A week before Halloween, Laika Studios, the Portland- based company behind films like “Coraline”, released its newest film: “Wildwood”. I had the pleasure of seeing it in theaters two days after it came out, and I was blown away. I didn’t know what to expect going into the theater, but I left very glad that I had gotten to see it in theaters before it was spoiled for me.
“Wildwood” is about a girl named Prue whose brother is kidnapped by crows and taken to a forest called the “Impassable Wilderness.” She follows the kidnappers into the forest and gets pulled into a world of warring factions composed of talking animals, bandits, and high-ranking officials.
The film was a little bit more violent than I was expecting, but it was very well done and never felt excessive. I enjoyed how the film explored its central theme of grief, since it wasn’t cheesy or forced. While I could anticipate the ending, the film still kept me guessing how we would get there.
What makes “Wildwood” stand out is its medium. It is a beautifully crafted film utilising stop-motion animation. At the end of the film, right before the credits, a few minutes of the stop-motion animation process was played, highlighting how the characters are brought to life. Each character is tediously handmade with multiple face plates covering every facial expression.
“Laika has exponentially pushed the capabilities of stop-motion animation with this movie,” says art major Tristan O’Neil ’27. “They were able to create some of the most subtle emotions I have seen in any stop-motion movie.”
The voice actors were a good mix of famous and less well-known actors, and their performances blended perfectly with their characters’ expressions and actions.
Another one of my favorite aspects of Wildwood was the setting. Portland is shown to be a very colorful city with good coffee and interesting people, and the movie brings in many delightfully quirky aspects. One of my favorites was a reference to the bagpiping, unicycling Darth Vader that went viral in 2012. I really enjoyed how well the atmosphere worked its way into the scenes inside the woods.
“Wildwood” is a well written, beautifully crafted film that explores grief and family loyalty in a showcase of handmade artistry and Portland quirkiness. I highly recommend going to see it.