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Red Riding Hood
By Sandie Angulo Chen,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Twilight-esque fairy-tale thriller mixes sexuality, horror.

A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Red Riding Hood
Community Reviews
Based on 18 parent reviews
For 17 and up.
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Lacking
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What's the Story?
Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) lives in a remote Italian village that's routinely terrorized by a werewolf. The villagers make do by sealing up their homes and leaving the wolf sacrificial animals during the full moon, but every now and then, the wolf kills. One morning, Valerie is told she's to marry Henry (Max Irons), the well-off blacksmith's son, instead of her heart's desire, Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), the hardworking woodcutter she's been friends with since childhood. Valerie and Peter decide to run away together -- but then the wolf strikes, killing Valerie's sister and prompting the town cleric, Father Auguste (Lukas Haas), to send for renowned wolf-hunter Father Solomon (Gary Oldman), who imposes a strict, ruthless rule over the town. When the wolf appears and speaks directly to Valerie, everyone believes she's a witch who needs to be sacrificed to the wolf. As Henry and Peter work together to save the girl they both love, the entire town turns on itself with suspicion.
Is It Any Good?
This is a predictable, overwrought horror-romance. Director Catherine Hardwicke clearly loves exploring the angsty trials of adolescence. Her movies are a catalog of teens in transition from childhood to adulthood. Unfortunately, it seems that her two earliest films, Thirteen and Lords of Dogtown, were her best. Hardwicke's mistake here was to pick such a Twilight-like story -- gothic romance, love triangle, supernatural threat -- for her first post-Edward and Bella film. The cast is full of talented actors -- particularly Seyfried, Oldman, and Julie Christie as the grandmother -- but the result is still a combination of broody young lovers panting at each other while people all around them are killed.
It's doubtful that Hardwicke would expect audiences to heckle the characters, but that's exactly what's going to happen -- and in some ways it makes this film more enjoyable. Between the over-the-top performances, Fernandez and Irons' nostril-flaring looks of rage and jealousy, and the laughable climax, it's hard not to chuckle at unintentionally funny moments. Sure, there are some decent sweeping shots of the wintry, mountainous landscapes, but once the wolf starts talking, the movie feels like some bizarre, awful mash-up of Twilight and Narnia that will only be liked by young teens who crave a couple of cute boys to swoon over and some good kissing scenes. For the rest of us, it's just not enough.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the popularity of supernatural love stories. What makes them so attractive to teens? Do you think they portray a realistic view of romantic relationships? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding relationships.
Valerie tells Peter that she'd be willing to leave her town and family to be with him. Is that a good role model for teen relationships?
Did you find the violence in this movie scary? Why or why not? What's the impact of seeing violence in the media?
Movie Details
- In theaters: March 11, 2011
- On DVD or streaming: June 14, 2011
- Cast: Amanda Seyfried , Gary Oldman , Lukas Haas
- Director: Catherine Hardwicke
- Inclusion Information: Female directors, Female actors
- Studio: Warner Bros.
- Genre: Thriller
- Run time: 98 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: violence and creature terror, and some sensuality
- Last updated: February 20, 2023
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