Trailer Talk: Gretel and Hansel. By Megan Williams
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realised that a lot of fairy tales and folklore are disturbing; they carry a message through harsh storytelling.
But one tale that I immediately recognised as disturbing was ‘Hansel and Gretel’, and thought it would fit perfectly in the horror film genre. Well…
‘Gretel and Hansel’ is a horror film directed by Oz Perkins (‘I am the pretty thing that lives in the house’) and tells the story of two children who wander too far into the woods and find a lonesome house that belongs to someone evil.
A Western adaptation has rarely been made, and I’m surprised at how long it’s taken to be considered. The trailer is creepy and intriguing, and doesn’t give viewers too much information. In this case this is a positive, especially considering how well-known the fairy tale is.
The imagery is disturbing and, at times, a little gross. However, this is definitely a horror film that I will be seeing.
The film is in cinemas 31st January 2020.
“Hansel and Gretel” (/ˈhænsəl, ˈhɛn- … ˈɡrɛtəl/; also known as “Hansel and Grettel”, “Hansel and Grethel”, or “Little Brother and Little Sister”; German: Hänsel und Gret(h)el[a][ˈhɛnzl̩ ʔʊnt ˈɡʁeːtl̩]) is a well-known German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812. Hansel and Gretel are a young brother and sister kidnapped by a cannibalistic witch living in a forest in a house constructed of cake, confectionery, candy, and many more treats. The two children escape with their lives by outwitting her. The tale has been adapted to various media, most notably the opera Hänsel und Gretel (1893) by Engelbert Humperdinck. “Hansel and Gretel” is classified under Class 327А of the Aarne–Thompson classification system.
