‘Wildwood’ Audience Rotten Tomatoes Score Is Here, and It’s One of the Highest-Rated Animated Movies of the Decade

Laika has spent two decades proving that handcrafted animation still matters. From ‘Coraline’ to ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’, the Oregon studio has earned critical adoration and Oscar nominations, but big box office numbers have often eluded it. That history makes the early response to its newest film feel like a genuine turning point.

The film is ‘Wildwood‘, Laika’s sixth feature and its first release in seven years, after ‘Missing Link’ in 2019. It adapts the 2011 novel by Colin Meloy, the Decemberists frontman, illustrated by Carson Ellis, and follows Prue McKeel as she enters a hidden enchanted forest to rescue her baby brother from a murder of crows. Travis Knight directs, Chris Butler wrote the script, and the voice cast includes Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett and Awkwafina.

Now audiences have weighed in too. ‘Wildwood’ has debuted with a 98% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes from more than 100 verified ratings, following early fan screenings. That sits alongside a still-perfect 100% Tomatometer built on 42 critics’ reviews.

The audience number is a big deal because it backs up the critics. If the perfect critics’ score holds, ‘Wildwood’ would be the first Laika film to earn a 100% from critics, topping ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ at 97% and ‘Coraline’ at 91%. One outlet went further and called the combination one of the highest-rated animated features of the decade, a striking claim for a film that hasn’t opened widely yet.

The path to this moment started at the BFI London Film Festival, where ‘Wildwood’ had its world premiere on October 11. It opened with a perfect 100% from its first 15 reviews, and it also holds a score of 85 on Metacritic. The film then held that perfect Tomatometer as the review count climbed from 15 to 42.

Critics have been effusive. The Hollywood Reporter described it as Laika’s most ambitious effort to date and possibly its masterpiece, while Variety called it a formal achievement and a crowd-pleaser that crosses generations. Some reviewers said the battle sequences rival the scale of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Game of Thrones’, and several have labeled it an early Oscar front-runner.

There’s some dissent. IndieWire gave the film a B−, calling it a stop-motion wonder that lacks the magic of the studio’s best, and other positive reviews also had reservations about the story. Critics have also warned that it goes to dark places, and it’s the studio’s first PG-13 film, with a runtime of more than two hours.

The scale behind the screen is huge. Reporting on the production points to 136 sets and 231 practical puppets, a major scale-up for the studio. Laika first announced plans to adapt the novel in 2011, weeks after it was published, and production began in 2021.

The release strategy is just as unusual. Laika has partnered with Fathom Entertainment for a wide U.S. theatrical release on October 23, with FilmNation handling international sales, rather than working with a traditional major studio. Fan-first screenings were held on October 19 in more than 100 locations, which likely helped fuel the early audience score.

The numbers on the ticket side are more modest. One tracking estimate puts the domestic opening between $5 million and $10 million, which would be comparable to ‘Missing Link’, which opened at $5.9 million and grossed $26.5 million worldwide. Fathom has a history with Laika, though, since its 2024 re-release of ‘Coraline’ grossed more than $52 million worldwide.

The first trailer for LAIKA’s new film ‘WILDWOOD’ has been released. The film follows a girl who enters a magical forbidden forest to rescue her kidnapped baby brother. In theaters on October 23. https://t.co/fwBole0ZHN

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 13, 2026

That sets up a classic test of word of mouth. Strong reviews and a 98% audience score are exactly what a film like this needs to build momentum after a quiet opening. It also positions ‘Wildwood’ as a serious contender for the Best Animated Feature race at the 2027 Oscars, where all five of Laika’s earlier features were nominated.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!