Gretel & Hansel - 2020

IMDb

Gretel & Hansel, also known as Gretel & Hansel: A Grim Fairy Tale, is a horror movie released in 2020, based on the German folklore tale "Hansel and Gretel" by the Brothers Grimm. Directed by Oz Perkins and produced by Fred Berger, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, and Dan Kagan, with a screenplay by Rob Hayes, the film stars Sophia Lillis and Sam Leakey in the lead roles, alongside Charles Babalola, Jessica De Gouw, and Alice Krige in supporting roles.

The plot of the movie revolves around Gretel and Hansel, who venture into a dark forest in search of work and food, only to stumble upon the house of a witch. The film was announced in October 2018, with Orion Pictures as the production company. Perkins co-wrote the screenplay with Hayes, and Lillis was cast as the lead. Other actors were added to the cast shortly after, and filming took place in Dublin, Ireland, between November and December 2018.

Gretel & Hansel was released on January 31, 2020, in North America by Orion Pictures through United Artists Releasing. The film earned $21 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics. Critics praised the movie's stunning visuals, cinematography, horror elements, and acting, but criticized its pacing.

Plot

In a village, a beloved baby falls gravely ill one winter. Her father seeks the help of an enchantress who removes the illness but leaves the child with a power to see the future. As the child grows older, she uses her power to harm and kill people, even her own father. The villagers eventually exile her to the woods, where she lures other children to a gruesome fate.

After their father's death, Gretel and Hansel are kicked out of their home by their mother and struggle to find work and food. They encounter a hunter who takes them in for the night and directs them to a woman named Holda who offers them shelter in exchange for work. As the siblings stay with Holda, Gretel discovers her own power as a witch and learns the truth about Holda's past as a child-killing witch who devoured her own children. Holda plans to cook Hansel and consume him as well, but Gretel uses her powers to defeat Holda and save her brother.

Gretel decides to stay behind while Hansel goes on his way, and she sees the spirits of the children who were once victims of Holda. She acknowledges her own power and accepts her fate as a witch, as her fingers turn black like Holda's once did.