The School for Good and Evil

The whole idea derives from a book series by Soman Chainani, though it's obvious where it really comes from: the imagination of J.K. Rowling, who must be ...

Chainani suggests that all the heroes of literature, from Cinderella to Aladdin, studied here, but it’s no place for readers. “Princess-haired” Sophie (stage prodigy Sophia Anne Caruso of “Beetlejuice”) is tired of such mistreatment, so she makes a wish to be whisked away. [Charlize Theron](https://variety.com/t/charlize-theron/) to play the decked-out divas who oversee the enchanted institution’s two sides.

And it's here that one of the highest billed (and personally, highest anticipated) names dwells as Sophie's evil stepmother: Folks, it's Rachel Bloom. The co- ...

There's Cate Blanchett as the voice of the Storian, recording it all in a giant book, and Mark Heap as the sniveling potions master Professor Manley. In Chainani's narrative, Honora and her best friend, Vanessa, have affections for the same guy, Stefan, who has eyes for Honora. While yes, the film's focus is justifiably on Sophie and Agatha's complicated friendship journey, the cast is as stacked with incredible grown-up stars as a Harry Potter film, with the School of Good run by Professor Dovey (Kerry Washington) while Lady Lesso (Charlize Theron) runs the School of Evil. [Reboot](https://mashable.com/article/reboot-review-hulu), so this was all the time that might have been available. While her friend Agatha (Sofia Wylie) faces abuse and persecution from the community, Sophie deals with it in her own home like the heroine of the European folk tale. "It was supposed to go in the stew!"

Paul Feig's adaptation of Soman Chainani's beloved YA novels is another VFX-powered fantasy epic from Netflix.

[Snow White And The Huntsman](https://www.avclub.com/film/reviews/snow-white-and-the-huntsman-2012), there’s a missed opportunity here, perhaps to sink her teeth into what should be the campiest of characters. [The School For Good And Evil](https://www.avclub.com/film/reviews/the-school-for-good-and-evil-2022), fantasy-powered fluff for the whole family that’s positively swimming in CGI. Dumb jock and son of King Arthur, Tedros (Jamie Flatters), wields Excalibur to such dazzling effect that he tempts both Sophie and Agatha into, you guessed it again, a love triangle. Wylie makes for a suitable audience stand-in (too convincingly, in fact, as her skepticism often points out the ridiculousness of this segregated school’s very premise), and looks gorgeous in Renee Ehrlich Kalfus’ costumes, which are eye-popping fun. [Shadow And Bone](https://www.avclub.com/netflix-s-shadow-and-bone-will-enfold-viewers-in-its-lu-1846738631)), Good And Evil immediately feels both rushed to check every major plot point off its list, and obligated to explain and re-explain those points. Dreaming of escaping her narrow-minded village and wearing princess gowns, Sophie writes a letter seeking admission to the fabled School for Good and Evil, from which it turns out all fairy tale characters graduate and protect the world’s balance of, you guessed it, good and evil.

Find out which actors were cast as heroes or villains in the dramatic and dreamy book adaption. school-for-good-and-evil-poster-cropped ...

[Laurence Fishburne](https://collider.com/tag/laurence-fishburne/) as the School Master [Michelle Yeoh](https://collider.com/tag/michelle-yeoh/) as Professor Anemone [Matrix](https://collider.com/tag/the-matrix/) character Morpheus, Laurence Fishburne has been staying quite busy in recent years. [Kit Young](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-jesper-kit-young-stunt-training-video/) as Rafal [Earl Cave](https://collider.com/school-for-good-and-evil-cast-earl-cave-netflix/) as Hort [Kerry Washington](https://collider.com/tag/kerry-washington/) as Professor Dovey [multiverse-shattering A24 movie Everything Everywhere All at Once](https://collider.com/tag/everything-everywhere-all-at-once). [Sofia Wylie](https://collider.com/sofia-wylie-interview-high-school-musical-series-disney-plus/) as Agatha [Cate Blanchett](https://collider.com/tag/cate-blanchett/) as the Narrator [Sophia Anne Caruso](https://collider.com/school-for-good-and-evil-clip-charlize-theron-kerry-washington-sophia-anne-caruso-netflix/) as Sophie [presented with a narrating voice](https://collider.com/cate-blanchett-cast-school-for-good-and-evil-paul-feig-netflix/). [Coming to Netflix](https://collider.com/biggest-movies-netflix-is-releasing-this-fall/) this week, this tale of duality and self-discovery is one that fantasy fans and fans of the novel alike can’t wait to be immersed in.

An adaptation of a YA favourite about two opposing fairytale schools is overlong, bland and utterly devoid of magic.

But the deeper purpose here is the straightforward regurgitation of archetypal Potterisms, from the lakeside training sessions to the handsome dining halls to the belief that everyone’s either a friend, rival or crush. Its determination to be like other things leaves the impression of nothing at all. With time and a daunting number of montages scored by such Gen Z-approved artists as Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo, they’ll come to see through the glaringly phony divide laid out for them, mostly by Sophie learning that you can look good and dress in black.

Empty and endless, and too often leaves you wondering what's going on and why we should bother.

And the production design on both sides is enjoyably over-the-top in its contrasting extremes: the School for Good essentially looks like a wedding cake you could live inside, while the School for Evil is like a goth version of Hogwarts. Here, fellow students are whittled down to a single trait, and—as in the Disney “Descendants” movies—most are the offspring of famous cultural figures, like Prince Charming, King Arthur, and the Sheriff of Nottingham. Deauville [Cate Blanchett ](/cast-and-crew/cate-blanchett)as Narrator (voice) But when the bird drops Sophie on the evil side and Agatha on the good side, they figure it must have been a mistake and struggle to switch places. [Soman Chainani](/cast-and-crew/soman-chainani), “The School for Good and Evil” focuses on two extremely different teenage best friends looking out for each other in a harsh, fairy-tale land. The much taller, wild-haired Agatha ( [Sofia Wylie](/cast-and-crew/sofia-wylie)) lives with her mom in a cottage in the forest, where they concoct potions together; she has a hairless cat named Reaper and dresses in all black, so she must be a witch.

Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, Michelle Yeoh, Sofia Wylie, and Sophia Anne Caruso lead Paul Feig's adaptation of Soman Chainani's boarding-school ...

Watching both of them evolve into the “good” and “evil” labels they resisted is satisfying, and watching their relationship grow and change is even more compelling. It’s a fairy tale where the witchy outcast girl can be a hero, and the girl who wants to be a princess falls in love with her inner dark side. Agatha is prickly, rude, and defiant, but she’s also one of the few students in the good school who actually cares about other people. But because the lead characters are so multifaceted and their relationship is so compelling, those tropes don’t weigh down the movie. Sophie, meanwhile, is so determined to make something of herself and prove she matters to the world that her ambition clouds her judgment. Fairy tales do tend to boil down to black-and-white thinking, and the main characters — who live in a more nuanced world, but are expected to take on fantasy roles — recognize that there’s something off about that. But much to their dismay, Sophie is tossed into the evil program, while Agatha ends up among the spoiled, glittery princesses of the good one. Designed to fit, then subvert and smash, archetypes, the two leads of The School for Good and Evil and their strong friendship turn the movie from fantastical fun to memorable delight. For instance, while the good-program princesses take lessons in smiling (which Agatha miserably fails), the bad school has an “uglification” class — because of course ugly is “evil,” in fairy-tale logic. But while Netflix’s new movie The School for Good and Evil does indulge all those beloved ideas in ways that might seem familiar, Director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) treats the conventions with love and care, turning the movie into a compelling fantasy adventure. Sophie dreams of a life beyond their tiny hometown, but Agatha just wants to keep her mother and Sophie safe. Everyone calls Agatha a witch, because she’s sullen, she wears ragged, dark clothing, and her mother makes herbal remedies on the side.

Paul Feig waves a very attractive wand at Soman Chainani's book for his take on the fairy tale world.

There’s great balance to the whole piece, but the real heart is firmly focused on the friendship between Sophie and Agatha which is what really pushes this through as a memorable and fun watch. Cate Blanchett is also given a purposeful narrator role that is vital to the story and plays into the fairy tale tweaks that work well overall. There’s also no shortage of big sequences and scenarios thrown at us, from magic trials to two balls in each house so The School for Good and Evil never gets boring. In fact, the strongest moments throughout the movie are the smaller ones between Agatha and Sophie, as well as Evers misfit Gregor (Ally Cubb) and the initially haughty but empathetic Tedros. Clarissa Dovey (Kerry Washington) of the Evers – and the whims of their flighty Schoolmaster (Laurence Fishburne). [Harry Potter ](/movies/franchise/harry-potter)series and the musical book by Winnie Holzman for [Wicked](/movies/wicked), The School for Good and Evil explores the black-and-white notions of good and evil under the roof of a magical school that teaches the next generation of both.

Sophia Anne Caruso and Sofia Wylie play outsiders who find themselves enrolled in the titular program, only to discover that the differences between heroism and ...

Neither actress has much chemistry with Flatters, who is meant to act as a comedic riff on the dully brave knight in shining armour — the problem is that Flatters doesn’t bring enough of a sly wink to his character’s musty stereotypes. But Feig doesn’t show much of a knack for action scenes, and the fantasy sequences lack the wide-eyed wonder that would make them special. Meanwhile Agatha, who conveys a witchier personality, is chosen for the School For Good, led by the ebullient Professor Dovey (Washington). Always wanting to be a princess, Sophie is thrilled — until she realises she has been accepted at the School For Evil, run by the nefarious Lady Lesso (Theron). A fantasy film about fairy tales with very little magic of its own, The School For Good And Evil is a laboured adaptation of the Soman Chainani bestseller, its celebration of friendship overshadowed by convoluted plotting and subpar spectacle. Good And Evil arrives on a very limited number of screens and on streaming through Netflix on October 19, and younger audiences may enjoy this Harry Potter-ish adventure — especially girls, who should appreciate director Paul Feig’s attempts to subvert the often patronising attitude toward women espoused in fairy tales.

The book series “The School For Good and Evil” from Soman Chainani has finally gotten the Hollywood treatment with a Netflix movie directed by Paul Feig, ...

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The world of fairytale fantasy is going through constant changes to break free from the problematic notions that were once dictated. Netflix's "The School ...

The school went back to the way it was before, and Rafal was furious at the turn of events. Her true love for Sophie and her tears of affection was able to heal her wound, and she came back to life. He and the rest of the men of the school of good went hunting down the students of the school of evil. Just as Tedros’s arrow was able to pierce the vortex separating the two worlds, a dagger landed in the world of Sophie and Agatha. While Sophie expected to be dropped at the school of good since she had always wanted to be someone like Cinderella and she believed in fairy tale endings, she was dropped at the school of evil. The school of evil was created by Rafal, and the school of good was looked after by Rhian. She wanted to unleash chaos, and she had all the power to do so. While Agatha wanted to return home, Sophie wished to belong to the school of good. It is believed that she was taken to the school of good and evil. Since only good could be successful in archery, by hitting the arrow at the mark, Sophie proved to Tedros that she was indeed good. He explained to the girls that there could not be any confusion because Storian had been writing the fairytale of Sophie and Agatha even before they came to the school. The fights between the school of evil and the school of good were clearly silly!

Although immersed in fantasy, "The School for Good and Evil" gets lost in a nether realm somewhere between Disney Channel fare like "Descendants" and more ...

Netflix is perhaps to be forgiven for wanting a piece of Disney and Warner Bros.’ action in this fertile genre, with dreams of sequels dancing in its head. There’s plenty of action along the way, as well as more wasted cameos, like Patti LuPone and Michelle Yeoh. Both operate under the oversight of the headmaster (Laurence Fishburne), in a place billed as “where the true story behind every fairy tale begins.”

The School for Good and Evil premieres globally Oct. 19 on Netflix. In 2013, author Soman Chainani released the first book in her revisionist fairy tale ...

There’s great balance to the whole piece, but the real heart is firmly focused on the friendship between Sophie and Agatha which is what really pushes this through as a memorable and fun watch. Cate Blanchett is also given a purposeful narrator role that is vital to the story and plays into the fairy tale tweaks that work well overall. In fact, the strongest moments throughout the movie are the smaller ones between Agatha and Sophie, as well as Evers misfit Gregor (Ally Cubb) and the initially haughty but empathetic Tedros. There’s also no shortage of big sequences and scenarios thrown at us, from magic trials to two balls in each house so The School for Good and Evil never gets boring. Clarissa Dovey (Kerry Washington) of the Evers – and the whims of their flighty Schoolmaster (Laurence Fishburne). In director/writer Paul Feig’s very capable hands, the movie adaptation manages to succeed as a broad-scale mythology Bacchanalia and an intimate tale about the enduring power of deep friendship through unimaginable challenges.