Red velvet cloaks concealing delicious secrets. Gruesome werewolves terrorizing civilians as the clock strikes twelve. The story of Little Red Riding Hood remains a fairytale favorite as it is told to children all over the world. On July 8, Netflix has released its newest spinoff of the story, “Red Riding Hood.”

 Set in a medieval village haunted by a werewolf, Valerie, a young girl played by Amanda Seyfried, falls for an orphaned woodcutter, Peter, played by Shiloh Fernandez–but her family has other plans. Hopelessly in love with each other, the couple plans their escape into the world, but their fantasy is disrupted by the untimely death of Valerie’s sister. For years, the people have maintained an uneasy truce with the beast, offering the creature animal sacrifices every month. But under a blood moon’s crimson light, the wolf has raised the stakes by taking a human life. With the truce broken and the wolf masked as a human during the day, no one can be trusted. 

This PG-13 coming-of-age film addresses the values of identity and warps the childhood story into a romantic, horror-filled tale. Packed with obscene obstacles, the story unravels with unexpected twists and turns that catch most viewers off guard. 

Red Riding Hood is about being limitless. Valerie wanted the power of choice and she fought for it throughout the film because the power of choice is important. As Sarah Blakley-Cartwright wrote for the film, “She never worried about falling; such a thing was never possible in this weightless world.”