Red Riding Hood
2011 · Directed by Catherine Hardwicke
Original language: English
- mystery
- fantasy
- horror
- thriller
The story
Valerie is in love with a brooding outsider, Peter, but her parents have arranged for her to marry another man. Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter plan to run away together when Valerie's older sister is killed by a werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village. Panic grips the town as Valerie discovers that she has a unique connection to the beast--one that inexorably draws them together, making her both suspect ... and bait.
What it’s like
Snow-heavy winter light and a palette of slate grey, rust and deep forest green give this film a cold, storybook dampness, with the village rendered in muddy lanes, wattle-and-daub cottages and a looming black wood that feels always within sight. Catherine Hardwicke's camera moves restlessly, with handheld closeness during the romance and sweeping, drifting shots through the trees when dread takes over, while the score swells with strings and choral pressure rather than settling into quiet. The vibe is tense and romantic, a gothic fairy-tale chill with a love story at its centre: a restless young woman torn between a forbidden outsider and an arranged future, and a town turning on itself under suspicion. The pacing builds in pulses, with slow, sensual stretches broken by sudden jolts of chase and panic. Violence is present but mostly off-screen or quick, with some bloody moments and a werewolf presence that is more creature-thriller than gore; expect fear and menace, not sustained brutality, and a little sensuality. It suits a cold evening with a blanket, and fans of moody fairy-tale reimaginings and slow-burn romantic thrillers.
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