When their mother descends into madness, siblings
Gretel and Hansel must fend for themselves in the dark and unforgiving woods.
Hungry and scared, they fortuitously stumble upon a bounty of food left outside
an isolated home. Invited inside by the seemingly friendly owner, the children
soon suspect that her generous but mysterious behavior is part of a sinister
plan to do them harm.
Director: Oz Perkins
Cast: Sophia Lillis, Charles Babalola, Jessica De Gouw, Alice Krige
Release Date: January 24, 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
Rated PG-13 for disturbing images/thematic content, and brief drug
material
Runtime: 1h 27min
Review:
There are certain films that come out of nowhere and end up leaving a
major impression. Oz Perkins’s third
film is a visually arresting film that grabs your attention from its opening
frame and never really lets it go. This
adaptation of the famous Grimm fairytale follows most of the basics beats but
it adjusts portions of the tale to give a more meaty meaning and
resonance. The film is buoyed by two
excellent performances from Sophia Lillis and Alice Krige. Sophia Lillis performances continue to
impress and this turn is tailor made for her ability to emote strength and
intelligence. She’s displays a maturity
that some actors never reach but she’s boosted here by her interplay with Alice
Krige. Krige is the kind of character
actor that really seems to relish being hidden behind make up and costuming. Krige
and Lillis scenes together are some of the film’s highlights as the mentor and
student relationship plays out. The
story plays out in an interesting and clever way while Perkin’s borrows heavily
on cues from Dario Argento and Stanley Kubrick that will delight horror
aficionados. If there is a small issue it’s
that for a horror movie it’s never really scary instead it’s atmospheric and
moody. Ultimately, it almost feels like
the remake of Suspira people wanted all along.
A-
