Hansel and Gretel

Right now you can watch Hansel and Gretel in Australia on Amazon Prime Video and Artiflix, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video and fuboTV — and it goes further with its ideas than most genre entertainment bothers to. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. Its 7/10 TMDB score, built from 69 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Watch it for Hugh Pollard — the performance elevates material that could easily tip into self-seriousness. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Amazon Prime Video.

There is a reason Hansel and Gretel keeps coming up in conversation. Hansel and Gretel uses its genre premise as cover for asking bigger questions. Hansel and Gretel tells the tale of two young children driven from home by their scolding mother. Losing their way in the dark forest they stumble upon the cottage of a kindly old woman. But is this kindly old woman everything she seems...? Hugh Pollard and Nicola Stapleton lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1988. What separates Hansel and Gretel from lesser genre entertainment is a willingness to let the concept cost the characters something. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give Hansel and Gretel a chance. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Hugh Pollard anchors it with a performance that makes the more abstract moments feel personal. If you have been burned by ambitious sci-fi before, this is the exception.