It was about time for another, more serious adaptation of Hansel and Gretel. It's long been one of my favorites of the Grimm's cannon and it lends itself the easier to a horror adaptation. Unfortunately, this one doesn't always go as dark as it probably should and trades in scares for coming of age drama, long silences, some inaudible dialogue (a la The Witch), and endless dream sequences.
If you like dream sequences, you're in luck, because there are about 400 of them here. I think we spend more time with Gretel in her dreams than we do with her in reality. There's also some very questionable and unneeded narration by her character throughout that just annoys more than informs.
Visually, the film is practically perfect. The set design, costumes, lighting, and shot composition create quite the unnerving mood that the script constantly struggles with. Make no mistake about it - the technical aspects of the film are the highlight and it's a classic case of style over substance. The script never really seems to know what it's trying to say or accomplish. There are a few attempts at girl power feminism, but it feels undercooked and more like pandering than anything meaningful about female nature.
By the time the film finally comes to life, it's already over and you might feel a bit underwhelmed. It might still be worth seeing for production design and cinematography hounds.
If you like dream sequences, you're in luck, because there are about 400 of them here. I think we spend more time with Gretel in her dreams than we do with her in reality. There's also some very questionable and unneeded narration by her character throughout that just annoys more than informs.
Visually, the film is practically perfect. The set design, costumes, lighting, and shot composition create quite the unnerving mood that the script constantly struggles with. Make no mistake about it - the technical aspects of the film are the highlight and it's a classic case of style over substance. The script never really seems to know what it's trying to say or accomplish. There are a few attempts at girl power feminism, but it feels undercooked and more like pandering than anything meaningful about female nature.
By the time the film finally comes to life, it's already over and you might feel a bit underwhelmed. It might still be worth seeing for production design and cinematography hounds.