Capra cu trei iezi

I went into this movie with my only expectation being good cinematography and stayed for everything else.

(I should mention, this is *not* an exploration intro Romanian folklore or traditions which is why many people, other Romanians, don't like it. But opinions are split. Without the bias this is a good movie)

It's a great movie that definitely overcomes its small budget. There's no monster more terrifying than human nature and I think the psychological horror here shows it quite well.

The actors are really good and not even the child actors feel jarring.

I think that what most people get wrong about it is the idea that it will stick to folklore which is ultimately quite a stupid thing to expect from a psychological horror slasher. It keeps the main idea of the folk tale and frankly even though it's predictable it still surpasses expectations.

Yes it has its hiccups hence why it's not a 10/10. The child actors do have their ups and downs, some things are left a little too disturbingly vague (although this is just my personal opinion and some may see them as a good thing), and of course what I can only assume are limitations considering the budget of the movie

But comparing this to other recent horror movies this is really good. No jumpscares, no bad CGI, this movie although not perfect is very much a treat. I highly recommend it.

The stories of Ion Creanga are an obligatory read for every Romanian kid. We grew up with his tales, one of the most famous being Capra cu trei iezi. Only later, as adults we truly understand this is hardly a children's story and more a horror/thriller one. Victor Canache and his team did an amazing job on this story, honoring Romanian folklore yet bringing a breath of fresh air on a tale as old as time. The music creates and eery setting and contributes to the thrill. Maia Morgenstein is incredible as always and Marius Bodochi's rendition of the wolf is guaranteed to scare the **** out of anyone. Congrats and we are looking forward to more from the director.

Movie trigger warnings: bullying, sexism, (mild) domestic abuse, sexual assault.

Number of jumpscares: 0.5 (literally barely a jumpscare once)

Review: Honestly one of the best pieces of Romanian cinema I've seen until now, and just a really good horror/thriller movie. It captures really beautifully what it meant to live in the 19th century rural Romania, along with the accurate traditional house, cutlery and clothes.

The two main actors are absolute legends, and the kids do an amazing job.

The filming is pretty well done, with very desaturated colors pushing the difficult lifestyle of the poor family.

Editing is decent, a few fast cuts here and there, but nothing to be offended by.

Sound design is pretty good, the soundtrack being played on traditional instruments, only note would be that at times you can't hear the dialogue due to the music being quite loud.

All in all, a pretty dope watch, biases aside, a solid 8/10.

The story by Creanga upon which this is based is essential reading in elementary school and a cautionary tale for children which has been adapted many times, perhaps most famously in the rock musical "Mama" (1976). This is a fond memory for many Romanians, so quite a few will be peeved to see it turned into a folk horror piece (like the infinitely worse Winnie the Pooh gore).

But I am from Transylvania and the story made sense in the past as there are many small farms scattered in the countryside which used to be targeted by thieves. Also, there are lots of stories about people turning crazy in our long winters, so this somber uptake is more on point than city dwellers may believe. We invented werewolves, after all (not vampires, they're from Serbia). The finish is how the story actually ends so it's more brutal than Little Red Riding Hood.

Maia Morgenstern is an icon of 1990s cinema, her best known film is probably "The Oak" (1992) by Lucian Pintilie but she hasn't done much in the past years, this is a great comeback for her.

Knowing the story that the movie is based on and knowing the story behind the movie, makes me appreciate this production even more.

The production quality based on the budget is amazing, they really managed to keep us right on the edge with the script and offer us visual comfort through the landscapes and representation of the Romanian countryside household.

It really was refreshing to watch a quality Romanian movie which brought back to the public eye a well known folk story with a powerful message.

And last but not least, the iconic actors were a perfect match for their roles. I would definitely not want to meet with the "wolf" by accident on the streets.

It's a 10 for me!