Fairytales seem to be all the rage these days, thanks to Disney's nauseating live-action reboots and the rampant reimagining that turn our beloved childhood favorites into murderous badasses (I'm looking at you "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters"). Luckily, for those out there who want a little magic in their lives without having to see one of those cash grab messes, there are plenty of films out there that fit cozily into the fairytale genre.
1. "Pan's Labyrinth" (2006) dir. Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez
Probably the most conventional of the list as far as the fairytale genre goes, "Pan's Labyrinth" tells the story of a little girl who, while exploring an ancient maze, finds a magical faun who tells her she is a lost princess and must complete a series of tasks to claim her immortality. It sounds pleasant enough, but this is a very dark film with frightening and magical monsters, abusive stepfathers and a fascist post-war setting.
2. "Mama" (2013) dir. Andres Muschietti
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Though "Mama" is technically a horror film, I genuinely believe it is really a fairytale. Annabel (Chastain) takes in her boyfriend's nieces after they were discovered abandoned in the woods, basically feral. What Annabel does not realize is the girls were well taken care of before she showed up, and their caretaker wants them back. Produced by Guillermo del Toro, director of "Pan's Labyrinth," "Mama" contains much of the magic "Pan" does, just applied to a horror film. The character of "Mama" looks ethereal and is more akin to a witch in a storybook than a movie monster.
3. "Lost River"(2014) dir. Ryan Gosling
Starring: Christina Hendricks, Saoirse Ronan
My favorite fairytale movie of all time also happens to be a critical failure. Critics literally booed heartthrob Gosling's directorial debut at Cannes, claiming the story was difficult to follow. In reality, the plot of "Lost River" is painfully simplistic and very much a modern fairytale. Set in the fictional town of Lost River (which is actually Detroit, Michigan), the movie tells the story of Bones, a young man who sets out to reverse a curse placed on the failing town. The film contains a secondary (and honestly superior) plot as well which follows the young man's mother (Hendricks) who takes up a job in a seedy night club. "Lost River" is basically an allegory for the failing city of Detroit, but the way Gosling takes the dilapidated setting and turns it into something beautiful is truly magical.
4. "Death Becomes Her" (1992) dir. Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn
Taking a break from the heaviness of the films mentioned so far, "Death Becomes Her" is a whimsical comedy about two women feuding over the same man. To combat the other, one of them takes an immortality serum to become more beautiful and win the man over. Full of 1990s charm and killer special effects, "Death Becomes Her" is the perfect comedic fairytale.
5. "The VVitch" (2015) dir. Robert Eggers
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Charlie the goat
Coining itself as a "New England folktale," Robert Eggers' haunting horror flick about a family plagued by black magic is as much a fairytale as it is a horror film. In a strange play on standard fairytale fodder, "The VVitch" condemns the "good" Christian family and praises the devil. The movie has such strong satanic themes that The Satanic Temple endorsed is and claimed it would bring about a "satanic uprising." It also contains the best performance by a goat that I have ever seen.
