.g. Tailor’s Wife, Butcher’s Wife). The reclusive Fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) lives somewhat on the outskirts of society as she has neither husband nor children, a status that makes her the subject of ridicule from the townspeople. But everything changes for the Fisherwoman when suddenly, fed up with the japes at her spinster status, commissions the Basket Weaver (Peter Dinklage) to make her a husband. After a month lapses, the Wicker Husband (Alexander Skarsgård) comes to town and forges a romance so strong with the Fisherwoman that it causes jealousy, resentment, and desire among the closed-minded townspeople.
The HoloFiles recently had the opportunity to interview Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, the writers and directors of Wicker, about their new more, reclaiming the sexiness of romance, the film’s highly anticipated upcoming 4DX release, and more.
Wicker arrives at an interesting time in the landscape of contemporary cinema. Just a few months ago, Olivia Wilde and A24 collaborated for the release of The Invite, a sharp relationship comedy that sparked much conversation and continues to generate awards buzz. Although on the surface Wicker and The Invite could not be more dissimilar, both films share a common identity, according to Wilson.
“We went to see The Invite this year,” Wilson said. “Another great relationship comedy from this year. And yeah, I mean, so many people were talking about their relationships after that movie. [Wicker] is dressed up in disguise a little bit, but it’s essentially the same thing.”
Indeed, Wicker feels destined to be quite the conversation starter, and not necessarily for its viral and much-publicized sex scenes. On the surface, Fischer and Wilson’s film is a light-hearted, comedic folk tale, but, like the best fairy tales, it shows human nature at its best and worst when examined more deeply. Wicker exists in a heightened world whose inhabitants don’t recognize nor acknowledge is heightened. The lack of traditional names and the strict patriarchal culture is an implicit way of life for the townspeople, while the arrival of a man made out of wood shocks them, not because there is a man made of wood suddenly speaking and walking around, but because of the social implications of the local spinster having access to a man so loving, sexual, and useful.
Although the townspeople are initially stunned at the lonely Fisherwoman having a man of her own, shock turns into resentment and envy for the townsfolk. The town’s women, who live unremarkable lives defined by the professions of their husbands and little in the way of sexual pleasure, suddenly see how a man should treat a woman. Much to their surprise, not all men are useless, aromantic beasts. The Wicker Husband proves men can be quite the opposite. The town’s men, meanwhile, resent the ways in which the Wicker Husband’s behavior highlights their deficiencies as husbands. These contrasting reactions among the town’s men and people lead to a myriad of cleverly constructed laughs and messaging that satirizes the woefully low standards men need (yet often fail) to reach in order to be serviceable partners.
For as beautifully romantic as Wicker is, the film also delivers when it comes to its more overt sexual content, which has been the centerpiece of much of its virality and marketing campaign. Wilson explored how the sex scenes were originally intended for humor, yet ended up being quite raunchy. “All of that stuff was written in great detail into the script, but we were like, oh, this will just be funny,” Wilson said. “It’s just funny sex scenes, but when it actually came to shooting it, it did become quite sexy.”
Wilson and Fischer were quick to note, however, that the sexiest part of the Wicker Husband is how romantic he is. “The sexiness of the Wicker Husband comes from the fact that he’ll do a task without being asked and maybe that’s the sexiest thing about him,” Wilson said. Fischer added, “Maybe being a good listener and proactively helpful is the hottest thing you can be.”
Select viewers will soon be able to experience Wicker in the most immersive moviegoing format out there. On October 28, Black Bear Pictures will release Wicker in 4DX, the premium multi-sensory movie theater technology featuring motion seats, environmental effects, and more immersive qualities.
“We were kind of blown away actually,” Wilson said in explaining her shock at Wicker coming to 4DX. “I couldn’t believe how fun it was actually. I thought I was a little like, oh, is this going to take away from the seriousness of our very serious art film? But it just makes it all the more enjoyable really.
Fischer added, “When we finished it, [Eleanor] was like, can we turn it up a bit with the chairs? Like, can we rock it?” Wilson replied, “Well, I just asked, are we at max? And they were like, no, no, we’re not at max. And I was like, max.”
“They were like, you can throw people out of these chairs,” Fischer said.
“So beware, there might be a little whiplash,” Wilson said. “Just watch out for that.”
From its premise alone, Wicker is certainly an unusual movie, but Fischer hopes filmgoers are not embarrassed that they enjoy something so out there. “We did test screenings and we found that people, all sorts of people, loved the movie, but they were kind of nervous to recommend it because they felt kind of embarrassed,” Fischer said. “So just know that you’re not alone in feeling kind of embarrassed, but also liking the movie.”
Wicker is a beautiful, wholesome, sharp, and humorous movie that, with the rhythm, whimsy, and necessary lessons of a fairy tale, puts the likes of Wuthering Heights to shame in cementing its status as the most romantic film of the year. Although the compelling premise promises an unconventional sexual fantasy brought to life, filmmaking duo Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson deliver far more than raunchy humor, extracting great comedy and commentary from a clever story that satirizes the woefully low standards men need to reach to be ‘serviceable’ partners and will have viewers aiming to bring a bit more love, utility, understanding, and sex to their romantic relationships.
Wicker is in theaters October 23.