Wildwood

Every so often, an animated film comes along that’s genuinely captivating and vibrant in an otherwise stale milieu. Wildwood is one such gem. Based on the Wildwood Chronicles book series penned by Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy and his wife Carson Ellis, Laika’s latest stop-motion production is a powerful tale of identity and grief.

Prue (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) lives in Portland, Oregon, with her hippie parents and baby brother, Mac. While Prue is allowed to flourish as a headstrong, precocious girl, Mac is shielded from the outside world. In a scene reminiscent of Hitchcock’s The Birds, Mac is abducted by a murder of crows, leaving Prue and lovably awkward school pal Curtis (Jacob Tremblay) to venture into the wilderness to find him.

There’s more than a touch of Narnia as Prue and Curtis explore a magical sylvan world encompassing different societies. There’s the perfectly crafted woodland utopia of North Wood, where mystics and animal villagers work collectively. By contrast, Brendan (Mahershala Ali) leads the renegade Bandits in Wildwood. Once a thriving idyll, it is now reduced to rubble and towering vines following imperialistic infiltration. All the while, the forests are pervaded by the iciness of exiled aristocrat Alexandra (Carey Mulligan), who may have a vested interest in Mac’s disappearance. Though all this world-building is condensed into such a short space of time, it never feels overwhelming.

There are overt references to imperialism and the means through which the subaltern reacts to displacement. Brendan notes that the Bandits steal, but only what they need and from those who can afford it. Moreover, Wildwood is in ruins but remains the Bandits’ homeland, a timely allusion.

The animation is truly sublime. Portland’s bustling realism is depicted with exuberance and precision, with the city’s notable landmarks making appearances. It contrasts beautifully with the fantastical wilderness inhabited by anthropomorphic animals (voiced by an all-star cast, including Richard E Grant, Awkwafina and Charlie Day).

It certainly isn’t a film for young children, with violence and gore aplenty, albeit neither protracted nor sensationalised. The extended battle scene is one of the most suspenseful ever animated, more akin to an epic war movie than a family feature.

This enchanting animation has all the hallmarks of a modern classic – affirming but not cynical, emotive but not saccharine. And, much like its heroine is mesmerised by a wondrous alternate world, one can’t help but fall under its spell.

Antonia Georgiou

Wildwood is released nationwide on 23^rd October 2026.

Watch the trailer for Wildwood here: