10 Best Movies To Watch If You Like Wicker

Published Oct 26, 2026, 4:11 PM EDT Senior Music Editor at Screen Rant, Sarah's love of sound and story drive the beat. A globetrotting brand whisperer and award-winning journalist, she’s built cross-cultural narratives around the world—but music has always been her true north. She launched DJ Mag North America, successfully introducing the iconic UK brand to the U.S. market. Previously, she carved a space for EDM inside the pages of VIBE, blending electronic and hip-hop culture long before it was trendy. There's a certain appeal to a husband who's literally made to order. In Wicker, Olivia Colman's Fisherwoman grows tired of being mocked by her fellow villagers and commissions a partner from the local basketmaker (Peter Dinklage). The result, played by Alexander Skarsgård, turns out to be a better catch than anyone expected—and that becomes everyone's problem. Directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, Wicker is a romantic fantasy whose leading man could easily be mistaken for patio furniture. Adapted from Ursula Wills-Jones' short story The Wicker Husband, the 2026 film uses its ridiculous premise to examine jealousy, marriage, and society's expectations of women. Early reactions to Wicker have already drawn comparisons to Edward Scissorhands and The Shape of Water. Those comparisons make sense. All three films see something deeply human in characters who look nothing like everyone else. However, unconventional monster romances have long given filmmakers an opportunity to question traditional relationships, whether through supernatural attraction or the absurd lengths people will go to for love. For anyone who enjoyed Wicker's unusual combination of adult humor and genuine affection, there's a surprisingly rich selection of movies exploring similar territory. Some are tender fairy tales, while others have considerably darker ideas about romance. What they share is a fascination with relationships that make everyone else uncomfortable, often for reasons that reveal more about society than the lovers themselves. Her (2013) Joaquin Phoenix stars as Theodore Twombly, a lonely writer navigating the aftermath of a failed marriage in Spike Jonze's Oscar-winning romantic drama. When Theodore installs an advanced artificial intelligence operating system named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), their conversations gradually develop into an intimate relationship. Despite having no physical form, Samantha understands Theodore in ways that his previous romantic partners seemingly never could, raising fascinating questions about what makes love real. Like Wicker, Her explores the unexpected emotional connection between a human and an artificially created companion. Both films feature unconventional relationships that challenge traditional ideas about intimacy, although their approaches couldn't be more different. Where Olivia Colman's Fisherwoman commissions a physical husband to fulfill her romantic desires, Theodore falls for someone he can never physically touch. Both stories ultimately question whether a partner's origins matter when the feelings involved are genuine. Beauty And The Beast (1991) Disney's animated classic follows Belle, an intelligent young woman who becomes the prisoner of a prince cursed to live as a monstrous Beast. Despite his frightening appearance and initially terrible manners, Belle gradually discovers his capacity for kindness. Meanwhile, the handsome, arrogant Gaston proves that conventional good looks offer little indication of someone's character. Like Wicker, Beauty and the Beast explores the absurdity of judging a romantic partner by appearances or social expectations. However, where Belle must overcome her initial fear of the Beast, Olivia Colman's Fisherwoman deliberately chooses a husband unlike anyone else. Both films ultimately suggest that the men society considers desirable aren't necessarily the ones worth loving. The Bride! (2026) Courtesy of MovieStillsDB Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride! gives Mary Shelley's famous creation a rebellious new companion. Set in 1930s Chicago, the film follows Frankenstein's monster, played by Christian Bale, as he persuades a scientist (Annette Bening) to resurrect a murdered woman. Jessie Buckley's newly revived Bride proves considerably less interested in behaving like the perfect partner anyone imagined. The connection to Wicker is especially intriguing because the central premise is essentially reversed. One film features a woman commissioning her ideal husband, while the other follows a man requesting a companion who refuses to be defined by his expectations. As The Bride! explores love and rebellion, its more violent approach to female autonomy offers a fascinating counterpoint to Wicker's bawdy fairy tale. The Lobster (2015) Yorgos Lanthimos' The Lobster imagines a dystopian society where remaining single comes with an especially unpleasant consequence. Colin Farrell plays David, a recently divorced man sent to a hotel where guests have 45 days to find a romantic partner. Failure means being transformed into an animal of their choosing. David, rather optimistically, selects a lobster. Few films have such a hilariously bleak view of society's obsession with coupling up. Where Wicker explores the outrage caused by an unconventional marriage, The Lobster takes relationship expectations to their logical, horrifying extreme. Its deadpan humor and merciless treatment of romantic conventions make it considerably darker than Wicker, but both expose how much pressure people face to love according to someone else's rules. Poor Things (2023) Emma Stone won her second Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Bella Baxter, a woman brought back to life through the experiments of eccentric surgeon Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). As Bella discovers the world, she develops an appetite for experiences that polite society considers wildly inappropriate. Her pursuit of independence takes her far beyond the limited existence others have planned for her. With its extravagant production design and unapologetically adult humor, Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things is a strange and exhilarating fantasy about female autonomy. Like Colman's Fisherwoman, Bella refuses to accept society's definition of a respectable woman. Both films also feature unforgettable performances from actresses who understand precisely how to make outrageous material feel emotionally authentic. Lisa Frankenstein (2024) Focus Features Kathryn Newton stars as Lisa Swallows, a socially isolated teenager who develops an unusual attachment to a handsome corpse in a Victorian cemetery. When a freak electrical storm brings him back to life, the resurrected young man (Cole Sprouse) becomes Lisa's companion in a wonderfully twisted romance. Unfortunately, restoring him to his former glory requires some rather gruesome adjustments. Written by Diablo Cody and directed by Zelda Williams, Lisa Frankenstein combines macabre comedy with genuine affection for society's outsiders. Newton and Sprouse embrace the movie's unusual monster romance, creating a relationship that shares Wicker's central question: Why should conventional people decide what makes someone lovable? Its gleefully morbid humor makes it an especially entertaining alternative for viewers who enjoyed the more outrageous elements of Wicker. Your Monster (2024) Custom Image by Yailin Chacon Melissa Barrera plays Laura Franco, an actress whose life unravels after a devastating breakup and a serious medical ordeal. Retreating to her childhood home, she discovers a mysterious creature living in her closet. Rather than simply terrifying her, Monster (Tommy Dewey) proves unexpectedly charming, and their relationship gradually develops into something neither quite anticipated. Caroline Lindy's Your Monster blends romantic comedy and horror with a refreshingly frank examination of female desire. Like Wicker, it suggests that a supposedly monstrous partner can offer more understanding than the perfectly ordinary men who have previously disappointed its heroine. Barrera's performance gives the movie an emotional foundation, while its fantastical premise allows for an entertaining exploration of anger, attraction, and self-worth. Lars And The Real Girl (2007) Ryan Gosling delivers one of his most unexpectedly touching performances as Lars Lindstrom, a painfully shy young man who introduces his family to his new girlfriend, Bianca. There's just one complication: Bianca is a lifelike doll he purchased online. Rather than ridicule Lars, the people around him gradually agree to treat Bianca as a real person, with surprisingly moving consequences. The similarities to Wicker are impossible to ignore. Both films center on lonely outsiders finding companionship with partners who have been manufactured rather than born. However, where Colman's Fisherwoman faces hostility and jealousy, Lars encounters a community willing to accommodate his unusual relationship. Craig Gillespie's gentle comedy is less sexually adventurous than Wicker, but its compassion makes it one of cinema's most affecting examinations of unconventional love. Edward Scissorhands (1990) Johnny Depp stars as Edward, an artificial man whose inventor dies before completing him, leaving him with scissors instead of hands. After being welcomed into a suburban neighborhood, Edward becomes a local curiosity and develops feelings for Kim (Winona Ryder). Unfortunately, the community's initial fascination gradually gives way to suspicion and cruelty. Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands remains one of the most beautiful examples of fantasy romance built around an extraordinary outsider. Like Wicker, it challenges the idea that someone who appears different must somehow be less human. Both films also reveal the disturbing speed with which an apparently respectable community can turn against someone whose existence threatens its comfortable assumptions. The Shape Of Water (2017) Guillermo del Toro's Academy Award-winning fantasy follows Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins), a mute cleaning woman working at a secret government facility during the Cold War. When she discovers an amphibious humanoid creature being held captive, she develops a profound connection with him. Their relationship eventually forces Elisa to risk everything to protect someone the authorities regard as little more than a scientific specimen. Of all the films on this list, The Shape of Water comes closest to capturing Wicker's unusual combination of physical attraction, social prejudice, and genuine romantic tenderness. Both stories feature women who find happiness with beings the rest of society refuses to understand. Del Toro's film is more dramatic and emotionally sweeping, but its central message is remarkably similar: Love makes far more sense when people stop worrying about what everyone else thinks. Release Date December 1, 2017 Runtime 123 minutes Director Guillermo del Toro Cast Michael Shannon Richard Strickland Sally Hawkins Elisa Esposito Writers Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor Producers J. Miles Dale, Guillermo del Toro Prequel(s) The Creature From the Black Lagoon