Wicker Puts a Basket-Woven Marriage at the Center of Village Scandal

In a small medieval village where the church wedding ends in an uneasy first embrace, the Fisherwoman takes home a husband the Basket Weaver has woven from wicker. The pairing sets off the town's disapproval and drives the plot of "Wicker," a satirical romantic comedy starring Olivia Colman as the Fisherwoman and Alexander Skarsgård as the Wicker Husband.

The Fisherwoman lives outside the village walls after being cast out. Her loneliness leads her to commission the local Basket Weaver, who brings the Wicker Husband to life. Their bond strengthens once they return to her home, and the relationship draws criticism from the townspeople. Some residents object to the basket-like construction of the husband. Others object to the Fisherwoman earning the household income while the Wicker Husband handles chores at home.

The film's naming conventions point to the same conflict. Most women in the village carry the name of the man they belong to, such as the Tailor's Wife and the Baker's Wife. One woman wears a marriage collar. The Fisherwoman keeps her own name. Townspeople then question the Wicker Husband's true feelings for his wife, and the marriage comes under strain. The Fisherwoman places her heart, described as fragile or flammable, into the Wicker Husband's hands. During that exchange, he sits beside her by the fire.

The marriage faces its sharpest test when the Tailor's Wife and her sister arrive at the door with a wicker baby the Basket Weaver produced, accusing the Wicker Husband of adultery. The Fisherwoman, mistrustful, sets him ablaze. He runs off. Colman's portrayal of the Fisherwoman's grief fills the theater during that scene.

The Wicker Husband survives with severe damage. His arms burn away and his face chars. The Basket Weaver finds him in the forest and repairs his injuries, after which he returns to the Fisherwoman. The Fisherwoman, the Wicker Husband and a wicker child then leave the town in the back of the Basket Weaver's wagon.

The Basket Weaver constructs a Wicker Wife before they depart, made of blackthorn rather than the delicate weaving used for the husband. The men in the village bid on her. The Basket Weaver lifts her veil, revealing her thorny appearance, and the Butcher, her new husband, takes physical damage when she embraces him.

Skarsgård appears in a full wicker suit with facial prosthetic makeup. Wētā Workshop supplied the practical effects, and visual effects render the Wicker Husband hollow inside. The sound design, cinematography, intertitles and upbeat, at times unnerving soundtrack accompany the story. Second-long shot sequences appear at intervals.

Colman and Skarsgård play the two leads. The film treats autonomy, gender roles and trust between partners. The Fisherwoman commissions the wicker husband after her banishment to the area outside the village.