By: Kimberly Grant
In his introduction to Netflix’s The School for Good and Evil, Paul Feig describes the movie as: “A great story about friendship and the great choices of life.” I’m not sure if I completely agree.
The School for Good and Evil will release on Netflix on October 19.
Fairy Tale Story
Written by David Magee and Soman Chainani (based on Chainani’s book), The School is basically Disney’s Descendants given the Netflix treatment. In the story, Sophie (played by Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie) are friends and outcasts in their hometown of Gavaldon. Sophie dreams of getting out of their small town and living the life of a princess. While Aggie just wants to ensure her mother is cared for.
After learning about a special school for the descendants of fairy tale characters, Sophie does everything in her power to get the school’s attention. It pays off, because she and Aggie are whisked to a magical kingdom where they are placed in two different schools: Sophie in the school for evil and Aggie in the school for good. At this point, you’re probably thinking that this seems a little too, well, un-complicated. It is. But, for the sake of the young girls in which the film was made for, we will continue this review.
Fairy Tale Cast
The School for Good and Evil would have been a bit boring if not for the cast. Wylie who is a veteran Disney actor, seems like the more likable of Sophie and Aggie. Caruso tries to embody the evil side of her alter ego, but it just feels too campy. Moving along to the more interesting of the cast, Kerry Washington plays Professor Dovey and Dean of the School for Good. Her faux niceness is just enough to remind you of your favorite frenemy. Charlize Theron as Lady Lesso and head of the School for Evil clearly has a great time being good at being bad. Washington and Theron play really well off of each other. This makes the movie more tolerable.
Laurence Fishburne as the School Master of both schools is a welcome sight. Think: Morpheus as a lovable grandfather. There’s a light and airy feel to him, even though his character has depth. Michelle Yeoh as Professor Anemone represents the supposed beauty of being good. Although, I prefer Yeoh when she’s exploring her martial arts prowess. The film is narrated by Cate Blanchett, who is quite the voice talent. And, then there’s Kit Young as Rafal and Rhian. He plays powerful twin brothers who created the school a long time ago to keep the balance of power. Young is an actor to watch. He electrifies the screen, just like he did in Shadow & Bone, another Netflix fantasy hit based on a book.
Fairy Tale Themes
Some of the fairy tale descendants that make an appearance in this film include, the son of King Arthur, the daughter of the evil witch from Hansel & Gretel, and the son of Cinderella and Prince Charming. These descendants’ purpose is to learn how to be really good or really evil and write the next fairy tale. Again, this is not a film for adults who like complex story plots. But it does serve its purpose as a story for young girls. We can even call it an allegory of sorts.
Speaking of which, there are a few major themes in operation in this film. The first is about body positivity no matter how you look. There’s an uglification class that celebrates looking as horrid as possible to reveal your best self. Another major theme is what good and evil actually looks like. In the film, it is revealed that outside beauty does not necessarily mean being a good person. Naturally, being not so pretty on the outside does not mean you’re a terrible person.
Special Mentions
While The School for Good and Evil is not complex, there are some highlights. The costumes are amazing thanks to the design skills of Renee Ehrlich Kalfus. And, the hair in this film is awesome. Hair stylist Adir Abergel directs a team of professionals who make the natural curls for Kerry Washington and Sofia Wylie look perfectly laid. That same team makes Charlize Theron’s hair look fierce.
Choosing A Side
Feig may have described this film as a story about friendship and great choices. I would somewhat agree with an asterisk. The School for Good and Evil is a magical adventure film for teen girls about friendship and the beauty of being yourself.
Not into films for teen girls? You can read my review of Till, a film about a mother’s love here.
Don’t forget to be a friend and share this review with your favorite teen girls. Sharing is entertainment.
