‘We are made from the same matter. The same filth…’
2025’s The Ugly Stepsister has demonstrated that it is possible to make an effective horror adjacent adaptation of a classic fairytale. Previous efforts, such as Red Riding Hood and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, were limp, uninspired affairs, and while Oz Perkins’ 2020 effort Gretel & Hansel isn’t as bad as all that, it’s still his weakest film by some distance…
The prologue spins us a yarn about “the pretty girl in the pink hat”. A mortally wounded baby who is cured by a witch but then becomes a curse to everyone around her. She is, of course, cast out into the woods. This opening section is the best part of the movie. We are then introduced to Gretel (Sophia Lillis), a 16-year-old girl with an ailing mother and her much younger brother, Hansel (Sam Leakey). The two leave their familial home in search of pastures new, and end up being taken in by Holda (Alice Krige), a woman who is so comically obviously a witch that their decision to stay with her bears no scrutiny whatsoever.
As with all of Perkins’ work, everything is beautifully shot. Even at this early stage of his career, he already has a distinct visual style that perfectly captures the ethereal aesthetic that a fairytale requires. Unfortunately, the writing doesn’t reach the same standard. While the first half of the film builds tension nicely with some high-quality scares along the way, the whole thing falls apart in the convoluted and confusing third act. The very exposition-heavy conclusion lands with a thud rather than a bang, and despite good performances from Lillis and Krige (I won’t dwell on Sam Leakey, who, it must be said, despite his tender years, is awful), Gretel & Hansel is a surprisingly forgettable film from a filmmaker who normally trades only in the innovative and unique.
Even a bad Perkins film usually has enough interesting ideas within it to justify a viewing, and this one is no different. Having said that, if you’re new to the director, unless you have a specific interest in dark fairytales, I’d leave this one until last.
