Traditional fairytale lovers prepare for a shock. The new film Red Riding Hood brings a dark edge to the well-known tale of a girl and a big bad wolf. Its artful use of romance, mystery, and an ever-growing sense of foreboding will sweep you away.
The beautiful maiden Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) is caught between two handsome men, Henry (Max Irons), the wealthy blacksmith's son that her mother wants her to marry, and the roguish woodcutter Peter (Shiloh Fernandez).
Tragedy strikes when her older sister is killed by a werewolf. There is no reason why Valerie should feel any positive feelings towards the evil creature; but she soon realises that she and the werewolf have a special connection.
The sinister tone of the film enhances the well-known fairy tale people have long loved - and thought they knew.
'Most of us grew up with a sanitised version of Red Riding Hood, but the original fairy tale has darker elements that make it much more intriguing,' says director Catherine Hardwicke, who famously helmed the first Twilight movie.
'When you were a child, the story might have meant one thing to you, but looking back on it as a teenager or adult, you respond to it in a completely different way.'
The staging of the film was of great importance in conveying a sense of the surreal. The film is set in a rustic village in medieval times. 'We wanted to situate it in our own little fairy-tale world, in keeping with the story's origins', says Hardwicke.
