Our introduction to Robert Eggers, whose new movie The Northman releases in theaters this month, came courtesy of The Witch in 2015, which quickly established Eggers as a highly unique force to be reckoned with. The period-authentic horror movie for A24 was the feature debut for Eggers, but it came in the wake of a few short films that most have never seen.
One of those shorts, the very first you’ll find on Eggers’s IMDb resume, was Hansel & Gretel, a 26-minute adaptation of the classic Brothers Grimm fairly tale. Made nearly ten years before The Witch came into our lives, Eggers’s take on Hansel & Gretel is a fascinating early look at his overall aesthetic, shot in black-and-white as an homage to retro silent horror movies.
Written and directed by Robert Eggers, Hansel & Gretel is a fairly straightforward adaptation of the tale, starring Luke Allison as Hansel and Isabella Pease as Gretel. Kelly Eggers is credited as the short film’s Witch, who initially appears benevolent before turning into a true monster. That sinister witch makeup is quite effective, credited to Robert Eggers himself.
The back half of Eggers’s Hansel & Gretel gets quite creepy, with the silent movie vibe adding a whole lot to that overall feel. It’s an early peek at techniques he’d soon master, hinting at the spooky vibes of The Witch and the black & white photography of The Lighthouse. Needless to say, Eggers would be a perfect choice for Nosferatu, which may soon come to life…
But first, YouTube channel Famous First Films has unearthed Robert Eggers’s Hansel & Gretel on the road to The Northman‘s release in theaters. You can watch it in full down below!
Eggers subsequently directed a The Tell-Tale Heart short film, adapting Poe’s classic tale. That 21-minute short was made in 2008, and Eggers has hinted it may be available real soon.
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