Horror movies aren't the only films headed to theaters this Halloween weekend. The romantic comedy Wicker, starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård, opened in wide release Friday as Kalshi traders predict how critics will receive the film.
Kalshi traders predict Wicker will finish with a 93% Tomatometer score. The film currently holds a 95% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes following its limited theatrical release.
For informational purposes only. Not trading advice. See full disclaimer below. Kalshi is not affiliated with Wicker.
What’s the movie about?
The film is based on a short story by Ursula Wills-Jones called The Wicker Husband.
Academy Award-winning actress Olivia Colman plays a lonely fisherwoman in a small medieval fishing village where marriage is a form of status for women. She commissions a basket weaver, played by Peter Dinklage, to create a husband made of wicker. Alexander Skarsgård plays the unusual creation. Their relationship creates tension in the village by challenging traditional attitudes toward love and marriage.
The positive reviews
Critics have largely praised the film's unconventional premise, performances and emotional depth.
Robert Daniels of RogerEbert.com gave the movie three out of four stars and praised the film’s principal performances. Daniels also praised the film's exploration of intimacy and romantic relationships.
“Its richly drawn characters, inspired narrative turns, and endearing whimsy recall a kind of crowd-pleasing cinema, which includes The Princess Bride and Willow, that we don’t often get anymore,” Daniels wrote.
Peter Travers of The Travers’ Take also awarded the film three out of four stars, praising its humor and emotional depth.
“The bed-breaking wedding night is a genuine comic highlight, as she discovers sexual pleasure with a husband made of wicker,” Travers wrote. “But the laughs eventually reveal a touching gravity as the fisherwoman explains how difficult intimacy can be after a lifetime of living alone.”
The New York Times’ Jeannette Catsoulis praised Skarsgård's performance beneath the film's elaborate prosthetics.
“Skarsgård’s full-body prosthesis (by New Zealand’s Weta Workshop) is magnificently weird, but not even a tuxedo of twigs can douse its wearer’s charisma,” Catsoulis wrote. “Which is just as well, as this deliciously wicked adult fable would sink like a log without our belief that this creaking hunk of basketry could inflame the libidos of an entire village of frustrated wives and panting virgins.”
The negative reviews
Wicker may be firmly in “Fresh” territory, but it’s not without its detractors.
The Wall Street Journal’s Kyle Smith criticized the film as self-congratulatory and compared its themes to Guillermo del Toro's Oscar-winning The Shape of Water.
“In general, slapping the face and wagging the finger is getting less praise than it used to, possibly because it’s been done so many times,” Smith wrote.
The San Francisco Chronicle’s Carla Meyer criticized the film for prioritizing its feminist themes over character development.
“Just when you wonder why the filmmakers ever introduced a feminist element, they try to force another, more overt one,” Meyer wrote. “It turns out they are not as handy with a hammer as the wicker guy.”
The takeaway:
Kalshi markets now predict:
Wicker's Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93%
Follow Danny Gallagher on Instagram: @writerdannygallagher
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