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In fairy tales, good is always good, and evil is always evil. There’s no in between. But in the Netflix fantasy The School for Good and Evil, a couple of outsiders find themselves in the middle of their very own fairy tale, they’re determined to change the rules.
The School for Good and Evil goes on a magical adventure with Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie)—best friends who are nothing alike. Sophie dreams of being a princess, while everyone in the village believes that Aggie is a witch. When the book-loving friends hear about a mysterious school for fairy tale heroes and villains, Sophie wants nothing more than to attend. But when she and Aggie are magically transported to the school, Sophie somehow lands in the School for Evil—and only True Love’s Kiss can make things right.
Sophie may be convinced that someone got something terribly wrong—and Aggie just wants to go home—but according to the staff and students of these hallowed institutions, there are no mistakes. With its dark, gothic school for villains contrasting with its pink, frothy school for heroes, the film plays on the typical fairy tale conventions. Villains are ruthless and darkly hideous in appearance, while heroes are pretty and perfect, kind and brave. But there’s something going on under the surface that’s just a little bit off. It’s all strikingly beautiful—and completely over-the-top, but the story here offers more than just a brainless fairy tale. And while Sophie works to make things right, Agatha wonders if there’s something wrong about the whole place.
These two characters are definitely fascinating—the lovable outsiders who find themselves transported to a magical land that’s so far from what they’re used to. And as they reluctantly settle into their new, mixed-up lives, the story takes a closer look at their personalities and their motivations—along with those of the students and teachers around them—exploring what it means to be “good” or “evil.”
While the film’s two-and-a-half-hour runtime may be intimidating—and it will definitely require some extra popcorn for family movie night—it doesn’t feel overstuffed. In fact, the characters who live and study in these majestic, Hogwarts-like towers are fascinating enough that the film could easily run longer. And thanks to all of the magic and action and fairy tale fantasy, it ends long before it wears out its welcome.
The School for Good and Evil isn’t just the same old fairy tale. With its impressive cast, its action and adventure, and its clever twist on the typical fantasy, it’s dark and playful and enjoyably out of the ordinary.
You can join Sophie and Aggie at The School for Good and Evil beginning on October 19, 2022.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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