Gretel & Hansel

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.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:44