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January 25, 2026
Wicker review
Sundance film festival: an inventively made fantasy boasts eye-catching premise and typically rewarding performance from Oscar-winner but something’s missing

TL;DR
- "Wicker" is an offbeat fable screened at Sundance about a fisherwoman who commissions a husband made of wicker.
- The film attempts to explore themes of patriarchal marriage cruelty and societal nonconformity.
- Olivia Colman stars as the fisherwoman, a role that required significant commitment to its unusual premise.
- The film features a detailed world that blends old and new, centered on patriarchal gender roles.
- Despite ambition and impressive visual effects, the film is criticized for being tonally uneven and lacking emotional depth in its central relationship.
- The effectiveness of the film's exploration of its themes is questioned, with the reviewer comparing it unfavorably to "The Shape of Water".
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