The School for Good and Evil (movie)
Bibliographic Information
Title: The School for Good and Evil
Director: Paul Feig
Writers: David Magee, Paul Feig, Soman Chainani
Streaming Service: Netflix
Release Date: October 19, 2022
Genre/Format
Fantasy/Movie
Awards or Honors
2023 ReFrame Winner
Rating
PG-13 for violence, action, and some frightening images (Netflix)
Movie Length
2 hours 29 minutes
Movie Summary
Best friends Sophie and Agatha live in a village where they feel like outcasts for different reasons. Sophie wishes for a different life, and after Agatha follows Sophie one evening, the friends are transported under a blood moon to the School for Good and Evil, There- heroes and villains must balance the good and evil in the world through timeless fairytales. Sophie dreams of being a princess, but she is dropped into The School for Evil and Agatha is dropped into the School for Good when she just wants to go home.
The friends feel like they don’t belong in their new schools, and therefore, they petition the headmaster to move Sophie into The School for Good and send Agatha home. He tells them he will if Sophie can gain a true love’s kiss, and thus a new fairytale is about to be written. Sophie decides her true love is Prince Tedros (the son of King Arthur) and seeks his love throughout the movie as sinister forces threaten to tear the school apart.
Director Description
Paul Feig is an American film producer, director, writer and actor. He has five primetime Emmy nominations and has won multiple other awards. His work includes TV series such as Freaks and Geeks. His directing work includes Bridesmaids, The Heat, and Spy among others (IBMd, n.d.).
Critical Evaluation
This movie was a cute fantasy that touched on some deep themes of what it means to be good at heart. I haven’t read the books, but I did enjoy the plot as it played on folklore that everyone loves in a modern way. My 13-year-old informed me the movie is very different from the first book, though. The costumes and sets were a feast for the eyes, and the acting was great, too, in my opinion.
How I felt about the movie
Creative Use for a Library Program
This would be a great movie night in October where teens are invited to dress up as their favorite fairytale character and enjoy snacks and drinks in the company of other fantasy loving friends.
Speed-Round Talk
Fairytale heroes and villains must start somewhere, and they do it here, at the School for Good and Evil, but what if someone who wanted to be a princess ends up in the School of Evil instead of the School of Good? Two mortal friends end up at the school just when a very dark force is about to end it. Can they save the school, their friendship, and the other fairytale characters?
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation
There is some violence in the movie and there are some magical abilities that may go against some religious beliefs. The story overall is not very different than most other fairytales that have been in existence for a long time.
Reason for Inclusion
The movie touches on important life themes of what it means to be good or evil and the gray area in-between, because ultimately, we all live in the gray area. Teens who have ever caught themselves daydreaming of being in a fairytale or fantasy story will likely enjoy this movie.
References
Feig, P. (Director). (2022). The school for good and evil [Film].
IMDb. (n.d.). Paul Feig. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0082450/?ref_=nm_mv_close
IMDb. (n.d.). The school for good and evil. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2935622/
Walt Disney Studios [@disneystudios]. (2022, November 28). Fairy tale magic GIF by Walt Disney Studios [GIF]. Giphy. https://giphy.com/gifs/disneystudios-disney-plus-enchanted-disenchanted-LsGWjAr76TsUXYzkzK
*Cover Image is property of Netflix; taken from Netflix.