Gretel & Hansel

Creepy imagery is deliciously prominent throughout the Grimm fairy tale adaptation Gretel & Hansel, but like many modern horror films, the high-quality visuals receive minimal support on the screenwriting and acting fronts.

In the third spooky feature from director Osgood “Son of Anthony” Perkins (The Blackcoat's Daughter; I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House), dark, hooded figures roam shadow-filled woods and unsettling sights blur the line between dreams and reality.

Moving amidst striking, minimalist production design that makes the handful of colorful moments pop with intentional dread, the various threats are nicely jarring on multiple levels yet tend to be most menacing when lingering on the periphery, inciting thoughts on what they might do as opposed to providing easy answers.

The film’s atmosphere fully coalesces, however, when tired, hungry wanderers Gretel (Sophia Lillis, It) and her little brother Hansel (newcomer Samuel Leakey) come across a glowing, slightly askew house with a feast on the table, belonging to the mysterious Holda.

In harmony with makeup and prosthetics that turn her into instant nightmare fodder, Alice Krige (Thor: The Dark World) is eerie and thoroughly fascinating to behold as the host, and while maintaining ambiguity regarding her intentions for her houseguests, she goes all in on the film’s only well-written dialogue.

Essentially an extension of the disturbing milieu, Krige’s performance — which far outshines Lillis’ surprisingly wooden acting and Leakey’s frequent whining — is nearly enough to overcome the messy, threadbare plot cooked up by Rob Hayes.

Perhaps banking on Perkins’ direction, candle-lit cinematography by Galo Olivares (who worked with Alfonso Cuarón on the look of Roma), and a macabre score from Robin “Rob” Coudert (Horns) to elevate his paltry chain of events, Hayes also offers little in the way of character development and reveals Holda’s true role in the story through awkward exposition.

Narrative weaknesses aside, Krige and the imagery remain compelling to the end, though they’re ultimately incapable of supporting an 87-minute expansion of the fairy tale.

Grade: C. Rated PG-13. Now playing at AMC Classic, Biltmore Grande, and Carolina Cinemark

(Photo: Patrick Redmond/Orion Pictures)