New Brew: "Gretel & Hansel" a vividly atmospheric, nightmarishly folkloric fairy tale

Gretel & Hansel (2020)

87 min.

Release Date: January 31, 2020 (Wide)

Reversing the order of the siblings for a reason, “Gretel & Hansel” is a vividly atmospheric, more adult-minded retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, told as a twisted coming-of-age story and visualized as a rich mood piece. Directed by Oz Perkins (2017’s “The Blackcoat’s Daughter”) with an expert command of tone and point-of-view, the film is about as mainstream and commercial as an A24 release, with spiritual connections to Robert Eggers’ “The Witch,” and for cinephiles and moviegoers who seek more out-of-the-box fare, that will be a gift. Sumptuously autumnal and meticulously designed, “Gretel & Hansel” is a delicious visual feast that oozes nightmarish, folkloric mood.

With her father gone, the teenage Gretel (Sophia Lillis) must provide for her mother and younger brother Hansel (Samuel Leakey). When refusing to lose her dignity for a housekeeping job or attend a convent since Hansel wouldn’t be admitted with her, Gretel leaves, with her brother in tow, just as her mother is descending into madness. They venture deep into the forest to fend for themselves. After being so hungry (and consuming some psychedelic mushrooms that take them on a trip), Gretel and Hansel eventually come across an A-frame cottage and peek inside to find an enticing feast of food and sweets ready to eat on the dining room table. Holda (Alice Krige), a cannibalistic witch, invites them in to eat and sleep. Over the course of their stay, Gretel discovers that Holda has plans for Hansel and might see something special in her.

Forget the witch’s house being made out of gingerbread and the siblings leaving a trail of bread crumbs to find their way back, but writer Rob Hayes creates enough of a fresh, uniquely grotesque spin on the rather simple tale. Hansel is decidedly the footnote in this story, while serving his function, and that’s fine because Sophia Lillis (2017’s “It”) holds the screen with a quiet confidence as Gretel, who’s on the cusp of womanhood. Then there’s the sensational Alice Krige, who was frightening as the Borg Queen in 1996’s “Star Trek: First Contract,” making for a supremely chilling Holda. Though she is a creepy old woman, Holda doesn’t quite act like a witch right out of the gate, but instead uses her understated kindness and sly humor to ingratiate the children before showing her truly wicked colors.

There isn’t a single jump scare to be found in “Gretel & Hansel,” and that’s just one reason why it feels like a rarity in the realm of contemporary genre cinema. All of the technical components—Jeremy Reed’s austere production design, the creepy electronic soundscape by French composer Rob (Robin Coudert), and Galo Olivares’ dreamy cinematography—elevate director Oz Perkins’ film into expressionistic art. One could even pause any single frame in the film and hang it as a painting on the wall, particularly an ominous zoom into the iconic kind of pointy hat-wearing witch in the woods and a shot of red-tinted smoke emerging from a chimney in a house after a suggested sacrifice. In terms of the story, this is still a simple one, albeit with consequences for Gretel, and her voice-over narration actually carries insight into her character rather than being used to speak down to the audience. Hearkening back to fairy tales when they were darkly magical and unsettling and far less romanticized, “Gretel & Hansel” is a macabre bedtime story come to life with an entrancing power.

Grade: B +