Wicker has been advertised as an extremely sexually charged movie with a hot man made of wicker. The film doesn’t shy away from sex and sexuality. It has a few very fun sex scenes that a lot of hard work went into. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Wicker beyond some raunchiness.
I was delighted to discover it's far more complex than it's promoted. It touches upon topics of self-esteem in really haunting and interesting ways.
Warning: Wicker spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.
Wicker Has A Powerful Storyline About Societal Trauma
Fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) has always been an outcast in her town. They tease and treat her as if her only purpose is to sell them fish. She has no real friends and not much of a romantic prospect. This led the Fisherwoman to accept a lonely life. She finally decides to change that, but the scars remain from being told that she doesn’t deserve good things, especially a man who loves her.
The Fisherwoman has a lot of trauma and self-esteem issues from years of being told by society that she’s not worthy of happiness. However, she isn’t the only one with society-based scars. All the women in town have them. This is why the Wicker Husband (Alexander Skarsgård) is so attractive to many women. He doesn’t operate with the same rules of this society.
He loves deeply and purely, without constraining how his wife should live. Sadly, this nonconforming spirit also makes the Fisherwoman doubt his love and fidelity. She has seen the men of this society. She finds it hard to believe that she has one who respects and loves her.
I Found The Fisherwoman Frustrating, But I Could Also Understand Her
I left Wicker very annoyed with the Fisherwoman. She almost killed her husband because of a lie. Additionally, she refused to believe him, even though he has only ever been honest. It’s also clear that he only exists for her. I was shouting, “Be reasonable, woman!” as she behaved in unreasonable ways.
However, then I had to think about how many women and men let their lack of self-esteem or past trauma ruin good things in their lives. Many relationships have been destroyed because one or both people in them let their insecurities grow and create bigger problems. The Fisherwoman is frustrating, but she’s very human.
Wicker's True Magic Is Not Letting Life Stop You From Loving Yourself
I really enjoyed the Wicker ending because everyone got what they deserved. The townsfolk got scammed and traumatized. The Butcher (Phil Daniels ) got murdered, as the worst husband of them all, and the Fisherwoman and Wicker Husband left with a new child.
It was only after the Fisherwoman could let go of her insecurities and her awful town that she could have a happy ending. Wicker is about letting love into your life, even when you don’t think you deserve it.
The Fisherwoman creates a husband who loves her completely, but she also learns to love herself in the process. That’s the real message. Find love within yourself, and the right person may find you, or you will at least love yourself enough to feel fulfilled with or without a partner. Wicker is definitely worth seeing in a theater full of women, or alone, where you can meditate on its messages.
Either way, come for the sexy parts, stay for the self-love.
