The trailer above is for Osgood Perkins’s Gretel & Hansel which, as you know, is a retelling of the classic creepy tale of a brother, a sister and an evil witch with a disturbing appetite.
You’d think that multiple adaptations and countless mentions in pop culture and history would take some of the oomph out of the story and you’d be right, this tale has been done to death. However, Perkins’s take on the material feels both very fresh and very classic. The movie looks and feels vintage, of the time but also original and different. He has taken a story we have all heard a million times, boiled it down to its base roots and concocted something that re-affirms just how scary the idea is. And let’s be honest, the story of Hansel and Gretel is downright terrifying. I think some of us have forgotten just how freaky it is if done correctly. Osgood Perkins hasn’t forgotten. Osgood Perkins is here to remind us. It’s about damn time children were scared again.
I really like what I see here. The atmosphere is dense and dark. The cinematography is absolutely on point, it perfectly conveys the reality of the location. The production design is also wonderful. Everything is coming together to make a faithful and unsettling adaptation of Hansel and Gretel. Eek, it just gives me the heebie-jeebies.
Watch the trailer above and be thankful that you’re far, far away from a gothic forest, inviting little cabin and a seemingly welcoming old lady. I don’t think I’ll be venturing into the woods again any time soon.
Gretel & Hansel hits theaters on January 31st.
