The long-awaited Netflix movie release of ‘The School for Good and Evil’ is finally out, and I for one couldn’t wait to see this book series on the big screen.
With the fantasy genre becoming less frequent, I was enthralled to see a new fantasy film within the media, as the movie incorporates fantasy elements from famous fairy-tale stories together in one place.
Before I begin my review, I will say that I am a die-hard fan of the books. From the original series, I have read all six books (seven, if you include the handbook), and loved every single one of them. So, when a movie was announced, I was overjoyed to see some of my favourite characters be brought to life. This would be an understatement as because I grew up with the novels, the first one dating back to 2013, I had high expectations that I wanted the film to meet or exceed.
I will also state a disclaimer that, like any movies adapted from the screen, the movie is slightly different from the book. I immediately braced myself for this and went in with the understanding that there will be slight differences to the book.
The story
The story follows protagonists Sophie, a character who, at face value, would fit the definition of a princess, and Agatha, who is labelled a witch within her town for living near a graveyard and wearing black. The two become close friends and share the burden of living in their small town where both feel they don’t belong.
The story continues with Sophie and Agatha learning about ‘The School for Good and Evil,’ an unknown place where students are trained to be the faces of the new fairy-tale adventures.
The two girls are transported to the school, where Agatha, the ‘ugly’ girl is dropped at the ‘Good’ school and Sophie, the ‘beautiful’ girl at the ‘Evil’ school. Sprinkle in a Prince Charming and we’ve got ourselves a love triangle. Love them or hate them, you’ve gotta admit, they’re interesting to watch.
With numerous elements like the ‘Trial by Tale,’ a cameo from Soman Chainani, the author of the series, and an epic battle from Rafal, the story reached its conclusion. Or so it looked. As the first book ended on a cliffhanger. I liked that the film stayed true to this, inciting watchers to learn more about this enthralling story.
The good
I was blown away by the sudden introduction of the ‘School Master’ twins. Now non-book fans might be asking what a ‘School Master’ is. Well, don’t worry, the ‘School Master’ is the people, or now, person in charge of the Storian, the magical book which writes each and every story which comes out of the school and is published into the real world.
Non-book readers would be shocked to learn that the story between Rafal and Rhian, the twins that kept the balance between good and evil within the stories, while touched upon, is not fully explored until books four and five. It was interesting to learn about their backstory on the full screen to see how the twins interacted with each other.
When reading any book, everyone has a character who they gravitate towards or like the most. In my case, it was Agatha. In every way, Agatha represents our insecurities of not being enough, of always being in Sophie’s shadow because she was scared of facing people’s judgements head-on. That’s why when Agatha finally grows into herself and accepts who she truly is, you can’t help but root for her.
Every moment Tedros and Agatha were on the screen, my heart exploded with happiness (metaphorically, of course). I loved the movie’s subtle shift from cold and judgemental to a strong romantic connection. There was one scene from the movie, which was taken from the book (and I’m so glad they did) where Tedros tosses his rose into the air, and it lands on Agatha’s lap. Now, if that’s not foreshadowing ladies and gentlemen, then I don’t know what is.
While Sophie and I don’t have that much in common, what we can bond over is our love of clothes. The costumes across the cast fit perfectly with what I imagined both schools to look like. The colour palette represents the dichotomy of the school’s differing views perfectly. Regardless of whether you liked or disliked the movie, you must agree with me that the costume department went above and beyond.
What movies sometimes do is contradict themselves according to their books. However, great movies add to their existing plot through the lens of the big screen. I was interested to learn about Lady Lesso’s backstory who we learn was actually a reader, like Sophie and Agatha. This extra snippet of detail adds depth to her character. She’s not just a professor but she deeply cares about the School Master.
The bad
Where was Professor Sader – when watching the movie, I had my eyes peeled for a certain professor. Disappointment was an understatement when such a pivotal character was not present within the entire film. A character that was close to every protagonist and antagonist alike written out of the film made me displeased.
While there was strong pacing throughout the film, at times, it felt a little rushed. Even though the movie was already over two hours long, the movie could’ve been stretched out further to add more important elements to the plot. It just shows the depth of the plot and its characters within the first book. While I might have a biased opinion as I would love to see my favourite characters on screen, I would still believe everything happens in the blink of an eye.
The end
While I am on the fence about cliffhangers as I feel some can be executed better than others, I do like the film’s ending as it stays true to the actual plot. At the book’s finale, Agatha kisses Sophie and they are transported back to Gavaldon instantly. However, in the film, Agatha says goodbye to Tedros and leaves with Sophie willingly. While it’s not a bad ending, I prefer the book ending as Agatha’s lack of choice means there’s a desire to return back to the ‘School for Good and Evil.’
While the portal did open due to Tedros’ arrow, meaning Agatha and Sophie can return, it will be interesting to see if there will be a potential second movie in the works.
Overall, I would give the movie a 4/5. I love this movie because these characters grew up with me and are my childhood. Therefore, I will always love the creative direction, regardless of what was chosen. So, if fantasy movies are your thing and you’re constantly scrolling on Netflix with nothing to watch, give the movie a try. And if you get hooked on the movies, start the series. I promise you won’t regret it!
Lead image: Netflix on Youtube