Ooh, baby, it’s a Wild Wood (CREDIT: Laika/Screenshot)
Starring: Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Richard E. Grant, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Amandla Stenberg, Tom Waits, Charlie Day, Blythe Danner, Arthur Knight, Maya Erskine, Jake Johnson, Rob Delaney, Tantoo Cardinal, Jemaine Clement, Marc Evan Jackson, Len Cariou, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Colleen O’Shaughnessey
Director: Travis Knight
Running Time: 132 Minutes
Rating: PG
Release Date: October 23, 2026 (Theaters)
MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!!* (*-In a manner of thinking.) My favorite part of Wildwood is a blink-and-you-miss-it moment early on when Prue rides her bike past a fellow cyclist who’s sporting a chin beard and stretched earlobes. This being an Oregon-set film, I figured it must be Spyke from Portlandia. And well, Fred Armisen was thanked in the credits, so that sure appears to be the case. I had a similar reaction to the character of Roger Swindon, he of the slick-backed dark hair and stern countenance, as I wondered if he was an homage to gothic rocker Nick Cave. Alas, despite the physical resemblance, this seems like it might just be a coincidence, as he is voiced by a very different musician (Jemaine Clement) and I haven’t found any acknowledgement that this was intended in any way. Anyway, as for the movie overall, it features plenty of imagination and adept storytelling.
Grade: 63 Murders out of 77 Crows
