Coming from director Simon Wells, The Evil Fairy Queen follows a family who is lured into a remote farmhouse. Unbeknownst to the family, the farmhouse is in the middle of a dying kingdom of fairies whose only hope of staying alive is through human sacrifice. The matriarch of the family must fight for the safety of her youngest daughter against the evil fairies.
The film opens up with a nice (and brief) telling of fairy folklore with the help of animation. As soon as the film transitions into live-action, things happen very quickly. Without much build-up, a woman suspiciously disappears into the woods. We are then introduced to the Richards family, who received a letter from a great-aunt asking to visit as soon as possible. After the agreement to visit the aunt at the farmhouse, the mother, Kate (Julia Czartoryski), begins having nightmares of a mysterious woman visiting her in her childhood.
Settling into the farmhouse, the youngest daughter of the family, Violet (Kitty Sudbery), befriends a woman, Melisandria, who not only lets Violet know that she is an old friend of the family but also introduces her to fairies only if she promises to keep them a secret. Things get even more strange as the daughter becomes closer to Melisandria. Once Kate catches wind of Violet’s new friend, she realizes she must keep her away from Melisandria at all costs.
“…in the middle of a dying kingdom of fairies whose only hope of staying alive is through human sacrifice.”
Unlike what Disney would have you believe, fairies are not all good. In fairy mythology, fairies were often seen as mischievous and feared by some. What I appreciate about this film is that it went the route of traditional fairy folklore. This film had just enough fantasy with evil fairies, evil queens, bewitching, enchanted woods, and even mention of gnome pee, but I do wish that the film had gone to the extreme with fantasy. I grew up on films like The Never Ending Story, The Labyrinth, and Legend, so when it comes to fantasy, I want a fantasy film spewing mythology. I want to see the gnomes they mentioned, I want to see trolls, and hell, maybe even unicorns.
Aside from the film’s fantastical aspect, I want to highlight the acting—specifically the acting of Julia Czartoryski and Hannah. Their acting was at best when they shared the screen together. Most of their shared screen time happens in the film’s final act, which makes sense for story purposes, but I feel the film could have used more screen time with the pair.
The Evil Fairy Queen does best when it takes from traditional European folklore of fairies. I’m not sure if this is exactly suited for families, as it feels more suited for a teen and adult crowd. I would view it with caution if you want to watch this with your children, as it has some scenes that may be a bit scary for younger children. I think it has enough fantasy for the casual genre fan, but do not expect a huge, elaborate fairy tale world. If you like European mythology, then I think you will definitely find interest in this film.
"…Unlike what Disney would have you believe, fairies are not all good."
