A film about falling in love with a husband made from a woven material might sound like an unusual romance. However, Wicker has inspired plenty of seriously cheeky jokes on social media.
The film's risqué premise has sparked comments about everything from painful splinters to couples planning mischievous cinema dates, with some already imagining the questions emergency room staff might face. But before anyone gets carried away by the online banter, an OB-GYN's warning highlights why this particular romantic fantasy is best enjoyed on screen only.
Wicker Leaves Fans Making Wild Jokes
Wicker follows a lonely fisherwoman who commissions a basket-maker to create a husband for her from wicker, setting the stage for an unconventional romance. Naturally, the bizarre love story has sent viewers' imaginations into overdrive, and social media users have wasted little time turning it into adult humour.
One user quipped about the sexual side of the relationship, asking: 'How did she even take up all that, it so big and painful, doesn't she get splinters?😭'
Others joked that the film's sexual premise could lead to an influx of unusual emergency room visits. One person wrote: 'Man there's gonna be a lot of weird hospital visits after this movie💀😭'. Another said: 'I just know the [emergency room] nurses are shaking their heads', suggesting that medical staff might have their work cut out for them if anyone tried to recreate the film's fantasy.
One particularly cheeky fan even had a plan for a cinema date, writing: 'Taking my husband to go see this with me. I'll tell him we are going to see a spinoff of Pinocchio. Let's just say it won't be the nose growing in this version 😆'.
OB-GYN Warns Against Intimate Risks
While Wicker has inspired plenty of jokes online, OB-GYN Dr Amy Novatt is warning fans against recreating the film's unusual romance in real life. Speaking to the New York Post, she explained that wooden and plant-based materials can cause painful injuries and infections.
'Wood can splinter, and plant material harbors bacteria and molds that can cause infection,' Novatt warned, highlighting the risks of using objects not designed for intimate contact.
The doctor also revealed the potential consequences of such experiments, saying: 'In my career, I have examined women with cuts, tears, infections and injuries from foreign objects, and I have taken some of them to the operating room.'
Novatt offered a particularly blunt reminder about the risks, stating: 'What it was not designed for is receiving trees, shrubs or other plants.' She encouraged people to consider whether an object is smooth, unbreakable, cleanable and retrievable before using it intimately.
Products specifically designed for sexual use are a safer alternative to rough or porous materials such as wicker. As Novatt put it: 'Fantasy is healthy and to be encouraged,' but not at the expense of personal health.
Where to Watch Wicker
Starring Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage and Elizabeth Debicki, Wicker brings its unusual romance to life through a story of love, jealousy and social disapproval. The film was directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson and adapted from Ursula Wills-Jones' short story The Wicker Husband.
For US viewers, the film is scheduled for a limited theatrical release on 23 October, followed by a wider release on 30 October. UK audiences had an opportunity to see it at the BFI London Film Festival on 8 October, with a wider UK theatrical release also scheduled for 30 October.
