One of this week’s most notable new releases is Lionsgate’s big screen horror movie Cobweb, a horror fairy tale of sorts from first time feature film director Samuel Bodin. Bodin’s no stranger to the realm of violent fairy tales for adults; the filmmaker’s direction on Netflix’s Marianne unleashed no shortage of visceral scares unleashed from a fairy tale realm.
This week’s streaming picks center around horror fairy tales, whether they’re direct adaptations or inspired by them. All blend horror and fantasy to deliver cautionary bedtime tales.
Here’s where you can stream these horror fairy tales this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
The Company of Wolves – AMC+, Kanopy, Shudder
In Neil Jordan’s film, young Rosaleen falls asleep at her home and dreams of menacing wolves, many of which disguise themselves as men. All of which makes for a dark metaphor for Rosaleen’s sexual awakening in adolescence. Fairy tales often double as coming-of-age horror stories to impart invaluable cautionary tales. The Company of Wolves uses dream logic to walk the fine line between childhood and adolescence through multiple tales that use “Red Riding Hood” as a narrative base. Beware the man whose brows meet in the middle.
Fragile – AMC+, freevee, The Roku Channel, Shudder, Vudu
Before Jaume Balagueró teamed up with Paco Plaza to unleash one of the most terrifying movies of the decade, [REC], he proved an aptitude for delivering chills with this underseen haunted hospital fairy tale. Calista Flockhart stars as Amy, a nurse brought on to the night shift in the children’s ward at an old hospital in the process of closing. Amy has her demons to battle, but her new gig comes with a malevolent ghost. Fragile is creepy and atmospheric with effective scares, but even better is that Balagueró gives this ghost story an emotional center loosely inspired by Sleeping Beauty.
Nightbooks – Netflix
Alex (Come Play’s Winslow Fegley) adores scary things. So much so that his birthday party looks more like a Halloween party, complete with costumes, décor, and candy. But when no one shows up, prompting a concerned but hushed conversation between his parents, Alex runs away. Alex doesn’t get very far; he passes by an apartment with an open door and the TV playing The Lost Boys. It’s a trap. Alex gets stuck inside the magical apartment and forced to tell an evil witch (Krysten Ritter) a scary story every night if he hopes to live. Alex must team up with another prisoner, Yasmin (Lidya Jewett), to find a way to escape. It’s a whimsical horror-fantasy movie produced by Sam Raimi, aimed at the horror-loving monster kid, young or young at heart. Come for the vibrant gateway fairy tale terror, and stay for Ritter’s scene-chewing performance as a wicked witch.
Snow White: A Tale of Terror – The Roku Channel
The opening sequence, which sees Sam Neill’s Lord Hoffman forced to perform a cesarean section on his dying wife amidst wolves and snow, signals a drastic departure from Disney’s version of Snow White. Hoffman’s daughter Lilli (Freddy vs. Jason‘s Monica Keena) does grow into a fair maiden forced to seek refuge from seven miners thanks to homicidal wicked stepmother Claudia (Sigourney Weaver). Still, this horror twist affords more empathy for its villainess. It’s Weaver’s compelling portrayal of Claudia and embrace of blood, sex, and Satanic conjurings that makes this worth checking out.
Tale of Tales – AMC+, Kanopy, Tubi
Based on a collection of stories by Italian poet Giambattista Basile, Pentamerone, this dark horror fantasy film is an anthology that delves into the earliest versions of well-known fairytales. With three stories about obsession, all taking place in one kingdom, this fairytale isn’t afraid of gruesome bloodshed. With monstrous fleas, aquatic dragons, ogres, witches, and a vain king who prefers to flay the skin of his victims, this is not a bedtime story for kids. It also boasts a large ensemble cast of recognizable talents like Salma Hayek, John C. Reilly, and Vincent Cassel.
Bonus: Mal de Ojo (Evil Eye) – ViX Premium
Director Isaac Ezban (The Similars, The Incident) shifts gears for a horror fairy tale that blends Dominican myth and Mexican folklore with modern sensibilities for an emotionally charged, witchy story full of blood. It follows Nala (Paola Miguel) as she’s left alone with a grandmother she’s never met and a sickly younger sister, Luna (Ivanna Sofia Ferro). A haunting bedtime story leaves Nala convinced that Grandma is a nefarious witch, and horror ensues. Because Mal de Ojo is currently only available in Spanish, consider this a bonus watch.
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