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Gretel & Hansel (2020) movie poster

Timeline

Gretel & Hansel (2020) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2020 · 87 min · English
Echo score 70
Directed by
Oz Perkins
Starring
Alice Krige, Sophia Lillis, Jessica De Gouw, Abdul Alshareef, Beatrix Perkins, Charles Babalola
Budget
$5M

Having lost their mother to madness, young siblings Gretel and Hansel are abandoned in a dark and perilous forest. Drawn by the promise of food and shelter, they stumble upon a seemingly welcoming cottage inhabited by a mysterious woman. But her kindness hides a sinister secret, and the siblings must find a way to outwit her before it's too late, confronting both external dangers and their own inner fears.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Gretel & Hansel
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Gretel & Hansel (2020)

Where can you watch Gretel & Hansel? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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15 events in order · contains spoilers

Gretel & Hansel Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Gretel & Hansel (2020) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Cherished Baby Falls Ill

    In a small village during a harsh winter, a beloved baby falls gravely ill, causing panic among her family and the villagers. The desperate father seeks help and is determined to save his child, prompting a series of dramatic events that follow.

    When
    Harsh Winter
    Where
    Small Village
  2. The Enchantress's Intervention

    The father finds an Enchantress who cures his daughter but leaves her with a lurking dark power. This sets the stage for a series of ominous events linked to the child's future as she grows older.

  3. Premonitions of Death

    As the girl matures, her eerie ability to predict the future becomes apparent, alarming the villagers. The foreknowledge that 'everything ends in death' begins to twist her perspective, leading her towards sinister actions.

    Where
    Village
  4. Tragic Loss

    The girl's malevolent use of her powers culminates in the tragic death of her own father. This act seals her fate and marks her transformation into a figure feared by the villagers.

  5. Abandonment in the Woods

    To save her from her own darkness, the villagers abandon her in the woods. This decision reflects their desperation and fear of the unpredictable power she wields.

    Where
    Woods
  6. Luring Children

    Despite her abandonment, the girl starts to lure other children into her treacherous grip. Her newfound power enables her to manipulate and draw innocent souls, intensifying her descent into darkness.

    Where
    Woods
  7. Gretel and Hansel's Journey

    Following their father's tragic demise, teenagers Gretel and Hansel set off to find work, only to encounter a threat early on. Their hopes of stability quickly dissolve in the face of harsh realities.

    Where
    Village
  8. Confrontation with Danger

    While seeking refuge, a grotesque figure attacks Hansel, triggering a moment of panic and fear. Just in the nick of time, The Huntsman intervenes, offering them protection from further danger.

    Where
    Hut
  9. Mystifying Mushrooms

    The next morning, the siblings venture out to find food and work, but their efforts yield little. Gretel discovers some strange mushrooms, leading to uncontrollable laughter that hints at darker elements lurking nearby.

    When
    Morning
    Where
    Forest
  10. The Alluring House

    Hansel is enchanted by a house emitting the tantalizing smell of cake, which he ultimately enters against Gretel's wishes. Her attempts to protect him fail, placing him directly in danger as he succumbs to the temptation.

    Where
    Mysterious House
  11. Encounter with Holda

    Inside the house lives Holda, who offers the siblings food and shelter in exchange for their labor. Gretel is pulled into an unsettling relationship with Holda, who teaches her about witchcraft and dark powers.

    Where
    Holda's House
  12. Disturbing Discoveries

    Gretel's nightmares fuel her curiosity, leading her to investigate Holda's cellar, where she uncovers shocking secrets. The truth about Holda's sinister past and her intentions toward Hansel unveil dark forces at play.

    Where
    Holda's Cellar
  13. The Final Confrontation

    Gretel confronts Holda in a fierce battle, using her harnessed powers to fight back against the witch. In a dramatic showdown, she overcomes Holda, liberating herself and her brother from the witch's grasp.

    Where
    Holda's House
  14. Facing Her Transformation

    After victory, Gretel bids farewell to Hansel as he returns home. Alone, she comes to terms with her transformation, seeing the lost spirits escape, yet feeling her own darkness begin to manifest.

  15. Stepping into the Future

    With her identity forever altered, Gretel resolves to trust herself and face the darkness ahead. Symbolically, she steps into her new role, embodying both strength and uncertainty as she embraces her powers.

Last updated: November 04, 2024 at 04:48

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Timeline questions answered

Gretel & Hansel Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Gretel & Hansel (2020): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why was the young girl abandoned in the woods?

The girl was abandoned because she used her premonition powers to kill her own father. After the Enchantress cured her as a baby, she developed the ability to see the future, but the knowledge that everyone dies eventually twisted her mind. The villagers, fearing her destructive powers, cast her out to protect themselves.

  • Holda
  • enchantress
  • village
  • abandoned
  • father death
Q2

How did Holda become a witch?

Holda was originally a beloved baby whose father sought help from an Enchantress during a harsh winter. The Enchantress cured her but left a dark power within her. As she grew older, her ability to predict the future led her to become malevolent, eventually killing her own father and being abandoned by the villagers.

  • Holda
  • witch
  • enchantress
  • powers
  • transformation
Q3

Where do Gretel's powers come from?

Gretel possesses the same dark premonition abilities as Holda. Holda recognizes this power in Gretel and begins teaching her about witchcraft, trying to groom her to become her successor. The visions Gretel experiences are similar to Holda's original gift of seeing future events.

Foreshadowing: Holda senses Gretel's abilities the moment they meet, drawing her in with unusual interest.

  • Gretel
  • powers
  • premonition
  • witchcraft
  • visions
Q4

Why does Holda lure children to her house?

Holda uses her powers to lure vulnerable children into her home, feeding on their innocence. The children become trapped in her cellar, where she maintains her youth and power. This has been her pattern since being abandoned in the woods.

  • Holda
  • children
  • cottage
  • trap
  • lure
Q5

What do Gretel's visions reveal?

Gretel's visions show her the truth about Holda's past, including the Beautiful Child and Holda's sinister intentions toward Hansel. These premonitions help Gretel understand that Holda plans to trap her brother just as she trapped other children before.

Foreshadowing: The strange mushrooms Gretel eats early on seem to unlock or intensify her visions.

  • Gretel
  • visions
  • cellar
  • Beautiful Child
  • Hansel
Q6

What happens to Hansel at Holda's house?

Hansel is drawn into Holda's house by the irresistible smell of cake and mysterious voices. Holda sends him into the woods to work while keeping Gretel close, intending to eventually trap him in the cellar like the other children she's captured.

Foreshadowing: Hansel ignores Gretel's warnings and enters the house despite her attempts to protect him.

  • Hansel
  • Holda
  • house
  • cake
  • trapped
Q7

How does Gretel defeat Holda?

Gretel confronts Holda in the house after discovering the truth in the cellar. She harnesses her own dark powers, which mirror Holda's abilities, and uses them to fight back. In the battle, Gretel overcomes Holda, killing her and freeing herself and Hansel from her grip.

  • Gretel
  • Holda
  • battle
  • confrontation
  • defeat
Q8

What does the ending mean when Gretel's fingers darken?

Gretel's fingers turning dark symbolizes her transformation into someone like Holda. Although she defeated the witch, she has accepted and used the same dark powers, and her physical change represents that she can never fully return to her old life. She steps forward into an uncertain future bearing this burden.

  • Gretel
  • ending
  • darkness
  • fingers
  • transformation
Q9

Who is the Beautiful Child in Holda's story?

The Beautiful Child refers to the young girl Holda was before she became a witch. It's her own backstory - the innocent child she once was before her powers corrupted her. Gretel sees visions of this as she discovers Holda's history.

  • Beautiful Child
  • Holda
  • backstory
  • young girl
Q10

What is the connection between Holda and the Enchantress?

Holda and the Enchantress are the same person. The Enchantress who cured the baby was actually Holda herself, using her powers in the past. When she tells Gretel this story, she is describing her own origin - how she was once a child with powers who was abandoned and became corrupted.

  • Holda
  • Enchantress
  • connection
  • same person
  • origin

Movie threads

More Movies Like Gretel & Hansel, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Gretel & Hansel tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Slow burn dread like in Gretel & Hansel

Films where oppressive atmosphere and quiet tension build to a suffocating dread. If you liked the oppressive, slow-building tension in Gretel & Hansel, explore more movies like it. These films use atmosphere, sound design, and lingering visuals to create a deep sense of psychological unease, making them perfect for fans of dread-filled horror and atmospheric thrillers.

  • slow burn
  • oppressive
  • dread-filled
  • claustrophobic
  • unsettling
  • atmospheric
  • Tone: dark, tense, oppressive
  • Pacing: slow burn, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread often unfold with patient deliberation, prioritizing mood over plot speed. Characters are gradually consumed by their environment or internal fears, with the central conflict being as much psychological as it is physical. The narrative structure builds tension methodically, often leading to a climax that is more about unsettling realization than explosive action.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here because they share a core approach to tension: a slow, deliberate pace that cultivates a thick, oppressive atmosphere. They prioritize psychological horror and a pervasive sense of dread over fast-paced action, creating a uniquely unsettling and immersive viewing experience.

Dark supernatural awakening stories like Gretel & Hansel

Stories of young protagonists confronting dark powers to find their strength. For viewers who enjoyed Gretel & Hansel's theme of a young woman's empowerment through dark supernatural forces, this list features similar movies. Discover other coming-of-age horror and fantasy tales where characters grapple with witchcraft, ancient evils, or hidden powers to discover their true selves.

  • sinister
  • melancholic
  • dreamlike
  • anxious
  • empowering
  • supernatural
  • Tone: dark, sinister, melancholic
  • Pacing: steady, immersive
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern follows a protagonist, often on the cusp of adulthood, who is thrust into a world of dark magic or ancient evil. Their journey is one of trial and terrifying discovery, where they must overcome a manipulative antagonist or a corrupting influence. The arc is typically bittersweet, involving a hard-won victory that comes with a profound personal transformation and the burden of newfound power or knowledge.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their shared focus on a specific archetype: the dark coming-of-age story. They blend themes of self-discovery with supernatural horror, featuring young protagonists who must navigate manipulation and dark forces, ultimately emerging changed and empowered, but often scarred by the experience.

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Every angle

Gretel & Hansel (2020) Explained: Plot, Ending, Timeline & Characters

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