Olivia Colman steals show in 'weirdest rom-com' Wicker

Olivia Colman has been hailed as a revelation in Wicker, a raunchy fantasy film that’s divided critics since its London Film Festival premiere ^[1]. The film, adapted from a short story by Ursula Wills-Jones by husband-and-wife directors and writers Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, follows Colman’s lonely fisherwoman, whose love life is hampered by a constant fishy odour. Desperate for affection, she commissions Peter Dinklage’s basket weaver to craft her a husband from wicker. The creation, brought to life by Alexander Skarsgård, becomes a source of jealousy among the village women, led by Elizabeth Debicki, threatening to upend the social order.

The film’s first trailer, released in July, caused shock with its graphic scenes between Colman and Skarsgård ^[1]. Critics remain split: Robbie Collin of The Telegraph awarded it just one star, calling it a 'mortifying adult fairy tale' and questioning the comedic potential of Colman re-enacting the Kama Sutra with a sentient basket. Yet several outlets offered four-star reviews. Brian Viner of the Daily Mail praised Colman’s 'beautifully conveying' of loneliness, joy, and paranoia, while Kevin Maher of The Times called her performance 'astonishing' and said she elevates the film 'into unexpected, even undeserved, places'.

Stephen A Russell of Screenhub described her portrayal as a 'one-woman masterclass', noting her 'remarkably expressive face' ^[1]. Siddhant Adlankha of Digital Spy called it a 'raunchy, off-kilter delight' that retains the story’s fairytale essence. Benjamin Lee of The Guardian acknowledged Colman’s range but criticised the film’s lack of depth, saying it 'looks the part but there’s nothing underneath'.

Promoting the film, Skarsgård admitted he initially thought it was a horror movie like The Wicker Man, only to discover it was a sex-filled comedy ^[1]. He joked about playing a 'nice guy' being 'unchartered territory'. Colman said the shoot was 'wonderful and magical' and that they struggled not to laugh during intimate scenes — 'luckily there were no splinters!'.

Wicker opens in UK cinemas on October 30 ^[1].