Modern dating has become complicated enough that some people are looking for digital partners. Wicker approaches that idea from a medieval angle, with a cast led by Aleksander Skarsgård, Olivia Colman, Elizabeth Debicki and Peter Dinklage.
Colman plays a fisherwoman whose poor luck in love leads her to the village basketmaker, played by Dinklage. Her unusual request is simple: build her a husband. He agrees without apparent hesitation, constructing an entire man from wicker. Skarsgård becomes that handmade partner, and his arrival sends the village into chaos.
It is an unusually bold premise for a period romance, combining folkloric craftwork with the kind of heightened relationship fantasy familiar from games and other modern entertainment. The result looks less like a solemn historical drama and more like an eccentric character-driven comedy.
Discussion around male loneliness often focuses on the difficulty some men experience when seeking relationships. That conversation can overlook the influence of online recommendation systems, misogynistic communities and the expectation that a partner should provide emotional support and everyday domestic competence. Stories such as romantasy novels and games like Love and Deepspace appeal partly because they offer an idealised alternative: a capable, emotionally aware and extremely attractive man.
Wicker appears designed to explore that fantasy without pretending the sexual element is absent. The trailer shows Colman and her wicker husband having sex, while her character speaks openly about their relationship with other villagers. For a period story, and particularly one centred on a woman over 40 whose desire remains visible, that frankness is striking.
Skarsgård also seems to be embracing an appealingly awkward and sensual screen persona through projects including Pillion and Murderbot. In Wicker, the film does not appear interested in concealing the fact that Colman’s partner is made from woven plant material. Their relationship is public, peculiar and proudly unconventional.
With recent monster-romance films such as Nosferatu and Frankenstein showing an appetite for unusual love interests, Wicker could offer a gentler variation on the idea. The trailer suggests a straightforward romantic comedy rather than a story built around a sudden grim turn. It also leaves one practical question hanging over the whole arrangement: are they using lubricant?
A romance with arcade-level weirdness
For readers who enjoy strange concepts, playful genre mash-ups and games that make an immediate impression, the RETROCADE Arcade Blog covers plenty of unusual corners of gaming culture. A similarly theatrical centrepiece can be found among arcade machines, while smaller spaces may suit bartop arcades. Those planning a custom setup can also explore DIY arcade kits.
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