
TALES FROM THE WOODS: SEASON ONE
Starring: Zolee Griggs, Miles Robbins, Dylan Gelula, Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Sonedala Sihavong, Phonesavanh "Tata" Phimpha, Gabriel Soutphilabaideng, and Sivilay Ouanephongchareune
Creator: John Hegeman

QUENTIN

If the three episodes provided for review are any indication, Tales from the Woods is an interesting idea undone by lackluster execution. Each episode is based on a classic fairy tale (“Sleeping Beauty,” “Cinderella”), and while I appreciate that the individual filmmakers (including frequent Marvel Television collaborators Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead with “Jacques the Giant Slayer”) take big horror swings to expand the oft-told stories, the barely 20-minute runtimes simply don’t give them enough time to fully develop their outside-the-box takes. It’s possible future episodes will get better, but this anthology is off to a rough start.

KATIE

Based on classic fairytales “Sleeping Beauty,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” and “Cinderella,” Tales from the Woods’ first three episodes has some solid foundations to build on. This is why I was so disappointed by two of the takes on these stories, which are primed for interesting and unsettling interpretations. “The Sleeping Beauty" is okay, but feels like a TV movie and lacks the runtime to develop the plot. I enjoyed “Jacques the Giant Slayer” because it's weird, compelling, and full of grotesque visuals. Unfortunately, “Cinderella” is unbearable, a girl-boss take on the fairytale that made me cringe rather than cower.




