--- title: "Wildwood: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/wildwood/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/wildwood" critics_score: 84 critics_reviews: 19 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Wildwood (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 84 from 19 reviews: 18 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics greet Wildwood with strong enthusiasm, with praise centred on Laika’s painstaking stop-motion animation and the physical detail of its imagined world. The handcrafted settings, expansive production design and scale of the action draw repeated admiration. Many reviews also find emotional substance in the spectacle, praising a moving story about grief, growing up and outsiders. For these critics, the film’s ambition extends beyond the technical work to characters whose struggles give the adventure weight. The reservations concern storytelling more than craft: familiar fantasy elements, a busy plot, unclear motives and a running time that some find excessive. IndieWire also objects to conspicuous CGI and finds the storytelling ordinary. The spread is wide, but heavily weighted towards approval, with only one negative review among nineteen. That dissent comes from Vulture, which admires the stop-motion work but finds the fantasy world generic and its central ideas underdeveloped. ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 5/5/5. 22 October 2026. Strong calls the film a spellbinding triumph and Laika’s most mature outing. She especially praises the intricate stop-motion craft and the climactic battle’s exhilarating scale. [Read the review](https://www.lwlies.com/reviews/wildwood) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 5/5. 22 October 2026. The review presents the film as an exhilaratingly brilliant fantasy adventure. It singles out the stop-motion epic’s rapturous scale as its appeal. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/wildwood-review-2026) ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 October 2026. Nugent calls the film an astonishing, ambitious ode to outsiders and weirdos. He particularly praises its painstaking stop-motion animation and expansive production design. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/wildwood/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2026. The critic calls Wildwood an enthralling, ambitious achievement and suggests it may be Laika’s masterpiece. They single out its genuine emotional storytelling and the lifelike, elaborate stop-motion world. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/wildwood-review-laika-travis-knight-1236726335/) ## Slant Magazine — Kenji Fujishima Rating 3.5/4. 16 October 2026. The critic calls the film a technical marvel and a triumph on several levels. They praise its richly imagined world and its mature, moving coming-of-age story. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/wildwood-review-laika-travis-knight/) ## Variety — Guy Lodge Fi1m's normalised score 88/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2026. Festival review. Lodge finds the film a spectacular success and an entrancing, if occasionally overlong, fantasy epic. He especially praises its lavish, tactile stop-motion artistry and richly detailed world. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/wildwood-review-1236908019/) ## Radio Times — Terry Staunton Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 22 October 2026. The critic presents the film as an enchanting, intelligent fable with a positive verdict. They single out its feast for the eyes, mind and heart, and its affirmation of outsiders. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/laika-wildwood-review/) ## Screen Daily — Wendy Ide Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2026. Festival review. The headline signals a strongly positive verdict, presenting the film as a dazzling adventure. It singles out Laika’s stop-motion animation as breaking new ground. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/wildwood-review-animation-studio-laika-break-new-ground-with-dazzling-stop-motion-adventure/5221279.article) ## The AV Club — Monica Castillo Rating B+. 21 October 2026. Castillo praises the film as an ambitious, emotionally resonant fantasy that shows Laika continuing to advance stop-motion animation. She singles out the richly detailed handcrafted visuals and the film’s affectionate portrait of Portland. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/wildwood-review-laika-stop-motion-epic-peyton-elizabeth-lee-jacob-tremblay) ## Los Angeles Times — Gary Goldstein Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 23 October 2026. Goldstein finds the film a spectacularly immersive adventure, despite a busy story whose lessons and connective tissue sometimes fall short. He especially praises Laika’s dazzling stop-motion artistry and richly crafted visual world. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-10-23/wildwood-review-laika-stop-motion-animation-travis-knight-chris-butler) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Rating B-. 20 October 2026. Festival review. Ehrlich finds the film a rare, worthwhile spectacle, but says its story lacks the enchantment of Laika’s best work. He praises the painstaking stop-motion world-building while faulting the ordinary storytelling and conspicuous CGI. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/wildwood-movie-review-laika-1235221279/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2026. Bradshaw finds it an engaging, good-natured family adventure, though its story lacks a clear motive for the governess’s plan. He praises the stop-motion animation for its organic character and physical immediacy. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/oct/11/wildwood-review-carey-mulligan-laika) ## Vulture — Alison Willmore Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 23 October 2026. Willmore finds the film’s fantasy world disappointingly generic and its central ideas underdeveloped. She praises the spectacular stop-motion craft but says the story’s final battle is forgettable. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/wildwood-movie-review-laika.html) ## The Playlist — Carlos Aguilar Rating A+. 22 October 2026. Aguilar calls the film a profoundly moving, visually stunning achievement. He especially praises its handcrafted stop-motion artistry and emotionally rich story about grief and growing up. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/wildwood-review-laika-travis-knight-20261022/) ## Film Stories — James Harvey Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2026. The critic calls Wildwood a near-magical, thrilling fantasy epic and one of the best fantasy blockbusters in years. They single out Laika’s astonishing stop-motion detail and kinetically staged action for praise. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/wildwood-review-epic-fantasy-goes-miniature/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2026. The critic calls Wildwood a rapturous, astonishing achievement and one of the year’s best films. They especially praise the meticulous stop-motion craft and the emotionally rich story it brings to life. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/reviews/wildwood-review-laika/) ## Collider — Aidan Kelley Rating 9/10. 11 October 2026. Kelley calls Wildwood a breathtaking technical achievement, though its story has a few shortcomings and runs slightly too long. He especially praises the stop-motion animation’s extraordinary scale, particularly in the final battle. [Read the review](https://collider.com/wildwood-review-laika/) ## /Film — Witney Seibold Rating 9/10. 19 October 2026. The critic calls Wildwood breathtaking and among the year’s best, despite a familiar fantasy script. They especially praise its vivid, tactile stop-motion animation and expressive characterization. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/2288959/wildwood-movie-review/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2026. Festival review. Hammond calls the film an ambitious, emotionally resonant Laika gem that could continue the studio’s Oscar-nomination streak. He particularly praises the stop-motion visuals, saying Caleb Deschanel’s cinematography makes them feel like live action without overwhelming the story. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2026/10/wildwood-review-laika-movie-1237153776/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/wildwood.md