Wildwood (2026) Review
A SWEEPING ANIMATED FANTASY
WITH A HANDCRAFTED HEART
While Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, and Illumination have jostled for position as the dominant powerhouse of animated features, Laika has steadily built its own reputation through the quality, care, and imagination of its stop-motion productions. Its films include the dark fantasy Coraline, the horror comedy ParaNorman, the steampunk fantasy comedy The Boxtrolls, the fantasy adventure Kubo and the Two Strings, and the comedy adventure Missing Link. Despite their different settings and stories, these features share a distinctive artistic identity, combining intricate craftsmanship with imaginative worlds and characters whose struggles give their adventures emotional weight. While other animation studios have found success within familiar styles and storytelling formulas, Laika has frequently embraced stranger, darker territory, offering visual invention and sophisticated themes alongside its humor and spectacle. Its willingness to explore subjects such as grief, identity, and acceptance gives its films an appeal that extends beyond younger audiences, without sacrificing their sense of wonder. Now, Laika and director Travis Knight bring their newest animated feature to cinematic life with Wildwood, based on the novel of the same name by Colin Meloy, illustrated by Carson Ellis. With an enchanted forest providing the setting for its latest adventure, the studio has another opportunity to bring its distinctive artistry to an expansive fantasy world. Does this latest animated feature enchant its viewers, or does it lose its way amid the scale and scope of its own ambitions?
THE STORY
In Portland, Oregon, Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) lives with her mother (Maya Erskine), father (Jake Johnson), and little brother, Mac (Arthur Knight). Tasked with watching her sibling while their parents are away, Prue takes him on an outing around town, where they are soon joined by her classmate, Curtis Mehlberg (Jacob Tremblay). Their ordinary afternoon takes a terrifying turn when a murder of crows abducts Mac, sending Prue and Curtis in pursuit. The chase leads them into the Impassable Wilderness, a forbidden and mysterious forest beyond the city, where an extraordinary world lies hidden. Separated from Curtis, Prue presses onward in search of her brother, discovering a realm of talking animals, rival factions, and mounting unrest. Her search leads her to Alexandra (Carey Mulligan), the Dowager Governess, whose connection to Mac’s abduction draws Prue into a conflict far greater than she anticipated. Driven by grief and a desire for revenge, Alexandra commands an army of coyotes, threatening a region whose inhabitants are divided between those seeking power and those simply struggling to survive. Meanwhile, Curtis falls into Alexandra’s clutches and encounters the bandits, led by Brendan (Mahershala Ali), who is determined to challenge the Dowager Governess before her grief and madness endanger the entire realm. As the opposing forces move toward a decisive confrontation, Prue and Curtis must find the courage to face the dangers of this unfamiliar world, stop Alexandra’s plans, and rescue Mac before it is too late.
THE GOOD / THE BAD
As many of my readers know, I have always been a fan of animated films. Always have, always will. One thing I continually praise LAIKA for is its commitment to quality over quantity. While the studio has only a handful of releases compared to the lengthy filmographies of its competitors, those features have demonstrated considerable ambition through their intricate designs, distinctive visual approaches, and memorable storytelling. I mean, Coraline was fantastic, showcasing what the studio could accomplish with stop-motion animation while establishing its willingness to explore darker material and more mature themes. The same goes for ParaNorman, which brought a little more humor into the mix while retaining that signature LAIKA style I love. The Boxtrolls is the only one of the studio’s earlier features I have yet to see. I have heard good things about it, although it sounds somewhat lighter than its predecessors. Regardless, it remains on my watchlist. Kubo and the Two Strings was another brilliant home run for LAIKA, demonstrating its talent for emotionally complex storytelling alongside impressive action sequences and anime-inspired imagery. I really did enjoy that one. Missing Link, however, was probably my least favorite of the studio’s films that I have seen. That is not to say it was bad. The visuals were gorgeous, and the voice cast was solid, but its simpler story and more lighthearted approach did not resonate with me as strongly as the studio’s other adventures. There was still plenty to appreciate, even if it did not leave quite the same impression. Still, I believe LAIKA deserves considerable praise for following its own creative instincts and dancing to the beat of its own drum. Its films have a recognizable identity, combining painstaking craftsmanship with unusual worlds, mature themes, and stories that offer something meaningful beneath the spectacle. Even when a particular release does not become a personal favorite, I admire the imagination and care behind it. That commitment is what makes the studio’s work so memorable and keeps me excited to see what it will create next.
This brings me back around to Wildwood, LAIKA’s sixth animated feature and a stop-motion fantasy epic. After Missing Link, I was curious to see what the studio would tackle next. Something different? Something more familiar? It was hard to say. I cannot remember exactly when I first heard about Wildwood, but after its initial announcement, the project gradually slipped off my radar. That changed when I saw the first official teaser trailer, which completely blew me away. Yes, it looked like a classic fantasy coming-of-age adventure, but there were hints of something darker and more emotionally substantial beneath the surface. And the animation? God, it looked beautiful! With every new preview and piece of information I came across, my excitement continued to grow.
Naturally, I had a few small reservations. What I saw reminded me of a blend of Labyrinth and The Chronicles of Narnia, which could either make for a loving homage to those fantasy adventures or feel somewhat derivative. Nevertheless, my enthusiasm far outweighed those concerns, and I went to see Wildwood during its opening weekend. After taking a week to gather my thoughts and put this review together, I am finally ready to share my reaction. And what did I think? Well, unsurprisingly, I loved it. Wildwood is an animated masterpiece, shining through its extraordinary craftsmanship, intricate worldbuilding, strong voice performances, and imaginative action sequences that left my jaw on the floor. It is an emotionally charged adventure whose themes give weight to the spectacle, blending darker material with whimsical fantasy in a way that feels natural and remarkably assured. This is, by far, my favorite LAIKA movie.
Before getting into the review itself, however, I should mention that I read Colin Meloy’s novel and finished it just before seeing the film. I therefore went into the adaptation already familiar with its story, characters, and fantasy setting, which naturally informed my viewing experience. I will not offer an exhaustive comparison of everything that was changed, condensed, or omitted, but I wanted to make that familiarity clear to you, my readers. Where relevant, I will touch on how certain adaptation choices affected the film and my response to it.
Wildwood is directed by Travis Knight, whose previous films include LAIKA’s Kubo and the Two Strings, alongside live-action projects such as Bumblebee and Masters of the Universe. As a longtime creative force and producer at LAIKA, Knight feels particularly well suited to an undertaking this ambitious. To his credit, he absolutely succeeds, approaching Meloy’s fantasy novel with considerable respect for the material and plenty of filmmaking ingenuity. The result is pure cinematic magic, with Knight and his team pulling out all the stops to deliver what I consider the studio’s finest animated feature to date.
One particularly refreshing aspect of Wildwood is the opportunity to discover a new cinematic world. Yes, it is based on an existing novel, and its narrative draws on familiar fantasy tropes and storytelling traditions, which I will discuss below. Still, there is something exciting about an animated adventure that introduces audiences to a different setting and cast of characters, without relying on their attachment to an established film franchise. That sense of discovery gives Wildwood considerable appeal, inviting viewers to become invested in the world unfolding before them. It also feels entirely in keeping with LAIKA’s willingness to follow its own creative instincts and dance to the beat of its own drum. With Knight at the helm, the film embraces that spirit wholeheartedly, bringing Meloy’s imaginative realm to the screen with visual vim, dramatic vigor, and a clear enthusiasm for the adventure.
Another major strength of Wildwood is its worldbuilding. Meloy’s novel provides a rich foundation, but the film deserves considerable credit for translating so much of that imagination to the screen. Expansive literary settings can lose some of their personality and complexity when adaptations streamline the material, leaving viewers with only a passing impression of the larger world. Knight helps bridge that gap, preserving many of the details, relationships, and conflicts that give Meloy’s setting its distinctive character.
From the various factions and communities to Alexandra’s schemes and the plight of the bandits, there is a welcome sense that this realm has an existence beyond Prue and Curtis’s immediate adventure. Its inhabitants have their own loyalties, ambitions, and struggles, giving the places they encounter a sense of purpose and history. That is what makes the worldbuilding so engaging for me. The film offers an imaginative setting whose different parts feel connected, with tensions that shape both the larger conflict and the lives caught within it. The result is a living, breathing fantasy world that feels believable, inhabited, and worth exploring.
At its heart, Wildwood is a deeply emotional movie rooted in recognizably human experiences. How so? Well, Prue and Curtis’s journeys follow the classic coming-of-age path that has served so many fantasy adventures, but Knight and his team find plenty of substance within that familiar framework. Alongside its heroes, villains, and fantastical creatures, the story explores respect for nature, questions of belonging and identity, the exercise of power, and the courage required to accept responsibility. These ideas have clear relevance beyond the fantasy setting, giving the adventure meaning that extends beyond its immediate conflicts. More personal themes of love, grief, growing up, parenthood, and infertility add further emotional complexity, preserving an important part of what gives Meloy’s original novel its character.
What makes this material particularly effective is the film’s refusal to talk down to its audience. Knight allows these subjects to retain their weight, presenting difficult emotions with a directness that can feel surprisingly raw. That willingness to embrace discomfort connects the emotional substance of Meloy’s story with LAIKA’s signature approach to darker, more mature storytelling. The unsettling imagery and serious themes feel integral to the world and its characters, giving the danger consequences and the tender moments greater resonance. There is a clear respect for the source material in how Knight and his collaborators preserve much of its emotional complexity, trusting viewers to engage with the questions it raises. For me, that is a significant part of what makes Wildwood so powerful and poignant. Its imagination supplies the wonder, but the humanity beneath it gives that wonder lasting emotional weight.
That same intensity, however, makes Wildwood a potentially challenging experience for younger children. The violence, intense battles, and macabre imagery can be unsettling, particularly when paired with the story’s heavier themes of grief and loss. Its moments of humor and whimsy offer welcome levity, but they do not diminish the seriousness of the darker material. For me, this is a fantasy adventure best suited to teens and adults, with an emotional complexity and willingness to confront difficult subjects that give older viewers plenty to appreciate beyond its extraordinary animation.
That is not to say that Wildwood is devoid of comedic levity or takes itself too seriously. Knight peppers the film with moments of humor and lighthearted charm, giving viewers a welcome breather from the adventure’s more intense passages. Whether through verbal jokes or well-timed sight gags, the comedy fits naturally within the story, allowing these lighter moments to land without disrupting the film’s flow. Just as importantly, Knight knows when to let the humor take a back seat, giving the dramatic and emotional scenes the space they need. That balance helps Wildwood remain warm and engaging while preserving the weight of its more serious moments.
The action in Wildwood also deserves considerable praise, with Knight and his creative team delivering an incredible third-act battle that goes completely “balls to the wall” in the best possible way. From the staging and choreography to the finished animation, the sequence is a jaw-dropping achievement that rivals the spectacle of a major summer blockbuster. It is epic, suspenseful, and remarkably intense, bringing the story’s escalating conflicts together in a confrontation that feels worthy of the adventure leading up to it. There is an impressive sense of scale throughout, but the danger facing the characters gives that spectacle its emotional weight. I mean, this finale alone is worth experiencing on the big screen. That said, the action leading up to it is terrific as well, showcasing the imagination and care Knight and his team bring to their craft. Their command of stop-motion animation, combined with inventive choreography and mesmerizing visuals, gives these sequences a striking sense of movement, impact, and physical presence. Every confrontation helps draw you further into the adventure, making this fantastical world and the dangers within it feel thrillingly real.
In terms of presentation, Wildwood is a beautiful cinematic and technical marvel. There is simply no denying that. LAIKA’s previous endeavors have continually explored new possibilities within stop-motion animation, producing films that deserve to be called works of art. Wildwood follows that tradition while pushing the studio’s visual ambitions even further. The result is absolutely magical. The amount of detail throughout the film is astounding, from the recognizable streets of Portland, Oregon, to the fantastical landscapes of the Impassable Wilderness. Each setting feels carefully constructed and full of character, making the transition between the everyday world and this hidden realm especially striking.
Just as impressive are the characters themselves and how convincingly they come to life on-screen. Their facial animation is fluid and expressive, allowing subtle changes in expression to carry genuine dramatic weight. Their movements feel natural, while the intricate textures and detailing of their costumes deserve considerable recognition. These elements work together beautifully, giving the characters a tangible presence that complements the imagination surrounding them. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Suffice it to say, Wildwood delivers pure animated magic, offering an awe-inspiring viewing experience through its craftsmanship and visual style alone.
The sheer amount of time devoted to bringing this film to the screen might initially seem astonishing, but after seeing the finished result, it becomes much easier to understand. That level of artistry requires extraordinary patience, skill, and collaboration. Production designer Nelson Lowry, costume designer Deborah Cook, editor Christopher Murrie-Green, and the art and visual effects teams, including Joe Beckley, Solomon Burbridge, Merve Caydere, Cassie Lopez, and Matthew Maldonado, all deserve recognition. The same extends to the animators, model makers, costume specialists, camera crews, lighting technicians, and countless others whose contributions made this world possible. To everyone involved, I offer a standing ovation. The care behind Wildwood’s presentation is evident throughout.
Caleb Deschanel’s cinematography deserves particular praise as well, giving the film a sweeping sense of scale and dramatic presence. The camera angles, expansive compositions, close-ups, and measured push-ins help emphasize both the grandeur of the setting and the emotions of its inhabitants. His effective use of lighting and shadow adds further atmosphere, supporting the story’s movement between wonder, warmth, and danger. It is consistently impressive work that helps give this handcrafted world the scope and visual impact of a grand fantasy epic.
Additionally, the sound editing, design, and mixing are fantastic. Dialogue remains crisp and intelligible, while every hit, metallic clash, explosion, and rushing movement feels sharp and impactful. Those effects give the action welcome weight, helping sell the intensity of the film’s more heightened sequences. Together with the visuals, the sound makes the adventure feel immediate and immersive, strengthening the sense of danger when the stakes rise.
Lastly, Dario Marianelli’s score captures the film’s shifting moods beautifully. The music ranges from sweeping orchestral passages and forceful, tension-building rhythms to softer, more tender compositions, supporting the emotions on-screen with confidence and sensitivity. There are some welcome surprises in the broader soundtrack as well, including punk-rock energy and other stylistic departures that give the musical presentation additional personality. Those changes work within the film’s adventurous spirit, while Marianelli’s score provides a strong emotional foundation. His contribution helps make Wildwood feel as moving and majestic as it looks.
There is not much that I disliked about Wildwood as a whole, but there are a few areas where the feature struggles to fulfill its ambitions. How so? Well, for starters, the story feels somewhat derivative of other fantasy narratives. There is a little bit of everything being retooled and repurposed here, making some of its familiar elements easy to recognize. You can see echoes of The Wizard of Oz, The Chronicles of Narnia, Labyrinth, The Lord of the Rings, James Cameron’s Avatar, and several others in its themes, imagery, and storytelling. That is not necessarily a terrible thing, especially when those ingredients are brought together in such a visually imaginative setting. Still, beyond a few distinctive touches, the narrative does not bring quite as much that is new to the fantasy table as its presentation might suggest. Having read the book, I had similar reservations about the source material, so their presence in the adaptation did not particularly diminish my enjoyment. Nevertheless, viewers expecting something entirely fresh may find Wildwood working within a familiar, occasionally formulaic fantasy storytelling sandbox.
The more substantial issue, however, is how much plotting, worldbuilding, and character development the film attempts to accommodate. Collectively speaking, the worldbuilding I praised above becomes something of a double-edged sword: it creates a beautiful, immersive realm, but the feature struggles to give all its ideas the attention they deserve. Although the central objectives driving Prue and Curtis’s journeys are relatively straightforward, the world surrounding them is dense, with different regions, factions, beliefs, and leaders competing for attention throughout the runtime. There is plenty to discover, but not always enough time to absorb why each discovery matters.
Screenwriter Chris Butler, whose previous LAIKA writing credits include ParaNorman, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Missing Link, faces a considerable challenge in translating Meloy’s novel to the screen. I think he does an admirable job of preserving the adventure and introducing its many moving pieces, but the transition from page to screen is not always seamless. Some passages move quickly through explanations of who a particular group is, what its members believe, or which figure controls a certain region. The information is there, yet the film sometimes moves on before those details can develop into a fuller understanding of the people and conflicts involved.
This does not mean the material is shallow. There is genuine richness to the setting, but Butler’s screenplay, and occasionally Knight’s direction, feels as though it is biting off more than it can chew. Ideas that had room to breathe in the novel are compressed, leaving some motivations and relationships less developed than they could have been. Because I read the book beforehand, I could draw on that background to follow the story and understand its connections. That familiarity made these shortcomings less distracting for me, but it also made some of the missing context more noticeable. Moviegoers unfamiliar with Meloy’s novel may find portions of the worldbuilding harder to follow, particularly when several new concepts arrive in quick succession.
As a very minor quibble, a few changes from the novel were less effective for me. Some scenes unfold differently, while others are removed altogether. Although I can understand the practical reasons behind those decisions, I thought the book handled certain moments more effectively, giving them additional context or room to develop. These are small adaptation preferences rather than major complaints, but a few of those choices left me wishing the film had retained more of what made those passages work on the page.
What certainly helps offset those minor shortcomings is the film’s exceptional voice cast, whose performances bring these characters to life with distinct personalities and considerable heart. The talent assembled for Wildwood handles both the fantastical material and its emotional demands with confidence, giving the inhabitants of this world a welcome sense of individuality. As mentioned, some characters receive more screen time than others, but the performances remain strong throughout.
Leading the charge is actress Peyton Elizabeth Lee, who voices the film’s main protagonist, Prue McKeel. Known for her roles in Andi Mack, Pizza Movie, and The Lion Guard, Lee may be a less recognizable name than some of her castmates, but her performance here demonstrates that she can more than hold her own. As Prue, she has a considerable responsibility, carrying much of the adventure while anchoring several of its more tender moments. To her credit, she handles both aspects beautifully, imbuing the character with youthful confidence, curiosity, and emotional sincerity. Prue’s determination gives the story its momentum, while the humanity Lee brings to the role makes her someone worth following beyond the immediate demands of the plot.
As written, Prue follows the classic “fish out of water” hero archetype, discovering an unfamiliar realm whose inhabitants, factions, and conflicts gradually become clearer through her experiences. It is a familiar narrative device, but an effective one, providing viewers with a natural point of entry into this elaborate fantasy setting. While the broad shape of her journey may be recognizable, Lee gives Prue enough wonder, warmth, and resolve to make that journey engaging. The result is a capable and compelling protagonist whose emotional investment in the adventure helps sustain our own.
Sharing the protagonist spotlight is Curtis Mehlberg, Prue’s classmate, who is voiced by actor Jacob Tremblay. Known for his roles in Room, Wonder, and Luca, Tremblay has built an impressive career from an early age, and his involvement in Wildwood proves another strong addition to that body of work. Curtis is an endearing character, the gentler and more sensitive of the two leads, and Tremblay captures that softer quality without allowing him to fade into Prue’s shadow. His performance gives Curtis an emotional presence of his own, making it easy to root for him and become invested in his development throughout the film.
Just as importantly, Lee and Tremblay complement one another when their characters share the screen. Their vocal performances help sell the friendship between Prue and Curtis, allowing their different personalities to work together naturally. Both characters have individual journeys worth following, but the connection between them gives the larger adventure an additional measure of warmth and heart.
Alongside its two central heroes, Wildwood finds another standout in its main antagonist, Alexandra, the Dowager Governess, who is excellently voiced by actress Carey Mulligan. Known for her roles in The Great Gatsby, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, and She Said, Mulligan has demonstrated considerable talent throughout her career, making her involvement here a welcome treat. Casting her as the film’s principal villain proves particularly effective, allowing her to bring both a threatening presence and emotional depth to the character.
Yes, Alexandra can feel somewhat derivative of familiar fantasy antagonists, with echoes of Jareth from Labyrinth and Jadis from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. However, Wildwood gives her a tragic history and a deeply personal motivation that help her stand apart. Maternal love, loss, grief, and revenge are instrumental to her characterization, and Mulligan brings those conflicting emotions into a performance that offers more than straightforward villainy. Alexandra is quite ruthless, giving the heroes a formidable adversary, but the vulnerability beneath her actions makes her more compelling. Mulligan captures that balance, creating a villain whose cruelty does not erase her humanity and whose suffering does not excuse the harm she causes. The result is one of the film’s most memorable characters, with more complexity and fragility than her initial appearance might suggest.
Looking beyond this central trio, Wildwood offers a substantial collection of supporting players, perhaps a few too many, as some receive less development than their personalities and roles deserve. Nevertheless, several performances stand out. Actor Mahershala Ali (Green Book and Moonlight) gives a stirring, commanding vocal performance as Brendan, the Bandit King, while actress Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Strange Days) brings a similarly authoritative presence to the General, a giant golden eagle who assists Prue on her journey. Of the two, Ali’s Brendan receives more screen time, giving his character a greater opportunity to leave an impression. Still, both actors make strong contributions, lending their characters a presence that helps them stand out within the crowded ensemble. The same can be said for actresses Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians and The Farewell) and Tantoo Cardinal (Killers of the Flower Moon and Wind River), who voice Septima, a rat who helps Curtis, and Iphigenia, the leader of the North Wood mystics, respectively. Both deliver engaging performances that make their characters memorable, even when the screenplay has limited time to explore them. As with Ali and Bassett, their voices give these supporting figures a distinct identity, helping the inhabitants of Wildwood feel like individuals rather than simply additional faces within its expansive fantasy setting.
The rest of the cast does a solid job in bringing the remaining supporting players to life. This includes, Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords and Moana) as the power-hungry member of South Wood named Roger Swindon, actor Marc Evan Jackson (The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine) as the South Wood diplomat Lars Svik, actor Len Cariou (About Schimdt and Blue Bloods) as Richard, the Postmaster General of Wildwood, actress Blythe Danner (Meet the Parents and Howl’s Moving Castle) as the mysterious fortune teller named the Seer, actor / singer Tom Waits (Seven Psychopaths and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus) as Alexandra’s lead soldier of her coyote army named Maksim, actor Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me? and Logan) as the Crown Prince of the Avian Principality named Owl Rex, actor Rob Delaney (Catastrophe and Deadpool & Wolverine) as Samuel, the rabbit constable from North Wood, actress Collen O’Shaughnessey (Sonic Boom and Sonic the Hedgehog 2) as a small sparrow named Ember, actor Charlie Day (Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Horrible Bosses) as the coyote named Dimitri, actress Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games and The Hate U Give) as one of the members of the bandits named Niamh, actor Olafur Darri Olafsson (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and Trapped) as a member of the bandits named Seamus, and actor Jake Johnson (New Girl and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) and actress Maya Erskine (Blue Eye Samurai and Mr. and Mrs. Smith) as Prue and Mac’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. McKeel, While some have a bit more scenes than others, all the selected voice talents in this grouping do exceptional jobs and add and aid in the strengthen the more prominent voice actors above.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Seeking to rescue her younger brother, Prue McKeel ventures into a mysterious forest alongside her classmate Curtis Mehlberg, becoming swept up in an extraordinary adventure filled with unlikely allies, breathtaking wonder, and deadly danger in Wildwood. Director Travis Knight’s latest film is a sweeping fantasy epic, capturing a compelling story of family, grief, and growing up through an animated medium that has to be seen to be believed. While familiar storytelling tropes and an occasionally overstuffed or rushed narrative hold it back in places, the feature delivers the cinematic achievement LAIKA was aiming for. Knight’s direction, the adaptation of Meloy’s novel, the gorgeous presentation, sweeping cinematography, moral complexity, incredible action sequences, and outstanding voice cast come together to create something truly special. Personally, I absolutely loved this movie. Having enjoyed the book, I went in with high expectations, but I was still surprised by how much the film resonated with me. It was everything I had hoped it would be. The story does not shy away from its darker moments, yet it finds room for comedic levity and lighthearted charm. It carries seriousness and gravitas while remaining warm, engaging, and full of life. And the animation? Simply amazing. The technical artistry on display deserves every bit of recognition it receives, with the final confrontation sequences providing a particularly spectacular showcase of what this medium can accomplish. Could a few things have been tweaked here and there? Yes, most definitely. Nevertheless, the result is immersive and fantastic from beginning to end, with a voice cast whose performances feel wonderfully matched to their characters. Even with my reservations, the film’s strengths left the greater impression, and I walked away thoroughly captivated by the adventure. I just loved it! As you can imagine, Wildwood earns a wholehearted “highly recommended” from me. For all the hype, anticipation, and enthusiastic word of mouth surrounding it, this is one movie that lived up to my expectations and then exceeded them. Its technical craftsmanship, imagination, and cinematic ambition make it an experience well worth seeking out on the big screen. Meloy’s Wildwood Chronicles is a trilogy, and having just started reading the second installment, Under Wildwood, I would love to see LAIKA continue this journey. Will we return to these woods for another adventure? I certainly hope so, because this first visit has left me eager for more. In the end, Wildwood is a sweeping triumph of handcrafted imagination, an adventure where love confronts darkness, wonder takes root, and the magic of cinema feels gloriously alive.
4.9 Out of 5 (Highly Recommended)
The Official Website for Wildwood Link: HERE
Released On: October 23rd, 2026
Reviewed On: October 31st, 2026
Wildwood is 132 minutes and is rated PG-13 for strong fantasy violence/bloody images, thematic material, suicide-related material, brief partial nudity and language