More than a dozen times over the course of watching Wildwood, the latest film from Laika Studios, I caught myself thinking, “How the hell did they even make this movie?” It’s been a long time since I’ve been utterly transported by a movie, both in terms of imagination, spectacle, and craft, and yet Wildwood did just that. I didn’t bury the lede here: Wildwood is a must-see cinematic event.
Directed by Travis Knight and written by Chris Butler (both responsible for Kubo and the Two Strings), Wildwood follows a teenage girl from Portland named Prue, who, against the wishes of her parents, brings her infant brother outdoors for some fun in town despite the express instructions not to do so. Of course, she should have listened to her parents, as magical forces from beyond the Impassable Wilderness abduct her brother and bring him into the forest, a place where no one from the outside world can get in due to an impassable network of vines and trees. Yet Prue is somehow able to breach the barrier, and with the help of Curtis, a shy, dorky classmate of hers, they venture into the magical realm beyond the trees.
Much like Kubo and Coraline, Wildwood is a stop-motion animated film. Unlike those films, I forgot constantly throughout the film that it was a stop-motion animated film. The animation and attention to detail are so smooth and lifelike, removing that traditional jankiness that’s associated with the medium. Characters are lifelike and expressive, reacting to events with subtle ticks and reactions, even tearing up (this is stop-motion, don’t forget, no CG like Pixar), so little details like that really stand out. I would recommend watching this behind the scenes to fully understand the magic.
From an art/production standpoint, I must say I really love the look and feel of this movie. There are stylistic elements from the medieval period, the 18th or 19th century, and early 20th century here, creating this unique hodgepodge of costumes and architectural designs. The world is inhabited by both humans and anthropomorphic animals, most notably the coyotes, who serve the Dowager Countess Alexandra, the film’s primary antagonist. Voiced by Carey Mulligan, the Countess could’ve easily been a one-dimensional villain hellbent on just doing villainous things, but Wildwood fleshes out her backstory with tragic detail. Wildwood succeeds not only with its art and visuals, but by having a complex and layered story on top of it.
As a note: this may be an animated movie, but I would advise against bringing young children. Wildwood is a dark film, with some thematic elements that may scare younger kids. The movie opens, and you’re instantly left traumatized. There’s some frightening images too, and it doesn’t shy away from violence. There’s some humour to help lift the mood, but it never compromises the drama in any way, thankfully. But I would not call this a “light” movie at all.
If I did have a criticism of the film, it would be that it does resolve things fairly quickly by the end. I would’ve liked to have a bit more rumination on what happened and why. The film elects to just wrap itself up, but considering everything we just went through, I think a bit of time for Prue and Curtis to reflect with the allies they made along the way and the weight of what just happened.
As Prue and Curtis explore and learn about the world they’re now inhabiting, they discover kingdoms, magical beings, talking animals, and see vast armies clash. The scope of this movie, more than once, reminded me of The Lord of the Rings, by way of Redwall and a dash of Princess Mononoke. It’s incredibly imaginative, and knowing that so much of this movie was made by hand is fascinating and only increases that sense of awe.
Wildwood is one of those films that utterly transports you. It’s a film that was clearly made by a team of passionate artists who poured years of their lives into making this film. I would strongly encourage you to not only watch it, but to go out and support it. In an age where so many films feel soulless and bland, Wildwood is anything but.
