Critics praised "Wildwood" — the new animated film from Laika studio, directed by Travis Knight ("Kubo and the Two Strings", "Bumblebee"). Some reviewers are already calling it the studio's best work, and on Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently has 100% positive reviews after 16 reviews.
Most of the praise went to the scale of the adventure and the stop-motion animation. Collider writes that the new work "surpasses" the studio's previous films and contains "some of the most breathtaking scenes of the year". Flickering Myth calls it "the pinnacle of Laika's twenty-year journey", and TheWrap — "one of the most astonishing animated films in history."
However, 100% on the aggregator does not yet mean that all critics are completely delighted. Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian gave it 3/5, calling the film "a straightforward old-fashioned children's fairy tale." David Ehrlich from IndieWire rated it B−: in his opinion, despite all the animators' skill and the time spent on production, "Wildwood" turned out to be Laika's least charming work. Both reviews were counted as positive by the aggregator.
"Wildwood" is based on the book by Colin Meloy with illustrations by Carson Ellis. The main character, Prue, goes into an enchanted forest to rescue her younger brother, who has been kidnapped by a flock of crows.
The worldwide release of the animated film begins on October 23. In Russia, "Wildwood" will be released on December 3, 2026, thanks to "Atmosfera Kino".