Review: Wildwood

I became a bit curious about Wildwood when I saw that it received perfect scores in several places and that its IMDb rating was sky-high. I recoiled a bit when I saw the runtime of two hours and ten minutes, because in my world, there are few animated films that can actually sustain a runtime of over a hundred minutes. I was also almost willing to abandon interest—because I’m not particularly interested in animated film. At least not CG. But then there was that little detail that I happened to read a review and felt a little spark of joy when I got stuck on a specific hyphenated word: Stop-motion. You see, stop-motion and I have loved each other our whole lives. Ever since I saw Pingu, Wallace & Gromit, and other Aardman productions. And The Nightmare Before Christmas. But the love actually started when I discovered film. During a library visit in third grade (I think it was), a couple demonstrated how you could animate film by drawing a number of frames and playing them in sequence. That was where my love for film truly began. I recorded my first stop-motion as a ten- or eleven-year-old—Den lilla röda bussen—which is about a bus that travels between different Lego cities and destroys houses, runs over people, and well, the common thread is essentially mayhem. But enough about that. In a world where AI is taking up more and more space, even in film production, it makes me happy to my core, almost sentimental, at the thought that people are still investing in real craftsmanship.

But enough about that. What is Wildwood about? When her little brother is kidnapped by a flock of crows, the stubborn teenager Prue McKeel embarks on a desperate rescue mission into the impenetrable wilderness—an enchanted forest hidden just outside Portland, Oregon. By her side, she has her clumsy but loyal classmate Curtis and together they make their way through a world filled with talking animals, bandits, and powerful figures driven by grief and ambition.
As both are drawn into a conflict that threatens the balance of the entire forest, Prue must find a strength and faith within herself that she didn’t know she had. If she is to save her brother and protect Wildwood’s fragile future, she must dare to risk everything.

Travis Knight is the director. He directed Kubo and the Two Strings (also stop-motion, but I don’t think I’ve actually seen it. Shame on me!) and after that Bumblebee and Masters of the Universe. A diverse, interesting CV, I must say. The screenplay is by Chris Butler, Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis. The latter two are husband and wife. Colin wrote the book the film is based on and Carson illustrated it. We also get a really nice ensemble of voice actors: Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Maya Erskine, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Tom Waits, Richard E. Grant. It’s always fun to sit and guess who is providing the voice if you haven’t already researched it. Jake Johnson was obvious. I missed Mahershala Ali—partly because the character’s appearance reminded me of Jason Momoa even though I heard it wasn’t him. Tom Waits, who plays one of the wolves, Maksim, I initially mistook for the rasp of Willem Dafoe.

Let’s stick with the voice actors, because this is such a vital part of an animated film. It’s very rare these days that things aren’t good or are miscast, but the voices are actually one of Wildwood’s absolute strongest suits. Managing to convey so much emotion is a small triumph in itself, and here, every single person does a phenomenal job. It’s a pure joy, actually. I’ll move on to starting with the negatives. Fortunately, I can reveal that there isn’t much negative to say. At all. But I think it has a bit of trouble setting the tone right at the beginning. The scene where Prue’s brother disappears shifts from tense, uncomfortable, and almost heart-wrenching to a lot of comedy. It grates on me a bit because somewhere I want to be held in the pure suspense and panic that is first conveyed. Likewise, some slightly odd choices are made regarding the music right at the start. Thankfully, this is corrected once things get going for real and becomes, as it should be, an important and emotional complement to the voice acting, sound, and animation.

So. Now I’ve had my moan. Now we move on to praise, because there is a lot of positive things to say about Wildwood. I sat there enjoying myself and smiling for large parts of the film. Partly because it is absolutely gorgeous to look at—the animation is truly top-class—but also because everything works. The pacing is high, the music fine, the dialogue well-thought-out, the humor that flashes through is subtle. And the darkness. This is likely the most adult and dark animated film I’ve seen—at least if we’re talking about a film that is fundamentally family-friendly. We are tossed between themes of death, grief, and vulnerability, and the opening scene sets the tone perfectly. It is also often surprisingly violent, but without being graphic or directly bloody—though blood does appear. It’s one of many things I love about the film: that it dares to tackle both darkness and discomfort without flinching. The world-building is stylish and they have done a fantastic job with the characters. They are beautifully designed, interesting, funny, and touching, down to the smallest supporting character. And when Prue’s little brother cries in terror of what is to come—things he himself is too small to understand—it actually tears at my “dad heart” in a way I’ve rarely experienced on film. The environments are consistently breathtaking, and Wildwood offers some of the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever seen.

The aforementioned tension is also something else entirely. We are tossed between exciting and sometimes funny scenes all the time. Prue’s escape from the estate, for example, where she outsmarts a security guard in the form of a mastiff in a leather jacket. I laughed out loud a couple of times here. Otherwise, most of the humor is more subtle and of the type that makes you smirk. But you do laugh occasionally. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that offers a good deal of discomfort and grief. Sorry, another overused expression, but “epic proportions” comes to mind when thinking about everything from the story and the various plot twists to some really cool battles. The chase scene where Prue flies on an eagle, for example—I sat there with a wide grin. And the final fight. Holy smoke. It’s so damn good-looking that I almost lost my breath. Because seriously, when did you last see a final fight in the form of a clash on par with something like The Two Towers or any other film with a battlefield and exploding fireballs—in a combination of stop-motion and CGI?

But we have to talk about the runtime. It was one of the things that worried me about Wildwood. How can an animated film manage to keep my interest for over two hours? You know what? That turns out quite early to be a non-issue. Or well. It is long, but there actually isn’t a sequence that deserves to be cut or trimmed down. It’s exciting throughout and the entertainment factor is at its peak. We also have the screenplay’s unexpected turns to thank for that—there are some really clever twists baked in here. Combine that with engaging music and absolutely fantastic animation—both stop-motion and what is clearly CGI. Everything is top-notch, to use a worn-out phrase. I want to conclude with some well-chosen words and a recommendation: Wildwood is, in my opinion, the best film of the year so far. Words I never thought I would write about an animated movie. Whatever you do: don’t miss it. And those of you who have children: watch it with them, if they are old enough. Because Wildwood is genuinely unsettling, violent, and does not shy away from grief.