Gretel & Hansel
Starring Sophia Lillis, Sam Leakey, Alice Krige, Jessica De Gouw
Directed by Oz Perkins
We're living in a new age of female empowerment, heightened by the strength of the #metoo movement, proving that women have just as much to offer as men in different facets of society - and Hollywood is leading the charge, but not always in the right direction. Last year was maligned by two specific flops centering around female empowerment - "Charlie's Angels" and "Black Christmas," films that both highlighted the power of women, but failed due to their excessive, beat-you-over-the-head flagrant use of it ("Black Christmas" was more guilty of that than "Charlie's Angels," which was a perfectly fine film but received backlash over Elizabeth Banks's statements as to why it failed). So when word came that there was going to be a darker, gritter version of the classic Grimm's fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel" with the names reversed to highlight Gretel, many people met the idea with skepticism, believing once again it would be a ham-fisted attempt to push the feminist agenda over anything else.
Instead, what we get is a film that does indeed highlight the power of the woman, but not at the expense of a man. There's vastly different aspects of this film to the classic tale that's over 200 years old, but that doesn't mean it's bad - quite the contrary, it was an enjoyable, tension-filled thriller only hindered by its PG-13 rating.
In this fairy tale, we meet teenage Gretel (Sophia Lillis) and her eight-year-old brother Hansel (Sam Leakey) as they traverse the wild wilderness after their mother casts them out. They stumble upon the home of a Witch (Alice Krige), who takes them in with promises of sweets and all the food they could eat, but unbeknownst to them she's planning something much more sinister.
Anyone who remembers the classic tale knows how it ends, but here we're led down a different, more modern, path. The siblings aren't the same age, as Gretel must now look out for her younger brother who doesn't know any different, while she herself exhibits signs of intelligence and other abilities beyond her years. She's headstrong and smart, always planning on staying one step ahead of danger, who rightfully knows that nothing good comes without sacrifice. There's numerous other differences the film takes from its origin material, but those would fall under spoiler territory which I won't include here - it's something you have to see for yourself, and at a scant 87 minutes, it's not an entire day-waster: in fact, you'll be longing for more, as our hapless Hansel desires more sweets.
Director Oz Perkins (son of Anthony Perkins, and the director of other fantastic thrillers like "The Blackcoat's Daughter" and "I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House") both directs and co-writes this new tale for the modern age, and delivers it in a way that seems both timeless and recent, where you don't fully know the exact timeframe the movie takes place in. It could be in the 1500s, or could be two weeks ago, you don't really know and the set designs and costumes doesn't give much away, as also the entire setting is relatively unknown (although it was filmed in Ireland, it gives off a very magical feel as to the actual setting). The film delves into the power women have, the bonds of family, and the transformation from child to adult in very succinct, pointed ways that make for a unique experience for a horror film: a film that doesn't rely on jump scares but instead creates horror from the sheer simplicity of it all.
There's a whole motif the film delivers about triangles, from the house itself to a very creepy shot of a Witch sitting inside a literal triangle, and this idea flows to the characters themselves. While there's a few supporting roles, the film entirely rises and falls on its three main leads, who, like the triangle, proves that it's the most effective and strong baseline. The two points on the bottom are Gretel and Hansel, and we see their characters develop through the very capable performances of Sophia Lillis ("It") and young Sam Leakey, who unfortunately falls into the trap of "annoying kid in horror movies," but still maintains a sense of non-annoyance as well. Lillis owns the film, offering a very staggering, unflinching look at a woman coming into her own while also looking out for her brother in a dark, unforgiving world that they find themselves in, and she continues her impressive resume of performances that'll only get better with time.
The top of the pyramid belongs to Alice Krige, who gives the Witch character much needed depth and a backstory we were never introduced to before that gives her a more humanistic feel than just simply a monster who enjoys eating children. The makeup design for Krige is beautifully benign but also maliciously menacing - there's no green makeup and mole for this Witch, but instead she's portrayed as a mostly frail older woman who also delivers some surprising dark humor as well, and hearing her story makes her not very sympathetic, but you get why she does what she does more than just because.
Everything we see in the film is utter brilliance, brought to wonderful life by cinematographer Galo Olivares (who worked with Alfonso Cuaron in his film "Roma") - everything was crafted perfectly, from the Witch's house (which was a great blend of Gothic-style darkness with almost modern-day additions that you'd find in a serial killer's basement, adding to the sense of mysterious timeline) to the use of hues in ways that accentuate the story and make you feel like you're truly trapped in this madness of a fairy tale (not to mention the filming of boxy format much like "The Lighthouse" that adds a sense of claustrophobia), not a single frame is wasted and not a single moment is worthless, even in the quiet, subdued moments of Gretel and Hansel's trek across the vast, unforgiving woods. Then there's the score, which reverberates to your very soul, heightening the tension and fear and providing a feast for the ears as well.
Even though it does highlight the concept of female empowerment, "Gretel and Hansel" doesn't force it down the viewers' throats, but instead provides a unique, dark, and simply unnerving re-telling of a classic fairy tale equipped with three fantastic performances and unique visual styles.
The Score: A
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