Director Travis Knight (ParaNorman, Kubo and the Two Strings) and screenwriter Chris Butler bring Colin Meloy and Chris Ellis’ fantasy novel Wildwood to life. Though I have never read the source material, the movie makes it clear that it establishes an exciting world filled with vibrant characters, genuine stakes, and an intense, dark, compelling story. Knight, Butler, the crew, and the cast bring this world to life with gorgeous stop-motion animation, outstanding writing, and excellent voice acting.
In Portland, Oregon, teenager Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) is a good kid with a slightly rebellious streak who seems eager to grow up. She is at that stage in her life where she is too cool for her parents (Jake Johnson, Maya Erskine), her baby brother Mac (Arthur Knight), and her nerdy classmate Curtis (Jacob Tremblay). One fateful day, against her parents’ wishes, Prue takes Mac out of the house while babysitting him. A murder of crows descends from the sky and abducts baby Mac. Prue and Curtis race to follow the crows to rescue Mac. The two end up in an area known as the Impassable Wilderness, where most Portland residents wouldn’t dare tread.
The Impossible Wilderness is rumored to be an enchanted place full of both light and dark magic. While exploring the wilderness, Prue and Curtis discover an exciting, somewhat frightening world where animals can talk, and plants can communicate with humans and other creatures. It is also a place plagued with the dark magic of Alexandra, a governess who, after losing her beloved son, truly becomes lost in the dark arts in a desperate attempt to bring her son back from the dead. Prue and Curtis eventually discover that Alexandra has plans to sacrifice Mac, whose blood could bring her son back to life.
I must say that I was mostly blown away by this fun, thrilling, and powerful movie. I was genuinely impressed by the impeccable stop-motion animation, which is exceptionally seamless and superbly executed. Veteran cinematographer Caleb Deschanel composes and captures the scenes beautifully, and Christopher Murrie’s editing makes the movie flow and soar to new heights. Italian composer Dario Marianelli puts the icing on this lovely film with his wonderful score.
The world-building, storytelling, and character development are all excellent. However, the phenomenal cast’s voice acting infuses this world with real personality. Both Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Jacob Tremblay are delightfully lovable as Prue and Curtis. Carey Mulligan gives a passionate, fiery turn as the villain Alexandra. The movie also features memorable and laudable work from Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, Amandla Stenberg, Charlie Day, Jemaine Clement, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant.
So, at this point, it should come as no surprise that I highly recommend this movie for theatrical viewing at a full price. It is one of the top films of the year, and could possibly end up as my number one animated film of 2026. Now, I must issue a word of warning. Wildwood is PG-13 and probably isn’t appropriate for young children. The movie goes to dark places which could disturb or frighten anyone younger than 10 or 11. It is an intense movie that can be very violent at times. Wildwood is now playing in theaters.