An Excellent Halloween Treat

Over the weekend, I enjoyed a line-up of some of my favorite Halloween-themed films. I steered clear of the movies on the creepier side as opposed to others. Kudos, by the way, to those with a stomach strong enough for horror, we all have our tastes. I say that often, but I truly mean it! I simply prefer to stay on the less gruesome side of Halloween. This is why my list included classics such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and Hocus Pocus.

I did, however, venture over to the new and intriguing selections available. One that immediately caught my attention was The School for Good and Evil. First, I have to applaud the creativity behind this story. The idea of there being a school that trains and prepares heroes and villains for the roles they play in some of our most beloved stories is sheer genius! In this film, the characters in the schools were children of very famous names such as Captain Hook, King Arthur, and even the Sheriff of Nottingham! This detail made me even more enraptured in the movie.

Something I found particularly amazing about this story is that it broke all unspoken rules about true love, especially true love's kiss. Now, we're all used to the standard process of achieving said kiss. You know, the hero, after overcoming unspeakable trials, finally unites with the fair maiden (who's usually knocked out for one reason or another) and with the power of true love's kiss, breaks the spell binding her.

Our big bad villain in this movie, on the other hand, who goes by the name of Rafal, uses that power in a completely different way. I have to admit, I liked the fresh spin on this. One of the status quos shattered in this plot is that evil won true love's kiss, not good! Ok, maybe manipulated is a more appropriate word to use, but still, he got it! Rafal set a test to find his true love and actually got the exact result that he wanted. I was quite pleased to see this innovative take on an old-fashioned notion. I mean, it was terrible for the heroine, but I loved it regardless.

It's probably needless to say that Rafal wouldn't have succeeded in winning his lady love Sophie if there wasn't evil in her to manipulate. I admired the scene where the heroine Agatha was speaking with the dean of the school for good and she mentioned she didn't believe anyone was purely good or evil. It reminded me of one of my all-time favorite characters, Sirius Black, who said something similar, and it rings true. I was delighted that Agatha called out the nonsense of what the schools thought made someone good or evil.

There's one additional principle that was dismantled in this film, and, in fact, I'm so glad to be seeing more of it in new films. It's also something Rafal underestimated. Movies in the past practically ingrained in us that the romantic kind of true love was the most powerful and conquered all. It was so refreshing to see that, in the end, the love between best friends is what made things right again. Of course, it's not negating the romantic type of true love, there's still power in that. It's just not the only type of true love carrying that power.

I'm going to be watching this movie again, without a doubt, and you know what's even better? The ending is a setup for part two! I can't wait to see how Agatha and Sophie's story continues. I'm also wondering if Sophie will fall into the grasp of evil again, or if she's had a total transformation for good. Whatever the case may be, I am here for it!