Synopsis
A long time ago in a distant fairy tale countryside, a young girl leads her little brother into a dark wood in desperate search of food and work, only to stumble upon a nexus of terrifying evil.
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Cast
- Sophia LillisGretel
- Samuel LeakeyHansel
- Alice KrigeWitch
- Jessica De GouwYoung Witch
- Charles BabalolaThe Hunter
- Fiona O'ShaughnessyMother
- Donncha CrowleyMaster Stripp
- Jonathan GunningEmaciated Man
- Beatrix PerkinsClicky
- Abdul AlshareefAnother Knight
Recommendations
- 88
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Everything about Gretel & Hansel is weirder, smarter and way more cinematic than I’d expected, thanks to some fascinating movie choices made by director Oz Perkins. - 80
TheWrap
As a fantasy, Gretel & Hansel is a delectably smart concoction, thoughtfully reevaluating the original tale, adding all-new layers of the ominous, and yet also keeping the story rooted in an amorphous, fairy tale past. As a horror movie, Perkins’ movie relies more on disquietude than external threat, and demands a thoughtful audience’s mental energies instead of a rowdy audience’s popcorn-spilling flinches. - 75
Consequence
Gretel & Hansel updates a classic fairy tale with impressive results. It’s a gorgeous and moody film that trusts the intelligence of its audience. - 75
Slant Magazine
Beginning with the reversed names in its title, the film announces itself as a distinctly feminine spin on the Grimm fairy tale. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
Gretel & Hansel may alienate some horror movie fans with its extremely leisurely pacing and emphasis on atmosphere and mood rather than visceral shocks. But while the film certainly demands patience, it provides ample rewards with its lush stylization. - 50
The New York Times
Essentially the story of a young woman coming into her power, Gretel & Hansel is quietly sinister, yet too underdeveloped to truly scare. Together, Jeremy Reed’s production design and Galo Olivares’s photography weave a chilly spell that’s regrettably undermined by the opacity of the storytelling. - 50
Variety
The problem is that so many of its virtues feel compromised. - 50
Los Angeles Times
Gretel & Hansel is Perkins’ biggest film to date, and it cements a filmmaker in full possession of a visual prowess that few others with far longer filmographies can claim. But while he offers a stunning feast for the eyes, the substance is likely to leave viewers still hungry.
