Review: Gretel & Hansel

Image courtesy of Orion Pictures.

Much like his previous film, the eerie "The Blackcoat's Daughter," director Osgood Perkins' latest picture, an otherworldly reimagining of the "Hansel and Gretel" fairytale, is long on atmosphere, unforgettable imagery and sense of place, all the while being a little short in the storytelling department. It's the type of film that I can mostly recommend, even if it doesn't completely come together as a whole.

The movie flips the classic fairytale on its head - and in its title, "Gretel & Hansel," letting us know early on which character will be the emphasis of the story - and gives it a feminist slant. In this story, Gretel is the heroine, but also a young woman faced with choices - those dictated by a male dominated society and those of her own.

As the picture opens, we hear another fairytale - that of a very bad little girl with unnatural powers who destroyed everything that came across her path. She's sent to the woods, where a witch took her under her wing. When she returned to her village, the little girl wrought more destruction and was sent back to the woods.

As we meet Gretel (Sophia Lillis), a teenager, and her younger brother, Hansel (Samuel Leakey), they are being thrown out of their home by their mother, who says she can no longer care for them. Gretel has also turned down an offer to act as a housekeeper for a lecherous old man who clearly has other intentions for her.

They head into the woods, where they are saved from danger by a kindly woodsman who points them in the direction he believes to be most safe. But they slightly wander off their path after stumbling upon a home - an oddly shaped structure, almost in the form of some sort of satanic emblem - where they spot a table full of treats through a window.

You may know the rest of the story - although some liberties are certainly taken here - but it's the format in which it's told that makes "Gretel & Hansel" mostly compelling. The creepy woman (Alice Krige) who takes Gretel and Hansel in is, at first, kindly, supplying them with food to their heart's delight, but eventually both siblings begin to notice strange things about the place where they're staying.

The old woman has designs on both children - Hansel is meant to become a snack himself, but Gretel is seen as a type of protege who has the potential for the type of magic that the old lady practices. The film arrives at the conclusion you're expecting, but not quite in the manner you're anticipating.

Although I haven't completely endorsed either of the films I've seen from Perkins, he has a distinctive style and talent behind the camera. "Gretel & Hansel" displays the visual mastery of a filmmaker who seems to know exactly how he wants every shot to appear - in this case, like an old 1970s European horror movie - and the set design and music add to the creepy ambience.

Perhaps, the film's acting is occasionally wooden, and the storytelling style slightly lethargic. The film mostly makes up for those faults through its style, but this is the type of horror picture that will more likely engage a genre enthusiast rather than a casual fan. Regardless, even if "Gretel & Hansel" doesn't completely work, it's worth a watch if you're in the mood for a visually engrossing and atmospheric horror story that will likely sear its images into your mind. And by the way, don't bring the kids.