Running Time: 131 minutes
This feature film from Laika and Fathom Entertainment opens exclusively in theaters on October 23rd, 2026.
The animation studio Laika has been creating phenomenal stop-motion animation pictures for well over 15 years now, with titles including Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings, and most recently, the underseen and underrated Missing Link. All of these pictures have been nominated for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards (though the production house has yet to win the big prize). Their latest, the lavish Wildwood, is likely to earn just as much attention from awards groups.
It should be noted however, that their latest fantasy is a bit different from earlier efforts. Based on a novel, it’s wider in scope and far-more adult oriented in its themes and content. The picture is rated PG-13 and features scary and, at times, gruesome imagery that might give younger audience members nightmares. In fact, in general it might be more for kids 10-and-up, as well as adults who are already familiar with and appreciate Laika’s output.
Prue McKeel (Payton Elizabeth Lee) is a teen living in Portland with her parents and toddler brother Mac, who is at a stage of crawling and hasn’t yet developed language skills. The girl’s parents (Jake Johnson and Maya Erskine) warn her to not take Mac out on her own, and always stay out of the woods nearby. After disobeying and taking the little one to a rundown parking-lot playground, a threatening group of crows arrive and kidnap Mac. Prue and her classmate Curtis (Jacob Tremblay) hurry after them into the woods, finding themselves in a new strange land filled with both humans and anthropomorphic animals. As it turns out, grief-stricken governess Alexandra (Carey Mulligan) is responsible for the kidnapping. Many years ago, she lost her own son and plans to use a sacrificial ritual and black magic to become all-powerful and rule over the land. The protagonist and her pal get separated, with both encountering different factions within the strange world, whom they attempt to unite in order to fight back.
The film’s images are truly extraordinary. From the opening scenes in Portland, to the visually inventive fantasy lands that Prue and Curtis journey to, every image wows. This also includes bits in which the protagonist flies with an eagle through the skies, and even a creative prison in a cave, with cages hung from high above that can only be reached with an enormous ladder. The villains are striking, with an army of gun-toting coyotes making an impression (in fact, they remind this reviewer of similarly threatening figures in an odd, live-action 1984 Polish film called Mister Blot’s Academy). Theirs is also a massive battle scene that features cannons, swordplay, explosions and more that visually match any war epic. This is a gorgeous movie, so much so that it’s almost worth a recommendation simply to stare at.
As for the story and characters, there are some great elements. Prue’s story of a guilt-ridden teen trying to find herself is certainly relatable, and Curtis makes a strong impression as a timid kid in over-his-head and trying to muster up some courage to help those around him. Some of the supporting Wildwood characters make an impression as well, with friendly rat Septima (Awkwafina) ingratiating herself, along with Dinitri (Charlie Day), a coyote who has gone rogue from his unit and befriends the leads. It becomes very clear very fast that a major theme of the picture is loss, and dealing with death in a world where one’s existence can suddenly be brought to a halt.
But the feature has some problems. There are so many characters in this story that many are not developed fully or fall by the wayside. It begins with an interesting, mechanical creation that one thinks might play a role later in the story, but does not. There is an amusing scene involving Prue visiting a government office that results in a fun chase. However, the bureaucrats introduced aren’t a significant part of the tale. With the exception of one figure, the same goes for the introduction of a group of seers. This all slows the pacing down and it’s clear the story could have been streamlined in a clearer and sharper manner.
Some of the timing on comedic bits doesn’t work, and of course parents should be aware about those violent sequences. Because of the themes noted and the fact that a large-scale war is about to erupt, many characters are killed over the course of the story. There is a fair amount of blood in the finale, and even though it isn’t overly graphic, you will see an onscreen decapitation and unpleasant endings for a few characters.
Overall, there are certainly pacing problems, and one gets the sense that a few characters and subplots could have been cut out to make the story smoother and more efficient. Still, while it isn’t the best Laika effort, I quite admired Wildwood for taking chances and presenting some images that are difficult to forget. This is an eccentric picture, but one that at least offers a unique and untamed personal vision.
