WILDWOOD
Stunning craft, but too dark for kids.
Should You Watch It?
Wait for home. Kids should skip this enchanted forest altogether, and even older teens need extreme caution. The movie dazzles with stunning visuals and a girl who refuses to give up on her brother.
Prue’s courage gives viewers plenty to cheer for as she faces dangerous enemies, finds unexpected allies, and ventures deeper into a world full of surprises.
But this magical journey has a dark side. Witchcraft, a blood ritual on an infant, a beheading, and a robot’s suicide push the content far past what most families want on the big screen.
Adults who appreciate fine animation may find it worth the trip, but families should wait for the home release, where parents can preview it first and decide whether their older teens can handle its darker twists.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESWhen Prue ignores her parents' warnings, she takes her younger brother to the park. When she turns her back on him for a moment, a murder of crows kidnaps him and carries him into an unknown forest. With the task of saving her brother, Prue must learn to adapt to a new land filled with magic she never dared to dream of.
Is It Any Good?
This epic fantasy earns three stars for its breathtaking stop-motion animation and richly detailed world. The artists spent more than a decade bringing this story to life, and their dedication shines through in every frame. The creativity and craftsmanship make this movie a standout for the art form.
The score is another highlight, with each piece perfectly capturing the mood of its scene. The music adds emotion and energy to the already impressive visuals, making key moments even more impactful. At a time when stop-motion animation feels increasingly rare, this movie reminds viewers why the art form deserves to shine. The store line continues to move forward, in a very fast paced fashion.
The Worldview
Make no mistake. This movie offers some moral elements, but the overarching theme contains clear occult content: witchcraft, a blood sacrifice ritual, and mystics who wield ancient powers. The movie does show the evil of the Witch and the sacrifice of a baby, but the opposing force emphasizes the new age and mysticism. Scripture clearly condemns these practices, which clash with a Christian view of spiritual power and its true source.
The story centers on grief. A murder of crows snatches Prue McKeel's baby brother, and she vows to save him. She and her classmate Curtis enter an enchanted forest hidden beyond Portland, where mystics guard ancient powers and animals with human speech split into rival factions, from crows to coyotes.
Prue never puts others in danger for her own gain, and she risks herself for her brother. In the climax, bandits, mystics, and old rivals join forces to stop Alexandra's coyote army and rescue Mac. The story rewards courage, loyalty, selflessness, and sacrificial love. Although, all of Prue's problems began when she disobeyed her parents so moral obligation serves as her motivation.
Alexandra, the Dowager Governess, mirrors Prue's grief but twists it into idolatry. After losing her husband and son, she craves absolute control. She plans to spill Mac's blood at an ancient grove to awaken a magical ivy that would smother the forest. Her plan inverts the Gospel: God gave His Son to save the world, while Alexandra would sacrifice another mother's child to conquer it. Deuteronomy 18:10 forbids both sorcery and child sacrifice, the very sins her grief drives her to embrace.
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Strong moral worldview where the heroine shows great compassion for her baby brother and risks everything to rescue him, mitigated by strong Romantic elements as the villain believes her grief justifies any act if it brings her dead son back to life, plus strong occult elements as the villain practices witchcraft and attempts a blood sacrifice ritual on an infant to awaken a magical ivy and seize power, mystics wield ancient powers. Animals speak and form rival factions, and light homosexual elements as a parent says his son's future partner may be "she, he, or they." One woman reunites with her lesbian partner and two men kiss as they prepare for battle
Foul Language
One 'sob' profanity, one "h" word, a coyote is seen cleaning himself by licking his crotch area
Violence
Very strong violence, deadly battles against armies, shots fired from guns, a beheading, warriors falling to their death, multiple stabbings, a robot suicide
Sex
No sex
Nudity
The opening scene shows full animated naturalistic male nudity but no genitalia is shown, bare back and backside is seen
Alcohol Use
No alcohol use
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
A sedative tea given to characters,
Miscellaneous Immorality
Disobedience. Parents lying to their kids. Kidnapping.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Prue feels horrible when losing Mac after disobeying her parents. How should we feel when our actions may indirectly hurt the people we care about? 1 John 1:9
Curtis manages to escape from the very dangerous prison cells, but not without the help of his new allies. What does that tell you about the importance of teamwork? Ecclesiastes 4:9
As our heroes prepare for battle, some farm animals feel scared that they aren't physically capable of going to fight. What should we think about when we feel afraid to do something important? Psalm 27:14
When grief overwhelms Alexandra, she turns to witchcraft and dark rituals rather than God. Where should we turn when loss leaves us desperate for answers? Isaiah 8:19
The Final Word
Not for the faint of heart, WILDWOOD earns its PG-13 rating. The stop-motion artistry looks stunning, but a beheading, a robot’s suicide, partial nudity, and a blood ritual on an infant put this one off-limits for kids. Even older teens need extreme caution, so families should wait for the home release, where parents can preview it first. Alexandra seeks power through witchcraft, yet all true power belongs to Jesus Christ, who proved it on the cross and in His resurrection. No spell can match that victory.
