‘Wildwood’ review: Does the incredible animation make up for the lackluster story?

Andrew Zuk of The Catholic Times criticized the animated film Wildwood, noting that its high quality of stop-motion animation does not compensate for a disappointing story. The film, which took 15 years to complete, follows 13-year-old Prue McKeel as she enters the Impassable Wilderness to save her baby brother from being sacrificed by a dark witch named Alexandra.

Zuk reported several troubling themes in the film, including depictions of suicide, witchcraft, and the sacrifice of a baby. He specifically noted that the movie begins with a prologue showing the suicide of a naked minor, the reanimated son of the character Alexandra. The reviewer also described a sequence involving a fever dream where a baby is sacrificed and its blood is spilled on ivy.