Gretel & Hansel (2020) Plot Summary & Ending Explained

A cherished baby in a small village falls gravely ill one harsh winter. Her desperate father seeks the help of an Enchantress, who cures her but leaves a dark power within the girl. As she matures, her eerie ability to predict the future draws the attention of the villagers, but the knowledge that everything ends in death leads her to use her powers for malevolent purposes, ultimately killing her own father. In a bid to save her from herself, the villagers abandon her in the woods, yet she lures other children into her treacherous grip.

Following their father’s tragic demise, teenager Gretel (Sophia Lillis) and her younger brother Hansel (Samuel Leakey) set off to find a job as a housekeeper. However, their hopes are dashed as the man they meet makes his intentions disturbingly clear, asking Gretel an unsettling question about her virginity. Upset and struggling to support themselves, their mother lashes out, threatening dire consequences if they don’t leave immediately. Shocked and frightened, the siblings escape their home, seeking refuge in a small hut for the night.

Their brief reprieve is shattered when a grotesque figure emerges from the shadows, chasing them and attacking Hansel. Just as the situation seems dire, The Huntsman (Charles Babalola) intervenes, saving them and guiding them toward safety and sustenance.

The next morning unfolds with the siblings venturing outside to scavenge for food and work. Frustrated by their lack of success, Gretel stumbles upon some mystifying mushrooms, leading to bouts of uncontrollable laughter with Hansel. Their adventure takes a darker turn when Hansel is drawn to a house emitting a tantalizing smell of cake and mysterious voices, while Gretel tries in vain to protect him from entering, only to watch as he disappears inside.

Inside the home lives Holda (Alice Krige), a captivating yet suspicious woman who offers them a warm meal and a place to sleep in exchange for their labor. While Holda directs Hansel to gather in the woods, she keeps Gretel close, teaching her about witchcraft and how to channel her powers. Strange visions begin to haunt Gretel, revealing dark truths about Holda and an Enchantress from her past.

Amid creeping suspicions, Gretel’s nightmares manifest in horrifying clarity when she infiltrates Holda's cellar and discovers disturbing secrets. In a moment of shocking revelation, she learns of Holda’s twisted history with the Beautiful Child and her sinister intentions to entrap her brother, Hansel. In a desperate fight for survival, Gretel harnesses her abilities, confronting Holda in a fierce battle where she ultimately overcomes the witch, freeing herself and her brother from her nightmarish clutches.

After bidding farewell to Hansel, who returns to their once-familiar home, Gretel confronts her own transformation as she witnesses the spirits of the lost children finally escape. Despite her fingers darkening like Holda's, Gretel resolves to trust in herself and face whatever darkness lies ahead, stepping into her new identity with courage.

In the film's climax, Gretel discovers Holda’s plan to cook and devour her brother Hansel in order to strengthen her own powers. Using her emerging psychokinetic abilities, Gretel manages to turn the tables on Holda, pinning her with her wooden staff and burning her alive. With the witch dead, Hansel is freed from her spell, and Gretel chooses to stay at the cabin to learn from Holda’s ancient books, intending to harness her powers for good. She then frees the souls of the children Holda had killed, but in doing so, she notices her fingers turning black, just like Holda’s once were. This marks a grim warning: although Gretel's intentions are pure, her powers come with a dark side that could tempt her to become just as evil as Holda. The film suggests that Gretel is at a crossroads—her journey of growing into her own womanhood is intertwined with the ongoing struggle against her darker impulses. If she succumbs to that darkness, she risks becoming the new evil witch herself. The story hints that this world exists in a shared fairy tale universe, leaving open the possibility that Gretel might continue her adventures and face further challenges. Ultimately, the film uses the motif of gifts and their hidden costs to illustrate that no temptation is truly free—what seems to be a blessing may carry a terrible price, a lesson rooted in the original fairy tale and reinforced throughout the story. Gretel’s blackened fingers symbolize the ongoing battle within her—her potential for both good and evil—and serve as a haunting reminder that her choice to wield power comes with great danger. The ending leaves her standing at the edge of a dark path, uncertain whether she will succumb to darkness or forge her own destiny.