The School for Good and Evil (2022) User Reviews

Guilty Pleasure Movie for Teenagers

[nadyaknops · 7/10 · 19 October 2022]

I never read the books so I can't tell how accurate the adaption is. This Netflix production is definitely not the best but also not the worst fantasy movie. It's like a typical Nickelodeon/Disney channel production (with better effects and costumes) in my feeling and I think it will find it's audience.

I was entertained by it and I guess it's fine for watching one time. It has a nice cast and costumes. The CGI could have been better but is fine compared to other movies on Disney channel level.

The story and the characters are pretty mediocre and for my taste, they are relying too hard on clichés. On the other hand I think that some people will love it especially for this. It definitely falls into the category guilty pleasure.

So if you don't expect much and like cheesy fantasy movies for children/teenager, this movie could be something for you.

If you are not the target audience or don't like these kind of movies, stay away from it. You can't compare it to movies like Harry Potter, Panem and Maze Runner. But to be fair, I don't think that the movie ever intended to be compared with them.

Doesn't stray far from the YA fantasy mold, but it does have fun with it

[IonicBreezeMachine · 7/10 · 19 October 2022]

Lifelong friends Agatha (Sofia Wylie) and Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) have been lifelong friends in their village of Gavaldon with Sophie Agatha's only friend due to unfounded rumors of Agatha and her mother being a witch. Sophie dreams of being a princess like in the fairy tale stories she's obsessed with, and after learning of the School for Good and Evil which trains the heroes and villains of the various stories that inspire mankind Sophie wishes to be enrolled in the school. Sophie initially plans to leave Gavaldon due to tensions with her family but is confronted by Agatha who tries to convince her otherwise. The two are pulled into the forest by a specter and taken by a bird to the School for Good and Evil but Agatha is dropped on the "good" side while Sophie is dropped on the "evil" against her protests she's actually good. Agatha reluctantly goes under the tutilidge of the Good school's dean Professor Dovey (Kerry Washington) while Sophie likewise is taught by Lady Lesso (Charlize Theron). Both Agatha and Sophie ask the School Master (Laurence Fishburne) to correct the mistake, but he says it's out of his power and only "true love's kiss" is powerful enough to change anything. Meanwhile, Agatha sees the spectre of the supposedly long dead brother of the School Master, Rafal (Kit Young), who has insidious plans involving Sophie. As Sophie and Agatha work their way through the school, divisions form between them with their mutual affections over Tedros (Jamie Flatters) the son of King Arthur.

The School for Good and Evil is an adaptation of the 2013 fairytale fantasy novel of the same name by author Soman Chainani which became the first in a series of the same name which at the time of this writing now consists of six books forming two trilogies (The School Years and Camelot Years). Plans for a film adaptation of the books began in 2011 a full two years before the first book saw publication but it wasn't until publication of the first book that Joe Roth of Roth Films acquired the film rights with the intention of making the film a tentpole YA fantasy franchise as Roth had experienced success with Snow White and the Huntsman, Oz the Great and Powerful, and especially Maleficent and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland all falling under that same extravagant family orientated fantasy fare that was quite popular in the early 2010s. The film languished in development hell despite Universal Pictures winning an auction for the rights with a seven-figure deal, with the box office underperformance of The Huntsman: Winter's War and Alice Through the Looking Glass also not helping the film's prospects. Eventually the rights landed at Netflix with a new creative team with the streamer interested in investing in new YA IPs to compete against the legacy brands of Wizarding World and Hunger Games. Comedy director Paul Feig was initially hesitant as he had no experience directing big budget fantasy films (Ghostbusters 2016 notwithstanding) but changed his mind after reading the script. Now after a 10+ year journey to watchable product, was it worth the wait? The movie does have the feel of something that should've come out about 10 years ago, but I will say that Paul Feig and David Magee do have fun with the formula.

The School for Good and Evil's biggest battle in terms of winning its audience will undeniably be in the sense of "deja view" as The School for Good and Evil does feel like a remix of various movies you've seen from blockbusters past, down to films like the two Maleficent and Alice films released by Disney that share producer Joe Roth of this film. There's also the more obvious comparison to be made with the Wizarding World/Harry Potter franchise with the setting of a magical school/academy. With that said that doesn't make the film bad, just familiar and the movie does at least seem aware of this aspect so it never takes itself overly seriously and allows for some decent humor in its approach to this well worn material. Much like other modern fantasy films based around fairy tale themes and iconography, The School for Good and Evil is very much a deconstruction of those themes and filters them through the lens of our times by making the story about polarization and "othering" and while that is a well-worn approach, I felt they did enough to make it engaging that I was never bored or thinking the film should "move on".

In terms of the acting, I think the actors do a good job of making the material engaging. Sofia Wylie does quite well in the role of Agatha and she does a good job of endearing us to her as a protagonist especially with her more reserved and down to earth personality contrasted against the extravagance of the Good School which leads to some humorous moments with her annoyance at various facets of the Good School's culture. Sophia Anne Caruso does okay in the role of Sophie but I think there's something about the way this character is written that doesn't make it feel quite as natural a fit as with Sofia and Agatha so I always felt Sophie's characterization was a little "off" in some way, I'm not quite sure how it could've been improved and given the nature of the character it's a challenging role to write and especially act but I don't think it quite sticks the landing in terms of performance. The movie also boasts a solid supporting cast with Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Yeoh, Kerry Washington, and Charlize Theron making up the various staff of the Schools and they're very entertaining in their performances. Kerry Washington in particular has a lot of fun playing a kind of tightly wound Fairy Godmother archetype and while Charlize Theron does recycle a little of her performance as Queen Ravenna from Snow White and the Huntsman, she's still very entertaining playing a character who loves evil and her scenes with Washington show some great comic friction. I also rather enjoyed Earl Cave's performance as Hort, the son of Captain Hook, and his performance and energy reminded me of the late great Rik Mayall. On a visual level the film looks very beautifully and handsomely produced with Academy Award nominated production designer of Gravity and Captain Marvel Andy Nicholson producing some beautifully decorated sets that are lovingly crafted. While the movie uses a ton of CGI as per the standard of this genre, Feig opted to use as much make-up and animatronics as possible so the movie manages to sidestep the "rubbery" sheen look of some of these films fall into. I particularly liked the design of the wolf/human guards who supposedly were (in part anyway) animatronic.

The School for Good and Evil falls in line with similar YA fantasy fare, but it's well made and doesn't play itself too seriously and has fun with its world and performances. It's pretty obvious that Netflix wants this to be a franchise (down to an ending stinger) and given the series of books and production commitment it probably will be. I can't speak to its faithfulness to the source material as I've not read the books, but if you have a soft spot for things like The 10th Kingdom or the Maleficent movies you'll probably enjoy this.

It's fine for what it is

[fullerjoh · 6/10 · 24 October 2022]

Some of these reviews apparently expected this to be a mix of The Godfather and Avengers: Infinity War. Look, it's fine. If you're walking into this looking for some Oscar-worthy performances, you should just turn around. It's a YA interpretation on film. That's it.

There's some cute stuff. Some fun stuff. Some cringe stuff. Which pretty much is everything YA anyway. The biggest fault is the run time. Two and a half hours is a lot to commit to this. But to its credit, it doesn't really drag.

I do agree with one reviewer that it may have been better off as a show than a lengthy movie. But let's just take this for what it is - a studio filler movie for some actors and producers to honor their contracts. Once you get that in your mind, it's easy to enjoy this movie.

I'd give this a 6.5 if it was an option, but it's not, and I'm not going to round up.

Sadly missed a few marks for good storytelling. The Actors did their best

[craftydwarf · 5/10 · 29 October 2022]

Sophia Anne Caruso as Sophie & Sofia Wylie as Agatha did an excellent job in their roles as they were written.

This film did not lack acting talent. Where it went a miss is either a weakly written two dimensional flat script or bad directing in the ability to visually move a story plot along at the right pace.

The story premise was interesting and the set designs were done with excellent attention to details.(Although a bit of a Harry Potterish look in some places.)

All in all its worth a look. Don't expect a real gold coin and just enjoy the chocolate under the gold foil.

Oh and if you cast Rachel Bloom in something and just have as part of the set it should be considered a crime and you should be punished. This lost you a star off the rating.

Unbearably Horrible !

[alisalekh · 25 October 2022]

That 2:30mins of my life I will never get back. I don't even know where to start, there wasn't a SINGLE good thing about the movie (if you can even call it that) . Putting famous actors in it didn't even help, if anything it made it worse because we were watching people we KNOW to be good at their work get turned into a joke with movies like this. You money Hungry producers don't even know how to make movies anymore. The plot was extremely rushed, there was NO character building, NO EXPLAINATIONS to Anything. Cheesiest, most predictable "Plot Twist" ever, not ONE likable character, Trash film .

Mediocre adaptation of the book

[djberman-20546 · 6/10 · 19 October 2022]

I enjoyed watching this movie and it was good overall. The scenery was beautiful,despite some lacking CGI like in the case of the wolf heads. I read this series of books about 6-7 years ago so I don't exactly remember the plot/essence of those, so I can't comment on the accuracy of this adaptation. The acting, especially on the part of sophie anne caruso, was pretty poorly done. To be fair, the writing did not do her character any justice either but the acting made the character overall bad. I thought sofia wylie did an excellent job, as well as charlize theron, kerry washington, and Michelle yeoh. The character of tedros was also poorly written and acted, and honestly the relationship betweeen tedros and sophie was not written or developed well in the movie. Overall this movie was just average, not terrible or anything, but I will not be rewatching ever. If the story is interesting to you, I would recommend reading the book series, as the author has quite a few other books in this series written.

The worst movie I have ever seen ... I loved it

[kathyceulemans · 2/10 · 19 October 2022]

This movie brings terrible to a new level, a level that no one ever dared to image. If you like watching bad movies, this is the crème de la crème. Watch it with your snarkiest friends, have a good time making fun of it, because that is what this film is perfect for.

The CGI is awful, dialogue is cringy and predictable, the story is all over the place. It seems they just kept making things up as they went along, and in the end fabricated an explanation for all the nonsense that is this movie. I am having a hard time finding words to accurately describe how bad this movie is. I just keep wondering how on earth they got Cate Blanchett to agree to be a part of this.

However, it was never boring, and I had fun while watching it, so I am still giving it two stars.

Can't wait for the sequel!

An unexpectedly good film

[raven-11881 · 8/10 · 21 October 2022]

After an esteemed user of an esteemed community immediately threw in the towel, I had my doubts about the film. When I saw that the running time was 148 minutes, I was even more skeptical. Would I be able to sit through it? But I got curious and just started the movie, even though I actually wanted to go to bed. Well, what can I say? I easily made it to the end and in the end I didn't even think the movie was that long. Just now, as I was writing these lines here, I read the fresh review from my favorite movie site and was horrified.... by myself. Can it be that I like such a cheesy movie with partly bad effects? Am I abnormal? Even the ratings on IMDB say it's a bad movie. Well, I see it a bit different. But let's start from the beginning.

Yes, "The School for Good and Evil" is tremendously cheesy and full of clichés. Yes, the film is perhaps a touch too unserious. Yes, the film steals mercilessly from well-known films of the genre, especially a lot from Harry Potter. Yes, the supporting characters are superficial and sometimes annoying. Yes, the effects are sometimes bad and cheap. And yet ... I really like the movie. Now I'm sure everyone thinks I'm crazy. First I write how bad everything is and then I say that I like it. But ... why? The answer is short, concise and banal: Emotions and feelings!

Yes, I shouldn't really like the film because of the bad aspects. But who knows me, knows: Emotions and feelings are in films and series for me sometimes the most important. Yes, but where do these emotions come from? Are they hiding between all the kitsch, the stolen and the superficial and the bad effects? The answer is: No. They are not hiding at all. The emotions come straight from the center of the film: the two main actresses and their characters.

Sofia Wylie embodies Agatha, a brash but also deeply human and sympathetic teenage girl. She brings across Agatha's feelings and emotions in such a wonderful way that Agatha immediately grows on me. Cliché or not, I like her a lot and it carries me through half the film.

The same goes for Sophia Anne Caruso, who embodies Sophie. She is a sweet and kind girl who has the courage to stand up for her best friend Agatha and defend her. The friendship between Agatha and Sophie is strong and convincing. Sophie, however, wants to get away from the place where they live. She doesn't feel comfortable there, where everyone else despises her and Agatha and has only scorn and ridicule for them. So she is drawn into the magical world of the school of good and evil. Agatha, however, does not want to lose her and let her go, so she is pulled into this world with her. Agatha ends up in the good school and Sophie in the evil school. The reasons are mystical and fateful. The friendship of both is put to the test and there are forces that manipulate them both without them knowing anything about it.

Agatha and Sophie are the embodiment of beautiful emotions for me. This pulled me in so much that I was rooting for them until the end and even couldn't suppress a tear at the end. Friendship, trust, bonding and commitment to friendship are what it's really all about. The rest of the film is incidental.

The emotional depth of the story is further supported by the beautiful background music, which I really liked.

Aesthetically, I also find the film really successful and beautiful. The scenery is beautiful, I like the setting as well, and the costumes and sets are really great to look at.

All in all, the film was really worth it for me, and I really wouldn't have expected that after FlyingKerbecs' words. Definitely a film I would like to see again. Thus, I give the film a recommendation and award it

8/10 points - Medium rewatch value.

It gets better. Hear me out!

[FutureGuy · 6/10 · 19 October 2022]

Like always, I went in without watching any trailers or any knowledge about the source material.

In the beginning, the movie starts with the same vibe as other generic fantasy movies out there. As you progress into the story, you feel that the movie is a try-hard Harry Potter like. You're not wrong. It is. It's Harry Potter if there were only 2 houses, Gryffindor and Slytherin. Gryffindor (Good) has all the good qualities and quite obviously Slytherin (Evil) is all bad things possible.

For 70% of the movie, things remain pretty black and white. This is really infuriating for me because I hate such movies. Hunger Games, Divergent, depict an unnatural society where humans are so easily divided based on some function or trait. Harry Potter does the same as well. This movie repeats it too. Except here, and this is after 70% of the movie, the movie shows a tiny bit of uniqueness in the form of Agatha. I love that her character is exactly like the voice of the people watching this movie. The voice of reason. She goes around pointing almost all the same things I pointed that it's Not. As. Easy. As. That. Yes, I know other movies do that too but in those movies the protagonist is supported by a mentor character who shows them "the truth". Here, it's all Agatha. It's just her common sense. There's no Dumbledore here who comes and tells her the grand plan. In a way, Agatha feels like us. If we got into a school like that, we would act exactly like that! Like seriously, you're giving me an F for not smiling good?? I love her character.

That's the thing that I like the most about this movie. The rest of movie after this is also interesting because it tries to break from the pattern. In the form of Agatha of course. I felt the self-writing book was also a very nice plot and some very interesting story lines can emerge from that alone.

The movie should target the right audience for this to get good results. It isn't a movie for most adults. Maybe the next part would be better?

Failure sorry

[Musipedi · 3/10 · 28 October 2022]

The direction is awful, it's like cheap series in the 00s. The dialogues are childish, but not for children. The blonde protagonists has a duckface from lip fillers and she cannot express. The costumes are bearable. The story is very shallow and you really can't follow. I cannot believe they got such great actors to play in this absurdity, it's amazing that they accepted to participate. Also there mustn't be any kind of preparation or research before creating the screenplay, as they mistakenly say that Hercules was a fairytale but he was a real person in antiquity. The light is only good for the evil school, and for the good school is no light design at all. Wish they sent this money on upcoming filmmakers, they would have done it better.

If you liked Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, you are going to feel underwhelmed with this film.

[fhshvdhfth · 6/10 · 25 October 2022]

The School for Good and Evil is based on Novel Franchise of the same name. The novel has had 5 sequels till date, so it must be good. The film seems like an undercooked dish, where even if the ingredients are good, you will not like what comes to your plate.

The film has more bad than good. Still, I will list out the good first. The concept of the movie is good. It is a twist on classic fairytale world. The plot of the movie is also good. However, the way the plot or story is presented on screen is bad.

The first Harry Potter film is a good example of how to make such movies. The world building in this film is lacking. The entire world of this movie consists of a village Gavaldon and the titular school. So, the setting of this film seems shallow. In Harry Potter films, though it is mostly set in Hogwarts School, action also takes place in Privet Drive, Zoo, London, Diagon Alley, King's Cross Station and Hogwarts Express. Hogwarts itself is a complex setting, shown through shifting stairs, out of bound 3rd floor, Hagrid's Hut, Forbidden Forest and even Dumbledore's Office. See the difference!

The characters in this film are not developed well, except for Protagonists and Friends Agatha and Sophie. Why does Sophie want to become a princess? Because of her late mother! The motivation does not have sufficient background, at least in this film. The heroine duo, instead of being surprised on finding the school, accept it's existence as a matter of fact just because the book store owner told them so! One could see the plot twist at the end coming from a distance.

The central mystery of this film also disappoints. Friendship between the two protagonists is shoved down our throat like we have to accept it.

Honestly and in conclusion, the story and concept is good, the acting is okay and direction is okay. The thing which lets us down is the screenplay, the way a story is transformed to movie scenes.

Almost unwatchable

[trident-39079 · 1/10 · 20 October 2022]

Sofia Wylie and Jamie Flatters are the only performances providing any redemption to this movie. Fishburne, Washington, and Theron give the worst performances of their careers. The supporting cast doesn't support at all. Even those with no lines can't seem to act at all. If Paul Feig is given another directing job after this it will be a case of charity. The dialogue is ripped from a collection of stale fortune cookies. Even the special effects look like some 10 year old did them at home on their home computer. I only watched it to the end so I could have bragging rights that I was able to survive the entire viewing.

Campy colorful fairytale story about friendship

[hazard111 · 8/10 · 19 October 2022]

I've never read the books this was based on so I cannot comment if it's faithful or accurate.. I tuned in because I saw Cate, Charlize, and Laurence in the casting. It wasn't a masterpiece but it did deliver a good light hearted fantasy story.

The overall vibe of the movie reminded me of these children's books I've read as a kid with bright colorful pictures that tell a straightforward adventure story with a simple message at the end. It's predictable and no gritty plot twists which might be a downside for some but I wasn't expecting that to begin with. It's just light and fun, perhaps also touching in some scenes.

I love that it's sharp and saturated and not dull like what we normally get currently, especially during night scenes. Here you can clearly see everything. They really nailed the aesthetic of fairytale. The costumes as well!

The CGI and action sequences are doable enough. The music choices hit and miss. As for the actors, I like them enough. Charlize and Kerry were such fun contrasts of each other. Laurence Sophia Anne Caruso I think really nailed her character. She has this very Disney princess vibe to her even her voice. Sofia Wylie also did great but I can't quite see her as a gloomy character she's supposed to be portraying?

Overall I find it quite campy to the point of cheesy drama but I liked it anyway coz to me it fits the the vibe and theme of the story. It's giving similar to Enchanted or Ella Enchanted. I also liked that the focus was their friendship. I would've rated this movie higher if they made it as a series to really flesh out the characters of more characters... but alas.

Oh lord....this is bad

[lanlies · 1/10 · 29 October 2022]

OK so I read reviews good & bad & I can tell you....the way the good reviews are writing these are paid editors...........this movie is BAD: no not bad as it bad ass......bad bad.

Firstly the "prim" character (Aggie(?) I cared that little I didn't even take it her name) was soooo annoying .....not just the horrible acting but the dark eyebrows & platinum hair was just so distracting. The other "goth" character is so wooden it was unreal.......no real sentiment or feelings....just dead wood.

Secondly: when is this supposed to be??? They are all dressed medieval but say stuff like "cool" & just chill & have lunch together gossiping & it feels modern day. They go from a dirty market with knife weilding witch-killers to a clean shiny book shop with gold embossed pages all in the same breath.....it makes no sense.

Thirdly...this music, the overbearing pop that makes me want to be deaf.. again, when is this?

Lastly - all the well known actors in this have sadly debased themselves for this rubbish which is disappointing to say the least..... Charlie come on now........you played Aileen Wuornus unbelievably well......

Everyone in this movie is a bland friend, a shallow rival or just someone so cute you forget they are a murderer (that bit is ridiculously laughable). It took my days to finish cause it got so cringe I couldn't bear it.....only watched it cause need to know endings (what a curse!!).......also a massive letdown!!!

Fun with great art direction

[filmmakersis · 8/10 · 22 October 2022]

Fun to watch with my older kids, never really boring. Some cheesy moments but nothing in comparison to how cheesy and unbearable Descendants is so if you have to pick one go with THIS one. Fantastic art direction and costuming also really brings the whole vibe of the story together. And having some famous older actors we love was a very nice touch too and they seem to be having fun in their roles in this. The only issue I had is that this is a fairy tale theme not in the real world yet one of the main characters says "Oh my God" about 24 times in a 3 min span like as typical teenager when she's freaking out over her friend being hurt near the end. I don't know if this was a misstep, clearly the actress was adlibbing and that is what she would have said in real life, but it's kind of hilarious because you're definitely taken out of the storybook fairy tale land here. Not a complaint, it's just really funny when they're literally in medieval fairy gowns and she's like "oh my god, like oh my god, like, oh my god.." had me and my kids cracking up. But yeah, we loved it honestly.

Enchanted school district

[RedKidBytes · 7/10 · 20 October 2022]

A fantastical fairytale with emotional enhancements that mirror today's norms. A great story with likable characters paced at a perfect speed. A mesmerizing world created beautifully, and far from reality locked in between the forces of good and evil.

Deserving youngsters kidnapped by the smoky creatures with malfeasant glaring eyes, dropped off to the school of good or evil based on their inner inhibitions as well desires.

But there's something off. The students of the school of good sometimes lack decency, and the students of the school of evil sometimes aren't all that bad.

As the plot thickens the truth is told in the end.

It is very very entertaining and could be watched with the entire family.

Painful watch

[autumnwil · 1/10 · 22 October 2022]

Took too long to get to the point, bad acting, silly costumes, lack luster villain, boring main character that follows her friend(?) like a lost puppy, and corny writing. I tried giving this movie a chance since I like fantasy movies but it was so bad. This movie has an okay message with poor execution. Some scenes are just not necessary and some are even painful to watch. The CGI is meh especially for Netflix, and the setting is enough to look at but other than that, nothing more. It's not even an interesting bad movie. This movie felt like it was missing so much yet was over done. I don't know why and how it got the green light. I'm assuming it is because Netflix wanted to make money off of a fan base once again.

Decent/average film

[karolinecelis · 7/10 · 27 October 2022]

I see some stereotypes in the show and was fascinated by some characters from the film. The stereotypes I'm talking about is the associations that are associated with evil and good. Honestly this was enjoyable to watch and interesting to see two main characters going to the wrong schools finding out they have baddie and good side. If there was one thing that the director can work on for this film is seeing the evil side win or see the good in evil. Do you remember why evil is pure evil? Then how about good? No matter how good or bad person someone is good and bad people are one and the same.

..

nature of good and evil

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 31 October 2022]

Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie) are the best of friends. Both are outcasts in Gavaldon. Sophie is desperate to attend the School for Good and Evil, founded by battling twin brothers Rhian and Rafal long ago. It trains both Good and Evil students to maintain a balance between the two. Agatha is almost as driven to stay away from the school and makes Sophie promise to abandon her plans. Sophie does it anyways and both are pulled into the school. Sophie assumes that she's Good, but is angered when she is placed in the Evil School. Agatha is stuck in the Good School as she tries to take Sophie home.

This starts like many Disney shows about princesses. It cheapens the story. It's not the most compelling way to begin. A bit of imagination would save it from Disney hell. Along the way, it tries to say something about the nature of good and evil. Sometimes, it's profound. Sometimes, it's superficial. I would like more support for Sophie's point of view. If she was abused at home, it would excuse her desperation to run away from Gavaldon. The whole premise needs some clearer writing and a few more cycles in rewriting. The movie still ends with a fight against a superficial villain. I like these two actresses. I can get behind this premise. The writing does need to be better.

Oh come on... Don't be so curmudgeonly.

[GraXXoR · 8/10 · 20 October 2022]

Was this movie deep?

Nope it was just a classic fairytale with a modern spin.

Were the characters deep?

Nope, they were pretty much classic fairytale characters, with a modern spin.

Was the setting and history deep?

Nope, they were pretty much classic fairytale characters, with a modern spin.

So was it actually any good?

It was one of those whimsical tales along the lines of The Never Ending Story and The Princess Bride.

If you want to just escape for a few hours and enjoy an old fashioned tale of good and evil (with a modern spin) then this is for you.

There are of course elements of both Harry Potter and Once Upon a Time woven into the fabric of this family friendly tale with some colourful characters, a decent cast, good acting and excellent production.

It's a light-hearted, rather camp romp through multiple tropes and takes a poke at the idea of the typical, traditional fairy tales.

I put aside my usual cynical viewpoint, sat back, sank a bottle of wine and thoroughly enjoyed the show.

It really does feel like a pilot episode, ngl.

Not that bad !!

[rostat-37224 · 6/10 · 24 November 2022]

The school for good and evil . The movie that remind me that no one can beat the tale of hogwarts school , which is the best tale of magic ever . First of all I will say the advantages that made me love this movie and think about it that it's not that bad . First of all the first Section of the movie was so fun to watch it . I loved the idea of school but for good also the evil . I liked the attitude of the evils actors and so does I loved the colours of the good . But about the acting I didn't like the acting cast so much for example the School principal , sofie And the head of the department of goods they were the worst at acting , No really it was so bad , But the cast who acted so good is the Agatha character .

The second thing , I liked the idea as I said but it was so bad as a movie . Meybe if it was a tale book for kids it would be much better than making a movie about school for good and evil . Also the story behind the movie which you will find our when you watch like rafal character and other things were sooooo bad . Like it was not that strong to make a movie as I said . The colors were great and good, and there were some effects, but unfortunately they were not that strong . Although we are now in a new century that the movie in effects sides should be better not making it worst . For example comparing this movie to Harry Potter movie which is a tale also about a boy who lived as you know I see Harry Potter movie effects were more stronger than this . I think this movie should not make an other part or season because its not that good , Sorry it was good but that much .

I give this movie 6 out of ten . I thought it would be stronger than I saw but it was so disappointing . I advice the you to watch it if you were bored and there are no movies otherwise I say no.

Glad I didn't listen to the bad reviews

[mywakinglife01 · 8/10 · 17 April 2023]

I had been thinking about watching this saw the terrible reviews on imdb and held off. I decided to watch it today anyways and I was delightfully surprised.

It was very entertaining and fast paced. The costumes alone are worth watching the movie. Just impeccable.

It was a story about the power of friendship and not giving up on people even when all seems lost. It was a sweet story with your typical high school drama thrown in.

There is definitely a star studded cast but most of the screen time is devoted to the two protagonists. Kerry Washington and Charlize Theron also both play fantastic roles as the deans of their respective schools. It was a fun movie!

Netflix is allergic to faithful adaptations of source material.

[AngryBaneling · 3/10 · 24 October 2022]

I watched the trailer for this movie and thought it was good, and sadly, that's the only good thing about it. The School for Good and Evil is a chore from start to finish, and I didn't find one redeeming aspect in any of it. Not the story, the characters, or the world itself. The cringeworthy dialogue, the cast, and the cheap costumes are all inexcusably bad. I haven't read the source material, but it can't be that bad if the author sold enough books to write a second and a third book in the franchise. So after watching the film, I went through some reviews written by fans of the book series to see if they liked it. Alas, it's a tale as old as Netflix is as a company. What happened here is what always happens with Netflix adaptations. They bravely delivered on their promise to the butcher the source material, whether it be a series of books, anime, or video games.

As a fan of Death Note, Cowboy Bebop, and Resident Evil, I feel for the poor fans of The School for Good and Evil franchise. Welcome to the Netflix adaptations club!

Not so bad, but not that good

[pnbookclub · 6/10 · 7 March 2023]

Firstly, I have to say that I have never read the novel version of The School for Good and Evil before. The following review is my honest reaction as an audience who knows nothing about the background story.

The movie follows the story of Sophie and Agatha, two best friends with contrasting appearances and personalities. Sophie has always wanted to be a princess, while Agatha has been called a witch by the people in her hometown. They somehow unintentionally attend the School for Good and Evil, where each individual is trained to become a hero or a villain of the famous fairytales. Unfortunately, Sophie was sent to the school of evil and Agatha was sent to the school of good. While Sophie tries to prove that she suppose to be the princess, Agatha starts to find that the good side is not really a good person and tries to find the way home. Two best friends start to find out who they really are.

For the casting, the movie decided not to stick with the book's physical descriptions of the characters, many casting choices offer an interesting divergence. However, this causes no effect on the story. Sophia Anne Caruso and Sofia Wylie deliver impressive performances as Sophie and Agatha, respectively, bringing depth and nuance to their characters' arcs. Including the diverse cast, the movie represented the diverse world we live in today and is appealing to a wide range of viewers.

Each cast performs well in their roles. The only performance that interrupted me during the movie is that the fight scene does not look serious enough, such as the fight scene between Rhian and Rafal in the opening. I think it is because the tone of the movie has more intention to go for the magical theme, so I could not feel the tension of the fighting situation as much as I should have.

What is impressive is that the movie can portray the picture of a fantasy and magical world filled with fairytale characters pretty well as we can find out from elements that are easy to relate with, such as magical creatures, castles, fantasy costumes, or use of magic power, especially the costumes. With the production and special effects, this movie could easily become a favorite for many audiences, both children and adults.

Another important thing to mention is the core concept of the story, the good and the bad. The movie separates two sides of the character obviously by using black to represent the evils and contrasting colorful, elegant colors like the light-shaded color and gold for princesses and princes, the main protagonists of most fairytales. While the evils are harsh, ugly, and aggressive, the goods must be gentle, beautiful, and enchanting. The movie has done pretty well in using psychology along with stereotypical characteristics to get the audience into the story, which could be a good twist when things start to go in the opposite way.

However, I think the plot is kinda cliche and easy to predict. Maybe it was the limitation of time that make the movie looks too rushed to the end. I feel like there are many plotholes and unreasonable points that are left and waiting to be solved, such as why Sophie is sent to the school of evil in the first place. I think the movie could not depict her 'evil' personality enough since I feel like the reason she acted badly is mostly that she was misled by Rafal. Also can be said that the movie allows Rafal to steal the spotlight in the role of evil instead of focusing on Sophie and made him became a bland villain. On the contrary, Agatha's personality is depicted as a very good character, so good that I feel somehow weird. However, she is the character with the most common sense to the point that makes me think other characters are nonsense and she is being bullied and called a witch for no reason. Also, the movie did not give enough time for some conflicts in the story that should be more intense and emotional, the problems are solved easily without reasonable reason for it. Even if I have never read the novel version, I still have mixed feeling about this movie. It is not that bad, but also not that good in the aspect of the plot. I have seen some comments saying that the novel version is much longer and is more understandable than the movie version, it might be better if this novel is made into a series instead of a movie. Anyway, the movie ended like there might be a sequel, so we may have to wait for it.

In conclusion, The School for Good and Evil is one fantasy movie with an impressive fairytale atmosphere, attractive visual effects, and enchanting costumes. You can enjoy this movie if you watch it without taking it seriously.

It does feel fantastical that allows us to escape into a new world.

[trinaboice · 7/10 · 21 November 2023]

IN A NUTSHELL: In the village of Gavaldon, two misfits and best friends, Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie), share the unlikeliest of bonds. Sophie, a golden-haired seamstress, dreams of escaping her dreary life to become a princess, while Agatha, with her grim aesthetic and offbeat mother, has the makings of a real witch. One night under a blood-red moon, a powerful force sweeps them away to the School for Good and Evil - where the true stories behind every great fairy tale begin. Yet something is amiss from the start: Sophie is dropped into the School for Evil, run by the glamorous and acid-tongued Lady Lesso (Charlize Theron), and Agatha in the School for Good, overseen by the sunny and kind Professor Dovey (Kerry Washington).

As if navigating classes with the offspring of the Wicked Witch (Freya Parks), Captain Hook (Earl Cave), and King Arthur (Jamie Flatters) wasn't hard enough, according to the Schoolmaster (Laurence Fishburne), only true love's kiss can change the rules and send the girls to their rightful schools and destiny. But when a dark and dangerous figure (Kit Young) with mysterious ties to Sophie reemerges and threatens to destroy the school and the world beyond entirely - the only way to a happy ending is to survive their real-life fairytale first.

The magical mayhem was directed by Paul. He also wrote the screenplay based on the book by Soman Chainani. Soman has a cameo performance in the movie as one of the teachers in the School of Evil.

THINGS I LIKED: I absolutely adore Cate Blanchett. I wish we could have seen her in this, but it's still great to hear her voice as The Storian.

Rachel Bloom is hilarious and so talented. It was fun to see her as Honora and I'd love to see her in even more movies. She was perfect in the TV show "My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend." The two leading ladies are Sophia Anne Caruso and Sofia Wylie, matched by Charlize Theron and Kerry Washington.

Laurence Fishburne always makes a movie better.

The costume design is a lot of fun. You can now see some of them on display in a pop-up store in the Grove in Los Angeles, CA.

Most movies like this show one-dimensional characters that are either good or bad, so I appreciate that this story shows us characters that are a little bit of both.

It does feel fantastical that allows us to escape into a new world.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: The movie is WAY too long. It feels like it would be better as a TV series or a limited movie series.

There are so many side characters that we don't get to know much about, making the entire movie feel overstuffed.

Despite all of the action and drama, I felt bored at times.

I was surprised by bad acting moments from award-winning stars who I know can do better. That seems to be happening more and more with Netflix movies.

There are some plot holes as the rules of the universe seem to change. For example, sometimes we see a character as an ugly witch and then, without explanation, she changes back into her beautiful self.

Characters come and go quickly. It's sometimes hard to know which ones are the most important ones to focus on.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Lots of magical violence Some scary images People die

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