The trailer for Wicker, released Thursday afternoon, has ignited a fervent online reaction, with fans praising the unexpectedly raunchy depiction of Alexander Skarsgård as a sentient, virile woven husband. The film, starring Olivia Colman as a smelly, ridiculed fisherwoman who orders a local basketmaker to weave her a spouse, premiered quietly at Sundance in January to modest acclaim, but the new trailer has catapulted it into the spotlight.
Fans go wild for the 'fully functional' basket man
Social media erupted with thirsty and imaginative responses, dubbing the film '50 Shades of Hay' and 'Pornocchio.' One user, @meowmi_mi, quipped, 'A tisket, a tasket, a fully functional and anatomically correct basket,' while Katie McPherson shared a viral Threads post: 'wickery dickery dock, this basket has a c**k.' The trailer's bed-breaking antics and explicit soundtrack have left viewers both amused and impressed, though some questioned the logistics—wicker doesn't splinter, but it would likely chafe.
Comparisons to Wicked and Beauty and the Beast
Fans drew parallels between Skarsgård's character and Jonathan Bailey's Fiyero after his Scarecrow transformation in Wicked. Andrea commented, 'Fiyero walked so Wickerman could run,' while Sarah Scott joked, 'Wickered For GOOD.' Aimee Marie Woodard suggested, 'It's giving Beauty and the Beast where he's both the beast AND the furniture.' However, some expressed concern about the character's fate, noting the scissors brandished in the trailer. @janaandbooks demanded, 'I need to know if the Wicker man is played by Alexander Skarsgård for the ENTIRE movie,' bracing for a potential human transformation disappointment.
Skarsgård's non-human roles and the appeal
Dina Wormgoor observed, 'So after vampires, werewolves, dragons and now wicker, I think it's safe to say the trend is: anything but a human man.' Skarsgård has prior form in making non-human characters sexy, including a vampire in True Blood and a security cyborg in Apple TV's Murderbot. Claire Harvey highlighted a simpler appeal: 'Everything I read is how bl**dy hot it is that he fixes the bed when he says he will.' The film also features Elizabeth Debicki, Peter Dinklage, Richard E. Grant, Nabhaan Rizwan, and Ella Bruccoleri.
Cinema release and cultural impact
Wicker is poised to serve women similarly to Wuthering Heights, with fans swooning over a wicker husband who says 'you are the reason I live and breathe' to a woman ostracised by her village. As @lifelivedsideways gleefully argued on Instagram, 'Ribbed for her pleasure is taking on a whole new meaning.' The film hits UK and Irish cinemas on October 30, and US theaters on October 23.
