Red Riding Hood (2011): Review

A MAN BITTEN IS A MAN CURSED!

Genre: Romantic horror/mystery

Release Year: 2011

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Director: Catherine Hardwicke

Content Warnings: violence, creature terror, brief intimacy scene

Personal Rating: PG-13

This review is spoiler-free.

Twilight fans who dreamed of an edgier adaptation of the franchise—sans the sparkly vampires—have options. Director Catherine Hardwicke's horror spin on a classic fairy tale delivers the bite they craved... but it may taste more like cheese than quality.

Red Riding Hood (2011) is one of many re-imagined stories brought to cinema during a swell in an era of endless remakes. As most remakes go, this film slashes out with darker, bloodier, and smuttier subject matter than its source material, delivering something too inappropriate for children and immature for adults.

Where does that leave this film's target demographic?

Teenagers, of course. And, in a small sense, the stray Alyssa Charpentier, for I am a simple creature who enjoys shapeshifters and fantasy... for some reason. ;)

A Movie That’s Licking Its Wounds… and Probably Always Will

Red Riding Hood was widely unpopular upon its release and currently sits at just 10% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Yikes. That's far from fresh.

The audience score isn't much more forgiving. Its IMDB and Film Affinity ratings aren't kinder, either, and by now, this decade-plus-old movie has been relegated to the mists of irrelevance.

But is this dark and sensual story truly a spit in the eye of the fairy tale? Is it another artistic flop on Catherine Hardwicke's part and a pale, dogged attempt to cling to the fame of her Twilight features?

Dig your paws in and settle down as I regale you with the tale of the teeny-bopper-meets-terrifying-monster take on Little Red Riding Hood.

Unearthing the Plot

Red Riding Hood opens with sweeping vistas of sprawling forests, castles, and racing rivers before centering on a small village called Daggerhorn. You'd best enjoy the glimpses of inspiring scenery you get at the beginning of this film because that's all you'll see of it from then on out.

A young blonde girl skips through the village as she observes its residents warning of the approaching full moon and priming a sacrificial pig for slaughter.

"Better the wolf takes the pig than you," a child's father tells her as she looks forlornly at the animal.

Nicely said, Pops.

The blonde girl, Valerie, informs the audience that she and her family "lived on the edge of a dark forest" where many terrible things happened. As Valerie collects water, she is surprised by the male lead, Peter, who invites her into the forest's heart for a hunting session. Here, the two children trap a rabbit and consider ending its life. The scene shifts, and the children become adults.

Enter the classic romantic subplot that simmers beneath the film's horror twist.

Valerie, played by Amanda Seyfried, has blossomed into a winsome woman who admits her temptations to not be a "good girl." Her primary enticement? The strapping young woodcutter, Peter, with whom she wants to be despite her arranged marriage to a much, well... let's call him a "safer" fellow named Henry.

Truly, nice guys can never catch a break.

Peter, who is essentially discount Edward from Twilight, tells Valerie to "run away" with him and escape her betrothal to Henry. Ah, yes, a plot point I couldn't have anticipated in a story with an arranged marriage.

From here on out, the audience will begin to take note of Peter's brute strength, outdoorsy inclination, and sultry nature.

*Peter and Valerie (Beauty and the Beast?)*

Valerie's life seems fairly simple and quaint. Maybe her only issue really is deciding whether or not to be a basic female protagonist in a drama story and choose the rugged guy over the gentleman.

There's just one problem; that full moon she mentioned earlier? It's come back to bite her. Actually, it's come back to bite her sister, who Valerie discovers has been killed by the famous werewolf menacing Daggerhorn.

Why should anyone care about this death in the film's first few minutes with no prior introduction to the character? Why didn't the wolf eat Valerie's sister when it devoured the villagers' sacrifices?

One might chalk it up to plot convenience, but that's just being cynical.

Since the wolf broke a supposed peace pact with Daggerhorn after killing Valerie's sister, the village men decide to hunt it down. This mission proves ill-fated and deadly, and they are forced to call on established werewolf killer Father Solomon (Gary Oldman) for aid. Father Solomon observes that werewolves do not always assume beast forms but rather human ones at most times. This means that one of Daggerhorn's very own residents is likely the monster.

That's a revelation that doesn't bode well for Valerie's love life, but if she's anything like Bella Swan, she won't care about loving a literal monster.

More characters slowly trickle into the story as it unfolds. There's Henry, Valerie's soft-mannered future husband. Cesaire, her father. An unsettling grandmother who somehow makes every sentence that comes out of her mouth sound like an innuendo. A jealous, one-dimensional friend (or several).

All these characters are potential werewolf candidates, and all of them have a significant stake in the plot.

Red Riding Hood has an atmosphere of tension and subtle horror that is genuinely gripping. Only the very perceptive and suspicious will identify the true wolf before the big, bad reveal, but until then, viewers are treated to creature carnage and questions that spike their thirst for answers.

Father Solomon, in his quest to solve Daggerhorn's supernatural problem, struggles to keep the village together after a werewolf attack kills more residents. He ends up using a giant metal elephant to coerce would-be wolves into outing themselves—talk about a bizarre torture device—which lends considerable evidence toward a certain character being the perp.

An additional terror beams on the plot in the form of the Blood Moon. The Blood Moon is how the werewolf intends to pass its curse to the next generation, and it seems that Valerie is the chosen vessel for this dark power.

It really always is the pretty ones.

*“You were always too good. Too pretty. Too… perfect. You tricked us! Now you’re gonna get what you deserve.”*
*Valerie’s Pick-Me-Girling has earned her the special privilege of being the village sacrifice.*

When all is said and done, Red Riding Hood is surprisingly more bite than bark; it concludes on a satisfying note with a twist reveal and a romantic tie-off that suggests (but doesn't require) a sequel.

(Not that this is ever getting a sequel, but maybe Disney will add it to their roster once they've blown through corporatizing the rest of their classic films.)

Source Material Satisfaction?

Red Riding Hood is loosely based on the famous fairy tale and otherwise takes creative liberties with the story. It draws on the story's classic concept and contorts it into a legitimately compelling folksy horror flick wherein no one is safe, and a genuine mystery is at play.

Which of Valerie's loved ones is the monster? With a good variety of possibilities, all of them suspicious in their own right, viewers will enjoy the suspense of identifying the werewolf.

Red Riding Hood seamlessly communicates dread despite some clunky dialogue and an unnecessary intimate scene. Its small, provincial setting feels frail and unsafe. The thorn-encrusted trees outside it in the snow-slicked forest and the dark shape of Mt. Grimoor communicate the story's darkness. Top it off with an endangered romance, creepy grandmothers, a pious tyrant (Father Solomon) threatening to tear the village apart, and the ever-present threat of a hungry werewolf desirous of sharing its demonic curse, and this makes for a solid fairytale gone very wrong.

*My, what big wolf potential you have, Grandmother!*

As a horror film, Red Riding Hood is simple but strong. It pulls off the twist reveal flawlessly, and every step required to reach it is daunting.

The movie is likely to maintain one's interest if one allows oneself to become immersed in the story. It isn't to be over-analyzed or chewed on too much. Red Riding Hood excels in its simplicity, and it's got nothing grander to offer than that. It has the same message as its source material, albeit in a darker, more adult-appropriate way, with a romantic subplot for added “appeal.”

In many ways, Red Riding Hood is faithful to the original story, as the theme of "trust but verify" is perfectly intact. The grim possibility of what happens when you don't have a healthy amount of suspicion remains, too, and it is amplified here. It's no kid's movie, but it wasn't meant to be, and it excels at achieving the modern feel of the Brothers Grimm tale.

A Bone of Contention

Cringy lines like, "I would do anything to be with you" and "If you love her, you'll let her go" are uttered in this film.

It's okay; remember, I watched this so you don't have to.

The romance here is all-around cookie-cutter plain, and some viewers may find it yawn-inducing and insufferably cliche. Others will defend its simplicity in always-peaceful internet protests.

Either way, it would be ignorant to pretend that millions of romances with the classic concept of innocent-maiden-meets-brooding-bad-boy haven't been done before—or that they haven't proliferated in entertainment.

Look at Hardwicke's most notable work, the Twilight saga; it is built upon the same concepts. Bella Swan is a gullible high school girl with no grasp of how dangerous her predator/boyfriend, Edward, really is. While Edward would probably never actually harm Bella, he is still a lethal, living weapon, and his existence is a continual threat to Bella’s.

This same idea of an alluring, potentially deadly man enticing a beautiful young woman is at play in Red Riding Hood. The most notable difference is that Valerie becomes less attracted to Peter as she begins to suspect he's a monster. In contrast, Bella becomes more infatuated with Edward after learning about his vampirism. Thus, Valerie gets a cookie for common sense.

What's important to note is that this persistent theme of bad-boy-chases-good-girl is biologically sound. Historically, women have insisted upon and enjoyed being pursued by men instead of pursuing them. You can see this play out in nature. Male butterflies, birds, and other creatures in the animal kingdom will appeal to female sensibilities with bright colors, performative dances, and dominance contests. The female's job is to pick someone she's impressed with and appoint him as her provider and the father of her offspring.

Thus, the romance in Red Riding Hood follows tradition.

Honestly, did this movie really need some thought-provoking intellectualized romance? I don’t think so. Red Riding Hood offers absolutely nothing new or interesting in this department, and I am okay with that.

A Sumptuous Plot Twist

Red Riding Hood dropped the ball on some things—its characters, namely, for their one-dimensionalism—but the plot twist wasn't one of them.

It's never impossible to piece together who dun it in a mystery, but it becomes more challenging when the protagonist is surrounded by likely (and very creepy) candidates. Such is Valerie's case.

Those who figure out the perp before it becomes apparent are smarter than me, and I think I can live with that!

There's a fun and shocking plot twist with Father Solomon, who is by far the strongest character in the movie, that no one is likely to anticipate.

*“It’s strong…”*
***“GOD IS STRONGER!”***

Another plot twist earlier on explains why Valerie's sister was killed. It fits nicely into the story and makes the movie and its characters better developed. Overall, I have nothing but praise for the plot twists in this film, and if that means I have a room temperature IQ, then hand me my glass of jet-fueled water; I'll drink to that!

Ultimately Unremarkable

What ruins Red Riding Hood for many is its abounding cliches and stereotypes. Despite this, you'll forgive me, but... I somehow end up watching this thing every couple of years, and I have been since it came out.

Why, you ask? (I know you're asking if you've read this far.)

Because it's charming. It's simple fun. The werewolf lore and how darkly and beautifully it is woven into this small-town horror story are shockingly effective. Amanda Seyfried owns her role as Valerie and sometimes creeps you out to the point that you distrust her, and she's the main character! And Gary Oldman makes for a fantastic tyrannical religious figure.

There are concepts of heritage, friendship and betrayal, existential dread, treachery, and learning to appreciate the best (and worst) of the men in your love triangle in this fun little flick. It's not deep or insightful, but somehow—some way—it commands attention.

It has an atmosphere and presence that are convincing. Maybe it won't be like this for you. But regardless of its shortcomings, Red Riding Hood is a worthwhile watch if you're looking for something easy, suspenseful, and mildly inspiring.

Viewers seeking a tense, decently-spun dark fairytale may enjoy a movie riddled with imperfections and delivered by a director who knows exactly what she's doing and gleefully delivers that lower-bar quality… with flashes of creative brilliance along the way.

For its areas of genuine entertainment and intrigue, I award this film 3 stars.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

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