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Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård revive the simple tenderness missing from the big screen

Published October 26, 2026 12:00PM (EDT)

Alexander Skarsgård and Olivia Colman in "Wicker" (Black Bear Pictures)

Among silver-screen romances , the Blake Lively -led odyssey across time, “The Age of Adaline,” isn’t exactly the most revered. Really, it’s barely even acknowledged, much to my campaign’s chagrin. The film is, however, one of my genre favorites for several reasons. First, it’s an old-fashioned love story with a fantastical twist: Lively’s character dies in a car crash but is revived when she’s struck by lightning, only to stop aging forever. Second, it marks a solid finale for a genre largely relegated to streaming, because for some odd reason, film executives don’t understand how powerful a collective romantic experience outside your living room can be.…