Gretel & Hansel - Alice Krige Steals The Show!
Gretel & Hansel is a fantasy/horror film directed by Osgood Perkins, and is a darker re-telling of the classic Grimm’s fairytale. In case you don’t know the story: a long time ago in a distant fairytale countryside, a young girl leads her little brother into a dark wood in desperate search of food and work, only to stumble upon a nexus of terrifying evil. The film stars Sophia Lillis (IT Chapter 1, IT Chapter 2) as Gretel, Samuel Leakey as Hansel, and Alice Krige as the lady inside the spooky house (credited as Holda). So, what did I think of this movie…? Ehhhhh…
I do have my issues with this movie and how stories like this are being re-told for newer audiences, or are trying to be darker. Sure, the source material indeed is dark, and the rest of the Brother’s Grimm stuff really is kind of disturbing, but honestly this movie didn’t really capture that for me. The biggest issue I had with the plot was that there was too much condensed into a short run-time and that obliterated any sort of character development except for what we get on the surface.
Another thing is that, while everyone in the cast is fine for the most part, it felt kind of confusing that everyone had an accent except for Gretel. It didn’t feel believable to me that in this world where everyone has a British accent or some sort of European accent, Gretel did not. Maybe that’s just a skill that the young Sophia Lillis hasn’t mastered yet, so I can’t really fault her on that.
Back on the plot of the film, it felt disjointed in some parts that I felt like I had missed something. Also, there are a few subplots the movie never really explores that probably could’ve helped it along. I think this is one of those movies that could’ve been better with a slower pace and a longer runtime to really explore this story it’s trying to tell. The music in the film felt kind of out of place here and there as well. It’s got this interesting synth score that just feels misplaced and kind of kills the tension here and there, but not a complete killer.
Also, let’s talk about the scares for a minute…which were few and far between. It didn’t make me want to scream or cover my eyes, it didn’t feel tense, it didn’t feel scary, so I really can’t call it a straight up horror film. Dark fantasy is probably a better description. Also, all of the scares happen mostly in dream sequences (maybe) and I’m not too much a fan of those kinds of scares, they feel cheap.
I mentioned earlier that the performances were fine. Well, let me tell you…Alice Krige steals the show. She is incredibly talented and creepy as the witch. She has this allure about her despite being creepy as hell, and the way she speaks and delivers her lines is just intense. The other thing about this film that will surely capture your imagination, is just how visually stunning it is. It looks really really good! Like, every scene just has this amazing lighting to it, to give you that ominous feeling, and it works. There are transformation sequences that had my jaw on the ground.
The house itself is really messed up and Osgood Perkins definitely put together this really creepy visual. I’ve got to hand it to the production team there, they did an amazing job making the movie look good. But that’s really all this film is, it’s all surface, with nothing beneath. Keep your eyes and ears open though, there are some Easter Eggs throughout that will totally make you think they’re trying to build a film universe out of these stories.
There were moments I admit that I did love about this movie, but overall it was just fine. Nothing spectacular really happened. The third act though is where this movie really shines, and visually it is a feast for the eyes. I’ll probably have to give it another viewing once it hits VOD, but I really do think it deserves to be seen. Go check it out, it’s in theaters now.
Scared to miss a story? Subscribe to our newsletter HERE
Want more horror movie reviews? Just search below:
