The movie is mainly VFX and Vibes with a dash of “Harry Potter” meets “Descendants”
Summary
Based on the best-selling children’s book series by Soman Chainani, “The School for Good and Evil” focuses on two extremely different teenage best friends Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie), misfits of Gavaldon, a picturesque Arthurian-style town: Sophie dreams of a glamorous life as a princess and Agatha seems to be grumpy and labelled a witch.
Sophie and Agatha are sent to a school for storybook heroes and villains after Sophie makes a desperate wish to leave their rural surroundings.
The problem is that they are assigned to opposing houses: Sophie, despite her aspirations of ball dresses and princes, is cast in the gloomy halls of the evildoers- The Nevers, whereas Agatha, with her witchy name and love for black clothing, is cast in the cotton-candy-pink halls of the princesses- The Evers.
This has to be a mistake, right?
Sophie seeks to show that she is indeed a princess, but is lured by a deeper evil; while Agatha, seeing the dark plans afoot, attempts to save Sophie and bring them home.
Review
When I saw the promotion for the star-studded Netflix release I decided I was going to watch it, not just watch it but read the book.
I tried to read the book but I was so busy so I opted for the audiobook and I dropped it at just 3 chapters in because I was so busy.
I was never able to read the book or listen to it ahead of the release and when it was released, I was still so busy, that the day it was released I eventually asked my sister, brother and friend who were around to gather around so we could watch this together without completing the book.
And from the first scene, I started to doubt this movie recommendation and knew I was about to be dethroned from my high seat of “ best movie recommendations”
It was star-studded and apparently a book adaptation what could go wrong
Well, I was eventually dethroned. Here’s how it went down.
We started with the story and my brother picked out plot holes. I was like it get’s better let’s continue I think they changed some bits from the book.
I decided to stay strong it’s just the beginning I said to myself.
However, all of the effects, action sequences and star-studded cast which included – Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, Michelle Yeoh, and Laurence Fishburne could not save this movie from its fast fall into an abysmal movie adaptation.
Nevertheless, underneath all these, “The School for Good and Evil” tries to upend familiar tropes and reveal some valuable truths.
There’s a sense that the film is searching for a deeper meaning and makes you question topics such, as “Is there really a thing as fate?” Is there a fundamentally fixed self inside each of us? How have our views of right and wrong, good and bad, changed?
Seeing how chaotic it unfolds its tale, which is full of narrative twists, and reveals, this is a story with so much potential but so much to work on ahead of a second movie if we ever get one.
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