ClickTheCity

Tag: The School for Good and Evil

  • Whimsical and campy, ‘The School for Good and Evil’ subverts fairy tale narratives and ask you to question deeper

    ‘The School for Good and Evil’ presents itself as a fairy tale, complete with a narrator (by no less than Cate Blanchett), magic and mystical creatures, and an adventure centered on true love and friendship. It even goes as far as creating a world where fairy tales are true and that the stories are crafted in a mystical land where students are taught how to be good or evil so that they can create new stories to inspire the world.

    While the film, directed by Paul Feig and co-written by Feig and David Magee (based on the book series of the same name by Soman Chainani), is filled to the brim with CGI-heavy moments of sword and sorcery and high fantasy, it also carries a tone that is whimsical, tongue-in-cheek even. It feels purposefully light-weight in its presentation, as if it doesn’t take itself too seriously, which may have been problematic if seen in the cinemas but watching it at home on Netflix gives it the right tonal atmosphere.

    SGE 2
    Photo: Netflix

    After all, there’s never really any sense of danger to the film. The two protagonists, the best friends Sophie and Agatha (Sophia Anne Caruso and Sofia Wylie, respectively), live as outcasts in the village of Gavaldon. Touted as a witch, Agatha is almost attacked in an alleyway but is rescued by her best friend, who lives in a chaotic home with a stepmother who cares not for her and a father oblivious to her troubles. Reminiscent of other fairy tales like Cinderella for Sophie’s home environment or the fact that the two young girls like to frequent a bookshop that’s reminiscent of Belle in ‘Beauty and the Beast.’

    When Sophie makes a wish to be a student in the School for Good and Evil, she and Agatha end up there and find themselves in quite a quandary: Sophie, who wishes to be a princess, is left at the School for Evil while Agatha, who didn’t want to go in the first place, is placed in the School for Good. The depictions of good and evil are very one-dimensional. They have uglification classes for the school of evil and, in the school for good, they have classes for beauty, which involves smiling and how to use it as a weapon.

    SGE 4
    Photo: Netflix

    It is actually quite contrived if it weren’t for Agatha’s suspicion that something is amiss. Feig is not afraid to lay it all on thick, with big stars as the professors such as Charlize Theron as Lady Lesso, the dean of the School for Evil, and Kerry Washington as Professor Dovey, the dean of the School for Good. The two big stars, as well as Michelle Yeoh in a smaller role yet manages to pop in every scene she’s in, seem to understand the campy tone of the whole film. They are in on the joke and are having a lot of fun in the process and it amplifies the campy mood of ‘The School for Good and Evil’ but it also underscores Agatha’s complaints about the world.

    Because as light and as frivolous as ‘The School for Good and Evil’ can be, it manages to question the morality of this world, the one-dimensional look into the binary of good and bad. In the process, it manages to serve as a sort of criticism against performative acts of goodness and questions deeper into how things are. It subverts the ideas of fairy tales and opens up doors to understanding the gray areas.

    SGE 3
    Photo: Netflix

    While big stars like Theron, Washington, Yeoh, and Laurence Fishburne are having fun playing whimsical, it is Caruso and Wylie who are pushing the deeper thoughts of the story forward. Caruso is delightful as her portrayal of Sophie is one of utter belief in the ideology of the world of fairy tales while Wylie is the opposite, questioning everything and fighting against the facade of the things in front of her. Their chemistry grounds the film because it’s their friendship that is at the center of it all.

    Yes, it’s light and easy and doesn’t take itself seriously. But that is what makes it enjoyable. It’s like a refreshing antithesis to the Harry Potter series and the seriousness of its later releases. It’s perfect for younger audiences and it’s not something I wouldn’t mind seeing more of in the future.

    My Rating:

    5 stars - Don't Look Up review

    .

    —

    The School for Good and Evil is now streaming on Netflix.

    ALSO READ
    ‘The School for Good and Evil’: Q&A with Stars Sofia Wylie and Sophia Anne Caruso

  • ‘The School for Good and Evil’: Q&A with Stars Sofia Wylie and Sophia Anne Caruso

    Get whisked away into a world of fairy tales when The School for Good and Evil drops on Netflix tomorrow!

    Based on the bestselling book series of the same name by Soman Chainani, The School for Good and Evil tells the story of the best friends Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie). While Sophie has always dreamt of becoming a princess, Agatha has always had the makings of a witch, but when the two are taken to the School for Good and Evil, they seem to have been sorted into the wrong schools: Agatha in the School for Good and Sophie in the School for Evil. As the duo tries to correct this mistake, a mysterious figure tied to Sophie surfaces, threatening to destroy the school and the world beyond entirely.

    Watch the trailer for The School for Good and Evil below:

    Before the film drops on Netflix this October 19, we got to chat with its lead stars Sofia Wylie who plays Agatha, and Sophia Anne Caruso who plays Sophie, through a virtual roundtable interview. Check out the highlights of the interview below:

    What life lessons from the film did you pick up when shooting?

    Sofia Wylie (SW): I think there are so many wonderful lessons in this movie. Something that I think I learned, was how beauty comes from within. Even though that’s so cheesy, it’s really so true. Growing up in this industry, I didn’t necessarily feel like I was the standard for beauty in a lot of my life, and I kind of struggled with accepting myself for what I am and what I look like, but as Agatha has this journey of self-love and self-discovery, I feel like I was also mirroring that journey while we were filming too.

    Sophia Anne Caruso (SC): I think that the film has a lot of lessons in it. It was a long shooting process, and it was a difficult shoot in all the best ways. But a big theme in the movie is friendship and how powerful that is, so to have an awesome co-star by my side who also became a friend really proved that message to be true!

    SGE 2
    Photo courtesy of Netflix

    What were your personal favorites when it comes to fairytales, and how did they resonate with you growing up?

    SW: I think my favorite fairytale had to be The Little Mermaid. I was such a big fan of mermaids growing up. I would pray to God every night to make me a mermaid and wake up in the morning and I would place my finger in my sink with some water, and I would wait for about 5 minutes. Did I ever turn into a mermaid? That’s a secret I can’t tell, but I just wish I could be something more than just human. That’s always been a big dream of mine, to be this out-of-this-world thing.

    SC: I always liked Alice in Wonderland growing up… I liked the idea of her, jumping down the rabbit hole and exploring a whole different world.

    SGE 4
    Photo courtesy of Netflix

    How was the casting process for the film?

    SW: My journey in booking the role of Agatha for this movie was long. I had a meeting with some of the producers of the film, I was really interested in being a part of it. I did, I think maybe two or three self-tapes? Before I got the call to have a chemistry test with Sophia Anne and Paul Feig.

    After that, I think I waited for… I don’t really know how long, I felt like an eternity. But then I finally got the call that I had booked the role of Agatha and we were still in quarantine during that time so we didn’t know when the filming process would actually begin, but it ended up beginning about a year after I found out that I was going to play Agatha. So it was a really long process because of that but once I started filming, it felt like no time had passed at all and I was really ready to go. I had a really wonderful co-star to work with every single day, so it was a really wonderful process.

    SC: My journey of getting this job started with meeting with Paul Feig. He and I were talking about the different work that we want to do, and I asked him if he had anything that we could work on together. He mentioned this project, then I made a tape for him then I tested with Sofia.

    SGE 3
    Photo courtesy of Netflix

    Director Paul Feig encouraged you to have your own input on your characters’ looks. What were the elements that you added to your character?

    SW: Renee [Ehrlich Kalfus], who was our wardrobe was so incredibly collaborative, as well as Paul Feig, he was really wonderful in allowing us to have a say in what we wanted to look like, how we wanted to act, what we wanted the environment to feel like and be– which was not something that I have ever experienced before, a very different environment to be a part of.

    I think for me, as Agatha, I was able to incorporate my dream princess desires into her princess transition regarding hairstyles, as well as not allowing her curly hair to become straight. I did not want that to be a representation of what a princess should be, that her hair becomes straight if it’s curly. Her hair can still be curly and untamed and be out there, and that doesn’t take away from any form of princess-ness. The gowns are beautiful and I’m glad I got to send a lot of my personal aspirations.

    SA: Everything was super collaborative, and I think we’re all on the same page anyway for the looks. Renee, the costume designer, we shared a lot of mood boards and we have a lot of the same imagery on there, so it was really great.

    —
    The School for Good and Evil is directed by Paul Feig, and it also stars Kerry Washington, Charlize Theron, Laurence Fishburne, Jamie Flatters, Kit Young, and Rob Delaney. The film starts streaming on Netflix this October 19.

  • WATCH: ‘The School for Good and Evil’ Trailer Brings the Book to Life

    Netflix has released the first trailer for their live-action movie adaptation of the bestselling books series, The School for Good and Evil.

     The upcoming fantasy film comes from Bridesmaids and Ghostbusters: Answer the Call director Paul Feig, and will bring the beloved characters of Sophie and Agatha to life. Watch the trailer for The School for Good and Evil below:

    Based on the book series of the same name by Soman Chainani, The School for Good and Evil follows the best friends Sophie and Agatha. While Sophie dreams of becoming a princess, the grim Agatha has the makings of a real witch. One night under a blood-red moon, the two were swept away and brought to the School for Good and Evi– where stories of the great fairy tales begin.

    However, the two find themselves in the wrong schools– with Sophie in the School for Evil and Agatha in the School for Good. As they try to correct this mistake and switch schools, a dangerous figure with mysterious ties to Sophie emerges, threatening to destroy the school and the world beyond entirely.

    The series stars Sophia Anne Caruso as Sophie and Sofia Wylie as Agatha. Also joining the cast are Kerry Washington, Charlize Theron, Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Flatters, Kit Young, Peter Serafinowicz, Rob Delaney, Mark Heap, Patti LuPone, and Rachel Bloom.

    The film will start streaming on Netflix on October 19. Follow us on  Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get the latest news on film, TV, and more updates around the city!

  • ‘The School for Good and Evil’ arrives on Netflix October 21

    18619
    Courtesy of Netflix

    About THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL:

    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 glamourous 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 the dashing son of 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.

    Based on the epic international best-selling series by Soman Chainani, THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL is directed by Paul Feig, stars Sophia Anne Caruso, Sofia Wylie, Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Flatters, Kit Young, Peter Serafinowicz, Rob Delaney, Mark Heap, Patti LuPone and Rachel Bloom, with Kerry Washington and Charlize Theron.

    Also starring Earl Cave, Demi Isaac Oviawe, Freya Parks, Kaitlyn Akinpelumi, Holly Sturton, Emma Lau, Briony Scarlett, Ally Cubb, Rosie Graham, Joelle, Chinenye Ezeudu, Oliver Watson, Ali Khan, Myles Kamwendo and Misia Butler.