Wicker is gradually becoming one of the most talked-about titles on the 2026 movie schedule, and there are plenty of reasons for that. However, chief among those details is the fact that it sees Alexander Skarsgård play a benevolent man made of wicker. (Have we finally seen morally-gray vampires and ethically questionable antiheroes replaced as the “perfect guy”?) Skarsgård’s co-stars, Olivia Colman and Elizabeth Debecki, shared their takes on why women had been fawning over his character, and I understand their viewpoints.
I’d argue that Skarsgård’s rare outing as a “good” guy might have people labeling him the “best” guy after a Wicker screening. The Fisherwoman herself, Colman, and Debicki (who plays the Tailor’s Wife), spoke with Entertainment Weekly about just what it was about a wicker man that has women ready to weave a basket, and they’re giving a lot of the credit to Skarsgård:
- Olivia Colman: I mean, it’s the whole package, isn’t it?
- Elizabeth Debicki: [He’s] built on a very nice canvas. Let’s just be honest. It’s a good starting place, right?
That “canvas” is definitely something to be envious of. (However the wicker appearance didn’t make filming the intimate scenes less embarrassing for Colman who gives credit to the intimacy coordinator.) All that aside, it’s actually about what’s inside the basket that matters. The premise, based on Ursula Wills-Jones’ short story “The Wicker Husband,” sees all the wives in a village getting jealous of the ATTENTION the Fisherwoman receives from the unique man. While there is some oddly appealing charm woven into the character’s physical appearance, that’s not what has the other wives paying attention.
Due to the relationship, the other wives question everything (and I’m not talking about the splinter debate). I’m talking about the fact that when the Fisherwoman has the Basket Weaver (played by Peter Dinklage) make her a perfect husband, what he gives her is a man who is tentative and listens. This is what Colman and Debicki agree makes the Wicker Husband so “hot”:
- Colman: It’s the soul of the Wicker Husband, which is what I think does it for everyone.
- Debicki: You know what I think it is about the Wicker Husband that people maybe are going slightly feral for? He is a really good listener. He listens.
- Colman: [That’s] hot.
- Debicki: That is pretty hot, I will say. And by listening, he’s listening to her, but he’s picking up on cues. He’s doing things without being asked. He’s making suggestions. These are the things that women like.
- Colman: It’s pretty simple, really.
- Debicki: Yeah, it’s not that complicated. And he’s very kind.
They’re not wrong. Part of what makes Skarsgård so dreamy is not the fine craftsmanship of the subject of Wicker’s risqué popcorn bucket. It’s that he’s doting and treats his partner like a queen (and not a fisherwoman). Such attributes are very attractive, in my humble opinion, in a movie and in real life.
Wicker seemingly began drumming up buzz after the Harlequin adaptation of the movie poster teased the epic romance. Directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson have truly created something special, and the fresh reviews of the lusty fantasy flick have earned it a 95% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes along with a 93% audience rating, as of this writing.
Critics seem to appreciate the movie’s “fairy tale quality that’s aimed at an adult audience.” Others are complimenting the movie for taking a story about a wicker man and creating something “about trust, autonomy, and finding a relationship that works for you.” Overall, the movie delivers a dreamlike romance that is as hot as it is sweet, but it should also be applauded for making Alexander Skarsgård’s character not only swoonworthy but trustworthy as well.
Those who haven’t seen the film may be wondering if the movie end with the other wives getting Dinklage’s character to weave them new partners or if their husbands take some advice from the wicker man? You’ll just have to get that answer by checking out Wicker in theaters now.
