Opening This Week: WICKER Man, WILDWOOD Rescue, CLAYFACE Horror

As we move further into the month, we're seeing more twisted fare that fits the scary season.

A mixed marriage -- human wife, wicker husband -- touts itself as "an audacious comedic fable," while the newest from LAIKA Studios takes place in "a world of talking animals, bandits, and powerful figures," and DC Studios presents an out-and-out horror thriller.

We've also got murder in mind, an Artificial Friend, "the best film of the year," a human husband's "dark secret," and "a remarkable true story." Here is what to watch in the wild, wonderful world of genre fare, all opening in movie theaters this week.

Wicker
The film opens Friday, October 23, only in movie theaters, via Black Bear Pictures.

Official synopsis: "A hard man is good to find. Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Elizabeth Debicki, and Peter Dinklage star in Wicker. Written for the Screen and Directed by Alex Huston Fischer & Eleanor Wilson.

"An audacious comedic fable about sex, marriage, and the absurdities of social convention, Wicker tells the wholly original love story of an ostracized fisherwoman (Colman) who commissions a husband to be made by the local basketmaker (Dinklage). When her wicker husband (Skarsgård) proves more spectacular than she ever imagined, his soulful spirit and unique prowess awaken something inside her, setting off a wave of jealousy, fascination, and upheaval that threatens the very fabric of village life."

Wildwood
The film opens Friday, October 23, only in movie theaters, via LAIKA Studios.

Official synopsis: "After her baby brother is abducted by a murder of crows, headstrong teenager Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) launches a desperate rescue mission into the Impassable Wilderness--an enchanted forest hidden just beyond Portland, Oregon. Joined by her hapless but loyal classmate Curtis Mehlberg (Jacob Tremblay), Prue navigates a world of talking animals, bandits, and powerful figures driven by grief and ambition.

"As the pair is drawn into a conflict threatening the balance of the forest itself, Prue must discover the strength and belief she never knew she possessed. If she hopes to save her brother and protect Wildwood's fragile future, she will have to risk everything.

"From Oscar®-nominated and BAFTA®-winning LAIKA, Wildwood is a sweeping adventure about love, sacrifice, and the magic that reveals itself when we dare to look beyond the familiar."

Clayface
The film opens Friday, October 23, only in movie theaters, via Warner Bros.

Official synopsis: "DC Studios' Clayface is a horror thriller from director James Watkins, starring Tom Rhys Harries in the title role of the cult favorite villain from Gotham's rogues gallery. Matt Hagen's meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is tragically cut short when a local crime boss's actions leave him horribly disfigured. Abandoned by his team and with nothing left, Matt seeks out a cutting edge treatment that miraculously returns him to his former self... but also unexpectedly affects his grip on reality, spiraling him down a destructive path of all-consuming revenge."

A Talent for Murder
The film opens Friday, October 23, only in movie theaters, via Bleecker Street Media .

Official synopsis: "This smoldering chamber thriller from Anton Corbijn (Control) stars Academy Award winner Helen Mirren and Alden Ehrenreich (Weapons) as opponents in a strange confrontation between a youthful literary agent and The Talented Mr. Ripley author Patricia Highsmith."

Klara and the Sun
The film opens Friday, October 23, only in movie theaters, via Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Official synopsis: "Based on the bestselling novel from Nobel Prize-winner Kazuo Ishiguro and written and directed by Academy-Award® winner Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit), Klara and the Sun introduces audiences to Klara (Jenna Ortega), an Artificial Friend who wants nothing more than to find the perfect home.

"When Klara meets Josie (Mia Tharia), each immediately senses a kindred spirit in the other. Josie has a fraught relationship with her mother (Amy Adams) and they've suffered great loss, but Klara's innocent wonder and unwavering loyalty begin to heal the family and bring light to Josie's complicated world."

Possible Love
The film opens Friday, October 23, only in movie theaters, via Netflix.

Our review by Dustin Chang: "Dense and layered with remarkable performances, Possible Love is for me, hands down, the best film of the year."

Official synopsis: "A laid-off worker and his wife cross paths with a documentary filmmaker and her spouse and confront their hidden desires. By Lee Chang-dong (Burning)."

Gentle Monster
The film opens Friday, October 23, only in movie theaters, via Netflix.

Official synopsis: "After moving to the countryside, Lucy hopes for a fresh start with her family -- but a police visit and her husband's dark secret shatter her world. ... Léa Seydoux stars in Gentle Monster, directed by Marie Kreutzer."

The Mosquito Bowl
The film opens Friday, October 23, only in movie theaters, via Netflix.

Official synopsis: "Trained for glory, called to war... Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, four of America's top college football stars set their fame aside to enlist in the Marines. From director Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, Lone Survivor), starring Nicholas Galitzine, Bill Skarsgård, Ray Nicholson, and Tom Francis, The Mosquito Bowl is a remarkable true story."

Opening This Week celebrates the cinematic experience, in movie theaters and at home.