Film Review: Wildwood

Wildwood
Director: Travis Knight
Laika Studios
In Theaters: 10.23.2026

Some movies have the word “hit” written all over them, and we’ve had a few of them this year. We’ve also had some puzzling disasters that will live in infamy (Animal Farm and Digger come to mind). Wildwood doesn’t fit into either category, but instead seems to shout out that it’s going to be something even more noteworthy: an instant beloved cult classic — the likes of which we haven’t had in some time.

When her infant brother Mac is carried away from their home in Portland by a murder of crows, headstrong teenager Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Andi Mack, Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.) follows them into the “Impassable Wilderness,” a mysterious forest beyond Portland that ordinary people are forbidden to enter. Her awkward but devoted classmate Curtis (Jacob Tremblay, Room, Unabomber) joins the rescue mission, and together the duo discovers a hidden realm inhabited by talking animals, magical beings, bandits and rival factions. At the center of the forest’s turmoil is Alexandra (Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman), a former ruler whose grief over the loss of her son has transformed her into a dangerous adversary. As Prue and Curtis become caught in a struggle that threatens Wildwood itself, their search for Mac becomes part of something much larger. To save her brother, Prue must confront powerful forces and find courage she never realized she possessed.

Wildwood is a remarkable visual achievement, a wonderfully old-fashioned adventure,  and an extraordinary piece of filmmaking, the kind that can only come from artists fueled by obsessive passion. Director Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings, Masters of the Universe) and the team at Laika have created a truly handcrafted world with an astonishing level of detail in every character, creature and environment. The gorgeous and remarkably fluid stop-motion animation is perhaps the most impressive ever brought to life on screen, giving the film a tactile quality that makes this strange, fantastical world feel completely tangible.

The story is imaginative; if not completely original, the basic premise inevitably brings Jim Henson‘s Labyrinth to mind, and there are elements of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in Curtis’s plot thread, but even with the influence of so many other fantasies worn on its sleeve, Wildwood settles into an identity of its own. It’s a deep dive into themes of grief, love, loss, growing up and the struggle to let go of those we love rather than trying to control their fate. There’s also a fair amount of violence and a lot of peril, and the PG-13 rating is definitely earned — this isn’t for little kids, but it could be a great film to see with your pre-teen.  

The voice cast is superb, with Lee and Mulligan at the lead, digging deep to bring weight and power to their respective characters. Jake Johnson (Jurassic World, Tag) is a hoot as Mr. McKeel, Prue and Mac’s hippie–dippy father, and he plays the drama as effectively as the comedy. Tremblay is predictably superb, with Mahershala Ali (Moonlight, Green Book) and Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give, The Acolyte) bringing both spirit and gravitas as Brendan and Niamh, bandits from the forest with a cause. Perhaps the most effective voice in the film is composer Dario Marianelli (Pride and Prejudice, Darkest Hour), who combines a witchy folk-tale quality with epic cinematic grandeur.

If you’re an animation enthusiast, Wildwood is the must-see movie of the year, if not the entire decade. And if you like fantasy with an edge to it, this will really “power your flowers,” to borrow a line from the film. It’s a stunning work of art, and a throwback to the kind of groundbreaking films that Don Bluth gave us in the 80s, and is easily one of my favorites of 2026. —Patrick Gibbs

Read more from our fervent film connoisseur, Patrick Gibbs: 
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