Courtesy of Black Bear Pictures.
When I first scrolled on TikTok to see an advertisement for an upcoming movie about a middle-aged woman fucking a basket man, I knew I would be seated in the movie theater.
“Wicker” is adapted from Ursula Wills’s short story, “The Wicker Husband,” and follows the same basic premise of an ugly fisherwoman marrying a man made of wicker. The film even kept Willis on as a screenwriter to adapt her story.
As a newbie to 4DX, or really any kind of movie theater experience of the future, I had no idea what to expect. I got my insanely overpriced blue raspberry slushie and sat in my seat. The seat was much less comfortable than a typical movie theater seat and featured a button for turning on or abstaining from water-based effects, so I knew I was in for a treat.
Unfortunately, I did not think that the 4DX features aligned very well with each scene of the movie, as water would sprinkle lightly during random scenes and the shaking of the seats didn’t line up with the motion in the movie.
During the first of The Basketweaver’s internal monologues, played by Peter Dinklage, the seats were moving as furiously as a Disneyland rollercoaster for seemingly no reason. It made it difficult to hear or focus on what the character was saying, which I thought took away some of the humor of The Basketweaver’s personal dilemma over the creation of The Wicker Husband.
Don’t worry though, the seats still vibrated and shook a bit during those scenes in the movie.
However, I can’t say there was any rhythm to it, which was probably disappointing for a lot of fans hoping to get the full 4DX experience, if you know what I mean.
Throughout the course of the film, not a single character has a name. Instead, everyone is referred to as their titles. The tailor is The Tailor, the bottlewasher is The Bottlewasher and, of course, the wives are simply The Wives.
Sure, the movie gets a little more specific for each woman, such as The Tailor’s Wife or The Bottlewasher’s Wife, but it was critical that you referred to them exclusively through their husbands.
Olivia Colman is simply phenomenal, just as she is in the other films of hers I’ve seen her in (though admittedly I mainly see her as Mrs. Scrubitt in “Wonka”), alongside Alexander Skarsgård believably playing a man who is too good to be true.
Alongside the other big stars of the movie, I really enjoyed the wider ensemble, especially Ben Ashenden and Ella Bruccoleri playing The Bakerman and The Bakerwoman, respectively. The hilarious chemistry between two characters playing husband and wife was heightened by how funny they were individually.
The Bakerman begging The Wicker Husband during a scene in the inn to have sex with his wife to please her made me laugh out loud, as did just about every line The Bakerwoman said.
Going into the movie expecting an erotic, trivial experience led to a surprisingly empowering fable. The Fisherwoman’s story of navigating a first love and loneliness is all too relatable, along with The Tailor’s Wife’s desperation to do something greater than just being a wife.
Maybe I’m just an idealistic, easygoing moviegoer, but I was thoroughly entertained throughout the entirety of “Wicker,” even if the movie was not what I expected.
Even with the poorly synchronized sensations of the 4DX system, I also thought this trip to the movies was a great reminder of the joy of exploring new moviegoing formats and experiences.
