The School for Good and Evil

The School for Good and Evil, starring Charlize Theron and Kerry Washington, is out now on Netflix, but is the fantasy adaptation worth a watch?

A movie adaptation of The School for Good and Evil has been in the works since Chainani's first book was published in 2013. There just might not be enough that feels fresh about the movie to bring in newcomers to this world, and the hefty runtime could see many switch off before the inevitable sequel set-up. It's the all-star supporting cast that leaves the biggest impression, with Charlize Theron deliciously tucking into her role as School for Evil head Lady Lesso. All of the familiar elements are there from the fantastical world-building to the plucky 'ordinary' lead characters, but there's also a notable flaw. It's always been Sophie's dream to be a fairytale princess, but her dream turns into a nightmare when she's dropped off at the School for Evil. It's here where the aspiring heroes and villains of our favourite fairytales are trained to protect the balance between Good and Evil.

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.

An adaptation of Soman Chainani's hit fantasy series has just landed on Netflix. Sofia Wylie as Agatha, Michelle Yeoh as Professor Anemone and Kerry Washington ...

[subscribe now](http://radiotimes.com/magazine-subscription?utm_term=evergreen-article) and get the next 12 issues for only £1. [Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/80218885) now. Who will sit on Camelot’s throne and rule the Endless Woods? With the girls apart, Evil has taken over and the villains of the past have come back to turn the world of Good and Evil upside down. A traitor has seized Camelot’s throne, sentencing Tedros, the true king, to death. For her quest, Dean Sophie seeks to mould Evil in her own image. With full-colour illustrations, the handbook includes character interviews, diary excerpts, brand-new short stories and much, much more. But their storybook is about to be rewritten, and this time, theirs isn't the only one. With her glass slippers and devotion to good deeds, Sophie knows she'll join the ranks of past students like Cinderella, Rapunzel and Snow White at the School for Good. Can Sophie stay good with Tedros on the hunt? "Luckily, we have a brilliant and visionary filmmaker in Paul who knew how to keep the spirit of the book but also make it his own. Every four years, two girls are kidnapped from the village of Gavaldon.

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.

Fear not, theater fans: Patti LuPone says she's leaving Actors Equity, but not the stage, at the "School for Good and Evil" premiere.

I think in the past we've prioritized romantic relationships so much," she says. "I hope that young girls see the importance of friendship. "They've seen the film and they love it." "I'm actually interested in the next chapter," she says. "I think the excitement to share something with my kids. "I just didn't want to be a member of Equity any more," LuPone continues.

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.

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.”