Once upon a time, folklore and fairy tales were cautionary tales of violence, bloodshed, and horror. They were graphic stories of cannibalism, murder, and dismemberment nestled in fantastical settings full of witches, fairies, goblins, mermaids, and beyond. Its escapism meets grim morality. Family-friendly brands like Disney may have sanitized fairy tales for kid-appropriate consumption. But films like Gretel & Hansel, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Company of Woods, and more continue to prove the horror genre is the best space to keep these twisted bedtime stories alive.
This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to folk and fairy tale inspired nightmares, both original and classic…
A Tale of Two Sisters – Shudder
Surprise, this supernatural haunter is based on an old Korean folktale, Janghwa Hongryeon jeon. Originally titled Janghwa, Hongryeon, which translates to “Rose Flower, Red Lotus,” Tale tells of two sisters returning home from a hospital stay following the death of their mother. Their father has remarried to a cold woman the sisters despise. When strange occurrences begin to pile up, the daughters suspect their new stepmother of foul play. This family has some serious skeletons and ghosts in their closet. An effectively chilling supernatural horror movie that’s not so evident in its folktale origins.
Freeway – Prime Video
Little Red Riding Hood gets a modern and unexpected makeover. Reese Witherspoon plays Vanessa, a teen on the run after her mom and stepfather are arrested on prostitution and drug charges. On the way to her grandmother’s house, she crosses paths with the film’s version of the Big Bad Wolf, serial killer Bob Wolverton (Kiefer Sutherland). An over the top satire, this version of the fairytale isn’t conventional horror, but it blurs the lines with its brutality. As if serial killing isn’t enough, Bob is a violent pedophile. Emphasis on violence. Witherspoon and Sutherland turn out fantastic performances here.
Good Manners – Kanopy
This genre film reconfigures a classic monster to create an original fairy tale of sorts. Told in two parts, it follows Clara, hired by the wealthy Ana as a nurse for her unborn child. The women, both lonely, form a strong bond, but Ana’s pregnancy is not quite human, and their lives are irrevocably altered on a fateful night. A modern-day fairytale that retains that sense of whimsy and parable leanings, Good Manners features one of my favorite horror subject matters. I won’t spoil it, though, as this one is best experienced by going in blind.
The Lure – Criterion Channel
The original Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, The Little Mermaid, wasn’t quite the uplifting story it’s been made out to be in recent decades, and Agnieszka Smoczynska’s feature debut adheres to the origin story while setting it in a 1980s Polish cabaret. Mermaid sisters Golden and Silver come to shore and fall right in with a nightclub’s house band. One falls in love, the other lusts for human flesh, but both become rising stars. It’s a genre-bender unafraid to get weird, bloody, and downright tragic.
Suspiria – Tubi, Kanopy
Because any excuse is a good one to revisit this horror classic, right? Jessica Harper stars as Suzy Bannion, an American newcomer at a prestigious dance academy in Germany that uncovers a supernatural conspiracy amid a series of grisly murders. Director Dario Argento borrowed from a lot of influences when crafting this gorgeous film, including Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Specifically, the vibrant technicolor process, though Argento also considered Suzy as his Snow White. So, loosely, Suspiria is a horror reclamation of a classic fairy tale.