In its 21-year history, LAIKA has released only six films. That restraint is the entire point. While most studios chase volume, quarterly targets, and half-baked sequels, LAIKA has operated like a true atelier: willing to labor for years in pursuit of something truly extraordinary. After sixteen years in development and five years of painstaking stop-motion animation, Wildwood arrives as the studio’s most ambitious film yet: a richly imagined, handcrafted epic that justifies every year of its meticulous creation.
In Portland, overprotective parents Mr. and Mrs. McKeel (Jake Johnson and Maya Erskine, respectively) leave their 13-year-old daughter Prue (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) in charge of baby brother Mac (Arthur Knight) with explicit instructions not to leave the house. Ignoring their warning, Prue loads Mac into a wagon and bikes him around Portland with him, stopping at a playground where a nerdy classmate, Curtis (Jacob Tremblay), shows up and chats her ear off about dorky games and heroic quests. Then the crows come.
A murder of them snatches Mac, taking him straight into the Impassable Wilderness—the very place Prue’s parents have warned her never to enter. Desperate to save her brother, Prue charges in with Curtis in tow and finds herself in the magical world of Wildwood, where humans and animals live side by side. Now she must think fast and navigate this mysterious, dangerous world to find her brother before it’s too late.
Credit: Wildwood (LAIKA, Fathom Entertainment)
Pure Visual Sorcery
First and foremost, the stop-motion animation is jaw-dropping. LAIKA has once again expanded what the medium can do, reminding everyone why this studio wears the crown. The world feels dense, tactile, and alive with the artists’ touch.
From the opening shot of a single leaf rustling in the wind to the final confrontation where thousands of leaf-covered vines thrash in violent motion, the animators prove they are masters of both the quiet and boisterous moments. From start to finish, the film is filled with extraordinarily complicated scenes involving hundreds of characters that constantly boggle the mind as to how any of this is even possible—whether it’s animals milling about in a government queue or legions clashing in an epic battle. LAIKA deserves every award, every accolade, and every standing ovation for this tour de force. Snubbing the film for its technical prowess during awards season would be an affront.
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Adapted from Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis’s 2011 novel of the same name, this epic fantasy draws freely from many folk and fairy-tale motifs while still carving out its own identity. The film never feels derivative, but rather director Travis Knight builds a compelling world on classic elements. A child protagonist crossing into a lush fantasy world brimming with humans and anthropomorphic animals inevitably echoes The Chronicles of Narnia, Labyrinth, and Spirited Away, yet Wildwood stands confidently among those giants.
Credit: Wildwood (LAIKA, Fathom Entertainment)
A Cast That Cuts Deep
The characters are equally memorable and vivid. Carey Mulligan is superb as Alexandra, the duplicitous Dowager Governess, a sinister villain consumed by her obsession with resurrecting her dead son. Mahershala Ali brings quiet menace to the Bandit King Brendan. Jacob Tremblay’s meek, diffident Curtis makes an ideal foil for Peyton Elizabeth Lee’s stubborn, determined Prue. Angela Bassett delivers the standout as the majestic golden eagle known as General. And yes, even if you’re suffering from Awkwafina fatigue, she is perfectly cast here as the rat Septima.
Credit: Wildwood (LAIKA, Fathom Entertainment)
While the visual spectacle constantly steals the show, the story has a few weak spots, most notably in Prue’s characterization. After her initial blatant disregard of her parents’ instructions, Prue remains largely static: determined and brave, with the same quizzical brow affixed to her face. Whether she’s facing a pack of bayonet-wielding coyotes or petty bureaucrats, she remains undaunted and finds a way forward. Curtis, by contrast, is separated from Prue for much of the film and undergoes on a genuine journey, forces confront his weaknesses and grow into the the warrior he only once imagined in his stories.
Dark, Dense, and Dazzling
The film is dripping with themes of courage, obsession, and the cost of dabbling with the occult. It even explicitly refers to the magic as satanic, yet, unlike The Chronicles of Narnia, it never provides a counterbalancing force that the protagonists can wield to overcome these elements. We see how Alexandra’s desperation drives her to forbidden dark magic and the terrible price she pays, yet Prue’s parents face no real moral reckoning for turning to the same dark power to overcome their infertility. They even admit that they would “do it all again” in order to have their children, which lands on an unresolved note and gives a conflicting message.
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It’s refreshing to see an American animated film refuse to sit at the kiddie table and instead use the medium to tell a dark story. We’ve seen mature animated films before, but usually they are foreign films like Princess Mononoke. Wildwood’s PG-13 rating is thoroughly earned, made apparent in the opening scene where Alexandra’s son commits suicide by leaping off a balcony naked. The blood, gore, and violent battles are purposeful, but they would be unsettling for younger children.
Credit: Wildwood (LAIKA, Fathom Entertainment)
LAIKA’s Mind-Blowing Crown Jewel
Wildwood is that rare mainstream Hollywood release that still feels like an authentic labor of love. Prepare to be gobsmacked by the meticulous time, care, and human artisanship that oozes from every frame. While the story plays second fiddle to the beauty and technical wizardry of the visuals, it remains a bold stop-motion animated cinematic masterpiece. Run and see it on the biggest screen you can find.
Wildwood opened in theaters on October 23, 2026.
RATING: 9/10
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