"The School for Good and Evil" Doesn't Live Up to Its Fantastical Expectations for Netflix

                                                                                                    Image via Netflix

    Within the framework of what Netflix has been trying to accomplish to compete with their own big budget tentpoles, it seems that they're trying to bring back the YA market that was a success in the early 2000s and some of the 2010's with their latest release, The School for Good and Evil.    

    The film is an adaptation of the Soman Chainani books of the same name and follows Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie), two young girls who live in the plain, old town of Gavaldon. Sophie, is a blonde haired, daydreaming girl who believes that one day she'll become the princess she always imagined becoming. While, Agatha, her best friend is often referred to as a witch with her mother by their local townspeople. Sophie's wish comes true as she gets swept away from Gavaldon to the titular schools, but Agatha gets captured along with her by a mystical bird creature that drops them in what seems to be the wrong schools. After this, they embark on this darker fairy tale journey before we start to see some of the supporting players that include some of Hollywood's finest. Professor Clarissa Dovey (Kerry Washington) and Lady Leonora Lesso (Charlize Theron) are the Deans of the Schools of Good and Evil, respectively, leading their schools in the yearly battle of famous fairy-tale characters introducing us to those who are related to King Arthur, Captain Hook and others. The School Master (Laurence Fishburne) determines that there is no mistake in where Sophie and Agatha have wound up and if they believe otherwise, they must prove it throughout their time at their respective schools.

    Though the film follows many similar tropes to that of what might feel like Harry Potter with the separate schools, good vs. evil theme and YA feel, the film doesn't carry the same weight as the later films in that franchise, nor the spectacle that the earlier films fulfilled for audiences. The story is easy to follow for the audience but is fairly predictable. It walks a tightrope in which it tries to identify who this movie exactly is for. Again, it's YA and Fantasy, however, it might be a little too dark for some younger viewers. As Netflix is on the lookout for more franchises and built IP, there is room for this brand and adaptation of this series of books to expand, however, it is an attempt that falls short of expectations. Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, 2016's Ghostbusters) directs this film, in which he also co-wrote with David Magee (Life of Pi, Finding Neverland) and steps foot into the fantasy genre for first time. While the worlds are truly believable and established, the direction from Feig leaves some to be desired. Though the film is admittedly playing into those fairy tale tropes of candy-coated colors for the Evers (those of the School of Good) vs. dark and gothic Nevers (those of the School of Evil), it seems that they often lean in too much, making it feel overwhelming for the viewer. 

    While Sophie and Agatha have their moments throughout the film, it truly feels like they are balancing between over acting and fulfilling their characters throughout. Though Sofia Wylie and Sophia Anne Caruso show promise, it feels they may need to grow a bit more into these characters, similar to those of other franchises such as The Hunger Games to see if they can fully flesh out who they are. Theron is a standout as Lady Lesso and Laurence Fishburne is always a pleasure to see on screen, but the supporting roles of Washington's Professor Dovey and Michelle Yeoh's Professor Anemone (who, frankly, does not get enough screen time), leave more to be desired for the character and world building of the film.

    All in all, though The School for Good and Evil benefits from good CGI (mostly) and tight editing, the score and usage of modern pop singers such as Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo also showcases a tone made for teenage audiences, though it might not appeal to them either. The script, though packing a witty, fairy tale-centric punch feels like it could be smarter than it actually is. Netflix is trying to jumpstart their own new film franchise based on the highly successful series of books and fill the large YA void in its streaming heart, but this first try left me hoping for a better all-around viewing experience.

   Overall Score: 5.6