Thirsting for a wicker-furnitured Alexander Skarsgård was certainly not on my bingo card for 2026. But since the trailer for Wicker dropped, the internet has been ablaze discussing what is quite possibly the weirdest movie premise of all time. After all of the buzz, I obviously had to head to the theater myself to see what all of the racket was about.
Yes, the rumors are true: the basket-man is incredibly sexy. And not just because of his towering physique, but because our man of wicker is actually…incredibly…sweet. And that is where things really get steamy. Wicker definitely has its moments of erotica, don’t worry. But beneath all the sex appeal it so enthusiastically advertises online, this hour-and-45-minute romp is also something much more lyrical than I was expecting.
The best love stories are always full of surprises, I say, and this bonkers plot might just have what it takes to be the most romantic movie of the year. Grab your wicker baskets, and read on for our full review of Wicker (minor spoilers ahead).
What is Wicker about?
Following a local Fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) who is literally named for her profession (like everyone else in the movie), Wicker is the story of an outcast who doesn’t seem interested in the silliness of holy matrimony like the women around her. She spends her days catching, cutting, and selling fish in the town, while everyone else mocks her solitary lifestyle.
One day, she visits the mysterious local Basket Maker in the woods (Peter Dinklage) and asks him to make her a husband. The Basket Maker agrees. The Fisherwoman and her new Wicker Husband (Skarsgård) then marry, setting off a hilarious unraveling as everything this town knows about love, marriage, and their relationship is put to sensual tests.
My review of Wicker
It’s more sweet than sexy, but that is the hottest part
For all its entertainingly horny marketing, Wicker‘s real power is that it’s less of an erotic fantasy than it is about the innocent moments that exist in a love without coercion. In some ways, Wicker reminded me a lot of The Princess Bride, particularly the early montage of Westley (who is ironically also referenced by his job title of “farm boy”) answering Buttercup’s every request with the most earnest “as you wish.” Wicker has a similar feel when you’re watching the Husband attend to every one of Fisherwoman’s needs like it’s as easy as breathing, except with much more comedic bite.
Watching the Wicker Husband instinctively want to help fix the Fisherwoman’s roof, care for her needs, and treat his wife like a respected partner instead of property is the sexiest thing a girl could ask for in a movie. And this is where Wicker becomes so unexpectedly hot. It brilliantly tugs at the question of what makes a good marriage, until nothing is left but love in its most hollowed-out, vulnerable form.
It shows love in its most genuine form
One of my favorite small details in the movie is that the Wicker Husband is also literally hollowed out himself. You only catch glimpses in tiny moments, but when you do, the air around him begins to glisten. And it’s such a beautiful addition I had to call it out.
“For all its entertainingly horny marketing, Wicker‘s real power is that it’s less of an erotic fantasy than it is about the innocent moments that exist in a love without coercion.”
With so much of Wicker exploring themes of love and marriage, and the Wicker Husband’s poetically genuine approach to both, I like to entertain the idea that his hollowed-out design is perhaps an allegorical invention of love itself—what remains when all of the rules and obligations we typically weave around it are carved out, and only the innocence of it remains.
Love is also fragile in this state—not to mention flammable and impermanent—but Wicker says that love without our silly limitations gives us room to remember the rare, beautiful gift it is. If anything, Wicker is a testament to love woven into free-fall.
It laughs at our traditional marriage systems
While much of the story takes place between the Fisherwoman and Wicker Husband, it’s hard to talk about this movie without addressing the other, more foolish side of love happening with the townsfolk. Our Baker Man, Tailor’s Wife, the whole hilarious lot of em.
While the hot new It couple is having loud sex next door, the neighbors are busy navigating marital disputes and wearing large dog collars instead of rings during wedding ceremonies. If our central couple is exploring what love can look like without our usual limitations, the rest of the town is a walking, talking reminder of just how ridiculous those rules can be—specifically for women.
“…Wicker says that love without our silly limitations gives us room to remember the rare, beautiful gift it is.”
One of my favorite parts of the whole movie (minor spoiler!) is a comical dance number in the middle of their town square. People are seen literally doing the chicken dance and gawking around in a silly display that looks absurd to anyone watching from the outside. It might seem ridiculous, but in this town, the dance is carried out like a sacred ritual passed down for generations. It’s a sharp, pointed finger at how ridiculous our own traditions and norms can look—until the Fisherwoman and Wicker Husband join in.
Instead of joining the town’s choreography, the newly married couple gets lost in their own dance, moving without structure, formality, or any awareness of either. Could it be that they actually look…in love? Bewilderment is everywhere as the town stares, confused about what the hell they’re looking at. This. This was the entire movie for me.
In our world, we have inherited a lot of similar rules about marriage from our parents and their parents about what that relationship should look like—from gender roles to social norms—that dictate how much of ourselves we’re expected to give in the process. Spoiler: a lot of that giving comes from women. And yet, many of us keep performing them without stopping to question whether this is a relationship we want. I think we are getting better at calling it out as a society, but Wicker is that playful voice of reason that reminds us we don’t have to keep doing the dance if we don’t want to.
So, should you watch Wicker?
YES. Wicker is the absolute perfect date-night movie with your girls or partners. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to experience the immersive 4DX version, but my 2D experience was just as erotic and sweet.
I feel like the movie was advertised as much sexier than it ended up being. But even so, I salute the marketing ploy that sent the entire internet into a frenzy, thirsting for a man made of basket (us included). Outside of the wicker nipples, I suspect plenty of women are going to find themselves laughing along with some more patriarchal components that are also so outrageously funny. And if you’re going into this movie already married? Even better.
Madigan Will, Contributing Writer
As a contributing writer and former Assistant Editor for The Everygirl, Madigan has written and edited content across every topic under the digital media sun. As the oldest of four siblings, she brings a big-sister perspective to her work, helping readers discover new ways to maximize their everyday.
