What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that the film includes some scenes in the dark woods that might be frightening for younger viewers. The brothers argue and sometimes fight physically. Characters drink and behave boisterously (it's 19th-century rural Germany). Language includes German and French versions of "s--t" as well as some slang for "breasts." The brothers' investigation centers on kidnapped girls, producing spooky, sometimes violent images (in particular, a girl is whisked into a well by a black blob and a horse eats a child, in silhouette). Creatures in the forest include tree roots that grab at passers-by and a gigantic wolf. A powerful witch looks alternately ancient and beautiful, casting spells and wreaking havoc.
- Families can talk about the brothers' complicated and changing relationship. How do they represent two positions on magic and faith? How does their relationship form a ground for the plot, as they deal with surprising tests of their beliefs systems? How does Angelika serve simultaneously as romantic object and intrepid adventurer?