Orion Pictures’ new fairy tale horror film Gretel & Hansel takes many liberties with the source material, but just how scary and violent is it? Everyone knows the basics of the Hansel and Gretel story. Two young siblings are sent into the woods to fend for themselves by their desperate parents, and come across a house made of tasty gingerbread. Of course, the house is just a front to lure in kids, built by a witch that enjoys eating them.
Gretel & Hansel puts a new spin on that old tale though, in many ways invoking the recent mind-bending horror films from directors like Ari Aster and Robert Eggers. In this version, Gretel is a teenager, and basically takes care of her brother like a son. The witch is also not out simply to eat both children, and instead wants to convert Gretel over to the dark side of magic, provided she’s willing to consume her own brother.
So, how does Gretel & Hansel fare when it comes to scares and violence? Gretel and Hansel has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for “disturbing images/thematic content, and brief drug material,” while the BBFC has yet to assign a rating to the film. What does that equal in practical terms? Read on for a non-spoiler rundown.
How Scary Is Gretel & Hansel?
The answer to the above question very much depends on what one means by scary. There are a handful of jump scares, but the device isn’t remotely as overused as it is in most current Hollywood horror films. Instead, Gretel & Hansel does its best to disturb and unsettle the viewer, and get under their skin. This includes some creepy dream sequences that are likely to frighten many.
How Violent Is Gretel & Hansel?
In keeping with the normal expectations associated with a PG-13 rating, there is almost no graphic violence in Gretel & Hansel. There is, however, lots of suggestion of graphic violence, including a character about to shove a hot iron down their throat, a character about to eat their own children, a pile of blood and body parts, and some after the fact corpses. A character is also burned alive at one point, with a surprising amount of focus on it for a PG-13. While Gretel & Hansel is far from a bloodbath, the material it contains may well upset some viewers less used to this type of psychological horror scenario.
The Rest Of Gretel & Hansel’s Rating: Nudity & Swearing
Gretel & Hansel doesn’t contain any use of profanity, although one character does briefly ask another inappropriate questions about their sexual activity. Outside of that scene, there are no instances of nudity or sexual content, and in those respects, Gretel & Hansel is almost close to deserving a PG instead of PG-13.
