TV warning: This glossy film adaptation of a world-famous horror saga has failed miserably

After her worldwide blockbuster success with “Twilight – Biss zum Dawngraue”, director Catherine Hardwicke continued in 2011 with another title, somewhere between kitschy teen romance and gothic horror: “Red Riding Hood – Unter dem Wolfsmond”. The film was based on the classic fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood” and brought a number of big stars to the screen, including “Mamma Mia!” sweetheart Amanda Seyfried and Oscar winner Gary Oldman (“The Darkest Hour”).

Still, you don’t have to tune in when “Little Red Riding Hood – Unter dem Wolfsmond” runs on Tele 5 on March 24, 2023 at 8:15 p.m. And even less with the replay that the station offers on the night of March 25 to 26 at 3:40 am.

If you want to see the movie despite our warning, but these dates don’t suit you, the FSK 12 title is available on the usual streaming portals as paid video-on-demand. Alternatively, the Blu-ray can be ordered from online retailers such as Amazon. This one contains a longer, bloodier FSK-16 slashed version.

“Little Red Riding Hood” on Tele 5: That’s the story

For years there have been repeated werewolf attacks in Daggerhorn, leaving the inhabitants of the remote village living in fear and terror. They regularly sacrifice their best cattle so that they themselves are spared.

Young Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) still manages to lead a fairly normal life and has long been a happy couple with the up-and-coming lumberjack Peter (Shiloh Fernandez). But Valerie’s (Virginia Madsen, Billy Burke) parents want more for their daughter; they have therefore arranged a marriage with the wealthy Henry (Max Irons). The girl is shocked and wants to run away with her lover.

But then the bell rings in the village square and that can only mean one thing: the werewolf is back! When he doesn’t tear up a sheep this time, but Valerie’s sister (Alexandria Maillot), the angry residents move out and kill a large wolf in the woods, which they believe is responsible. However, Father Solomon (Gary Oldman) warns that the real monster may still be alive and one of them. Then Valerie gets a terrible premonition…

Too much “Twilight”, too little “Little Red Riding Hood”

As you could read in the synopsis and as our official MOVIE STARTS review Testified that the film, despite the title, does not really have much in common with the world famous fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm. Certainly, a few motifs, such as the atmospheric forest landscape depicted, are still reminiscent of the magical and wonderful fantasy world. But “Little Red Riding Hood” quickly and visibly gets lost between a space-consuming romance and inappropriately brutal, dark thriller and horror elements combined with it.

Clumsily forced attempts to access the source material from time to time seem desperate to downright stupid. Examples include a casually interspersed villager dressed in wolf’s fur who unmotivatedly blows away three little pigs or the title heroine who suddenly and out of character asks her grandmother why she has such big eyes and ears.

It was all too clear that the implementation was trying to follow the mega success of the “Twilight” series. This is symbolized by the weak love triangle, in which – just like in the vampire saga – it is clear from the start how it will end. Yet the actual focus of the story is repeatedly pushed to the sidelines: the events surrounding the wolf and its effects on the village community. Not even a gleefully sinister-appearing Gary Oldman as a hardened werewolf hunter can do much.

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