The wizard school concept was a tried-and-true trope long before the Harry Potter books revived the idea for a new generation of readers. It’s a trope of sorts, most recently seen in Disney’s Descendants movie. but, new movies on Netflix school of good and evil Director Paul Feig (Director Paul Feig)bridesmaid) treats convention with love and care, turning the film into a fascinating fantasy adventure.
Based on the first book in Feig’s, Soman Chainani’s popular book series. school of good and evil It takes full fairy tale fantasy while also questioning the moral system behind it. Feig, who co-wrote the screenplay with David Magee (Mary Poppins Returnsfuture live action little mermaid) creates a dazzling world with tons of cool details, decadent visuals and most importantly two compelling characters and their complex yet deep friendship. Designed to fit, then destroy and shatter the archetype. school of good and evil And their strong friendship transforms the film from fantastical fun to memorable delight.
[Ed. note: This review contains some setup spoilers for The School for Good and Evil.]
Fashionable Sophie (Sophia Ann Caruso) and moody Agatha (Sophia Wylie) are both outcasts in their small village. Everyone calls Agatha a witch. Because she’s grumpy, wears ragged black clothes, and her mother makes medicinal herbs by her side. Sophie, on the other hand, was born into a poor family, but she does her best to make her look more attractive and important than her position allows.
Outwardly, the disheveled Agatha and the style-conscious Sophie couldn’t be more different, but they have bonded over their common misery. but Agatha just wants to keep her mother and Sophie safe. They are then both whisked away to the mysterious School of Good and Evil by a giant skeletal eagle. An academy that trains people.
But Sophie is thrown into an evil program, and Agatha ends up joining the ranks of spoiled, sparkling good princesses. Sophie claims she belongs to a good school, but Agatha doesn’t want her princess lessons. She just wants to go home to her mother. After talking to the school principal (Laurence Fishburne), if Sophie can give her true love’s kiss, she can prove she’s good and they can switch programs. Both are slightly hesitant to stay at school after seeing a creepy figure made of blood whispering about fate, but she agrees as this is her friend’s only chance to make something .
of school of good and evil, Feig accurately plays something very convincing about the wizarding school setting. First of all, the film is visually pleasing and great in a way that lends itself very well to the world of fairy tales. It is shrouded in darkness. The wicked students, called Nevelles, all wear dark, ragged clothes and dark make-up. Meanwhile, the excellent program is dominated by her bubbly Professor Dovey (Kerry Washington). The furniture in a good truck is all flashy gold, and the girls’ school uniform looks like an exaggerated ball gown, while the boys wear princely tunics.
Beyond the fun visuals, though, seeing what familiar folklore characters end up in school (e.g., the Sheriff of Nottingham and the children of King Arthur) and what they learn It’s engaging. Even though the film is 147 minutes long, it’s rarely boring as every moment is chock-full of fascinating detail and interesting characters. Every minute the world expands and reveals how the school works. For example, princesses in good programs take lessons with a smile (Agatha fails miserably), but bad schools have “ugliness” classes.
The oversimplified line between good and evil stereotypes in this story is entirely intentional. These superficial moral depictions are heightened to the extreme, allowing the heroes to pit them. However, the protagonist expected to take on a fantasy role realizes that there is something different about it.
Indeed, some of that nuance is lost when characters become “ugly” as they become more evil. or Shrek entered the zeitgeist. But the main characters are so multifaceted and their relationships so compelling that those tropes don’t weigh the film down.
Not all characters and relationships are created equal. One of the most interesting parts of the film he comes in the form of King Arthur’s son Tedros (Jamie Flatters). Sophie believes that Sophie has the potential to offer true love’s kiss. He has a flirtatious tension with both girls, but unfortunately he’s a bit bland, a simple dream boat, and despite Agatha making it clear he’s not interested in her never stops talking to Agatha.
He gets a bit of character growth and depth, but the interesting notes about him are literally dull compared to all the other characters. Chaotic witch Hester (Freya Theodora Parks) who harnesses a fiery bird demon from her back tattoo. The elegant Professor Anemone (Michelle Yeoh) is dedicated to teaching beauty when she wants to teach the history of magic. And above all, lead.
Both Sophie and Agatha are great characters. Agatha is edgy, rude, and rebellious, but she’s also one of the few students in a good school who actually cares about others. Wylie and Caruso bring mature and layered performances to these characters, balancing their flaws with their strengths. It’s satisfying to watch them both evolve into the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ labels they resisted, and even more fascinating to watch their relationship grow and change.The two girls His fantasy stories rarely make it into big-budget films.
school of good and evil is a fairy tale for those who love fairy tales. It’s a fairy tale about a wizard exiled girl who can be a hero, and a girl who wants to be a princess who falls in love with her inner dark side. A fairy tale for those who know her one of the most powerful and underrated forms of true love is the friendship between two of her teenage girls. For those who scribbled lavish tales about princesses and witches in the margins of their middle school notebooks and reread retellings of fairy tales over and over again, every minute is a joy.
school of good and evil Currently streaming on Netflix.