Prepare to be utterly spellbound, because Wildwood is a dark fantasy animated masterpiece that stands as the wonderful animation studio LAIKA’s most breath-taking triumph yet! Blending heart-pounding adventure with magical enchantment, this extraordinary, gorgeous stop-motion epic is an absolute marvel of modern cinema. It is one for both older children and grown ups and possibly one of the most beautiful films of the year!
The story follows courageous teenager Prue McKeel, who ventures into an impassable, forbidden forest beyond Portland after a murder of crows abducts her infant brother. Joined by her classmate Curtis, Prue becomes entangled in a brewing war between roguish bandits, talking beasts, and a ruthless ruler with dark intentions. Stylistically, the film is a stunning beautiful hand-crafted visual wonder, with director Travis Knight combining magnificently detailed stop-motion puppetry with sweeping cinematic scale and a richly emotive orchestral score. Beneath its thrilling exterior lies a deeply poignant exploration of themes surrounding courage, sacrifice, enduring friendship, and the fierce strength of family bonds.
The stellar vocal cast brings every character to vibrant life. Carey Mulligan (The Great Gatsby) is hauntingly powerful as the enigmatic villain Alexandra, whilst Mahershala Ali (Green Book) shines with charismatic gravitas as the Bandit King, alongside a magnificent turn from Angela Bassett (Black Panther). The film has been getting rapturous, universal audience and critical acclaim and Wildwood is widely being celebrated as an instant classic!
If you love your stop motion animation or enjoyed any of the previous films from LAIKA studios like Boxtrolls (2014) Coraline (2009) and Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) then you are likely to enjoy Wildwood.
