Gretel & Hansel
Directed by Osgood Perkins
- horror
- fantasy
The story
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.
What it’s like
Slow, deliberate compositions dominate this film: long held shots of dim forest interiors and cramped rooms lit by candle and cold grey daylight, with heavy shadow pooling in the corners of the frame. Its palette runs to murky greens, bruised blues and sooty browns, and the woods feel damp, close and airless, with fog and dead leaves underfoot. The score is sparse and drony, built on low strings and wordless humming that swells just before something wrong appears, while long stretches are left almost silent. The vibe is cold, eerie folk melancholy with a steady undercurrent of unease, best suited to a late evening alone or a dark, rainy night when you want atmosphere more than action. Pacing is measured and often languid, and the emotional register stays brooding and tense, centred on a frightened older sister and her little brother clinging to each other as hunger and dread close in. Intensity is moderate: the horror is mostly dread, uncanny imagery and unsettling rituals rather than gore, though there are brief, sharp moments of violence and some disturbing body horror. It suits viewers who want slow-burn dark fairy tale atmosphere and a sibling bond at its core.
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