Red Riding Hood

Red Riding Hood has built a real following in the US on HBO Max Amazon Channel and YouTube TV among viewers who want their sci-fi to think as hard as it looks. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Amanda Seyfried leads a cast that never lets the concept overwhelm the characters. Available now on HBO Max Amazon Channel — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

There is a reason Red Riding Hood keeps coming up in conversation. Red Riding Hood uses its genre premise as cover for asking bigger questions. Valerie is in love with a brooding outsider, Peter, but her parents have arranged for her to marry another man. Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter plan to run away together when Valerie's older sister is killed by a werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village. Panic grips the town as Valerie discovers that she has a unique connection to the beast--one that inexorably draws them together, making her both suspect ... The human element stays intact thanks to Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman, who anchor every scene. It was released in 2011. Red Riding Hood resists the temptation to explain everything, trusting the audience to sit with ambiguity. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

For late-night viewing or a proper weekend binge, Red Riding Hood fits the bill. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Amanda Seyfried grounds the bigger ideas in something human. Once you are in, you will want to talk about it.