'Gretel & Hansel' Review: A reboot that sends chills down the spine with a major dose of unpredictability
Some of the horror releases earlier this year turned out to be absolute duds and damp squibs. Then when 'Gretel & Hansel' hit cinemas with limited fanfare, disappearing behind the Super Bowl weekend, it was probably looked at as just another reboot of the Grimm brothers folklore. It is surprising that this one, despite having a crisp runtime is a horror delight that manages to induce chills down the spine at regular intervals with a major dose of unpredictability.
Unlike the 2013 version which was more of a witches vs human deal, this Oz Perkins' take follows a young Gretel (Sophia Lillis) and her kid brother, Hansel (Samuel Leakey) who leave their house in search of work after their demented mother, in her final moments of sanity, kicks the pair out after Gretel's work opportunity with a lusty, creepy old employer goes south. Hungry and desperate, the duo finds refuge in a cottage only to be attacked by a ghoul and saved by a hunter (Charles Babaola).
Despite the food and directions, the siblings cave into the tough journey. Respite only comes when they find a rather sleek-looking house and a table laden with rich food. The home belongs to Holda (Alice Krige) who takes Gretel & Hansel in. Days pass and they attempt to be of help to the lady whose intentions are strange from the first encounter. Gretel notices the anomalies— there's fresh milk, but no cows, there are fresh vegetables and fruits, but no garden around. To add to it is the dimension of the house that's humongous despite looking small from the outside.
Gretel's got a bit of a twist in this version as she sees horrific dreams and premonitions that become a regular occurrence and while those are the initial warning signs, just about everything goes wrong for the both of them from that moment onwards.
Despite the fact that this topic has been adapted multiple times, 'Gretel & Hansel' is unexpectedly well made. The screenplay by Rob Hayes is to-the-point, gripping and offers a fresh take as we see Gretel go from helpless to ruthless over the course of the film. As far as the horror element goes, there's enough to stun. One particular scene sees black goo, human organs, and gut, when put on the dinner table forms the exquisite food the kids had eaten since their arrival to the witches house.
Making Gretel the key protagonist lends a new layer to the already-told story. It's safe to say the movie doesn't go all-blood-splatter and gore just because its a horror flick. There's enough backstory and a shroud of mystery that it takes off very slowly. The cast performance complements the tightly-woven storyline. Leakey as Hansel is impressive as he plays a kid who is eternally a hungry waif, but also someone who's quite brave for his age. Lillis has multiple roles to juggle and she does so with ease.
'Gretel & Hansel' isn't another tale of good triumphs over evil, rather a coming-of-tale of a young girl coming into her own.
'Gretel & Hansel' is available on digital platforms. It will hit in DVD and Blu-ray on May 5.
