Movie · 2012 · Adventure, Fantasy, Drama · 2h 7m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 1.1/10 (536K ratings)
The fairytale is over.
Overview
After the Evil Queen marries the King, she performs a violent coup in which the King is murdered and his daughter, Snow White, is taken captive. Almost a decade later, a grown Snow White is still in the clutches of the Queen. In order to obtain immortality, The Evil Queen needs the heart of Snow White. After Snow escapes the castle, the Queen sends the Huntsman to find her in the Dark Forest.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.1/10
IMDb: 6.1/10
Letterboxd: 2.61/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 48%
Metacritic: 57
TMDB: 6.0/10
Director
Rupert Sanders
Production
Universal Pictures, Roth Films
Cast
Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin, Ian McShane, Ray Winstone, Nick Frost, Noah Huntley, Toby Jones, Eddie Marsan, Lily Cole, Rachael Stirling, Hattie Gotobed, Bob Hoskins, Sam Spruell, Johnny Harris, Brian Gleeson, Vincent Regan, Liberty Ross, Chris Obi
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, uneven dark-fantasy retelling with striking production design, a memorable villain performance, and enough visual ambition to justify a watch if you like fairy tales with a harder edge. It’s also hampered by tonal inconsistency, thin characterization, and a story that often feels more interested in atmosphere than momentum.
Best for
viewers who enjoy dark fairy-tale reimaginings
fans of villain-forward fantasy
people who prioritize visuals, costumes, and production design
audiences in the mood for a moody, mid-budget blockbuster
Skip if
you want tight plotting and strong character development
you dislike heavy CGI and uneven visual effects
you prefer playful or faithful fairy-tale adaptations
you are allergic to melodramatic fantasy romance
Overview
Snow White and the Huntsman is one of those early-2010s studio fantasies that swings hard for a grim, adult makeover of a familiar story. The appeal is obvious: icy castles, enchanted forests, armor, mud, and a wicked queen who gets the movie’s best material by far. Charlize Theron gives the film its real voltage, turning the villain into a glamorous, wounded force of nature.
Worth noting
The movie’s biggest problem is that it often feels assembled from mood boards rather than fully developed dramatic beats. The central quest is serviceable, but the emotional arcs are thin, and the film keeps drifting between earnest mythmaking and generic blockbuster noise. When it works, it’s because the imagery and performances are strong enough to carry the fantasy; when it doesn’t, the seams show.
Bottom line
Still, there’s a specific pleasure in its overcooked seriousness and its commitment to making a children’s tale feel like a brooding war legend. If you’re drawn to dark reboots, evil queens, and lavish fantasy texture, it has enough personality to recommend. If you need coherence or charm in equal measure, it may feel like a long march through the forest.
Top Letterboxd reviews
kylie (4★) · 1824 likes
i can’t help rating this so highly i love sexy people and fantasy movies
DirkH (1★) · 978 likes
My word, she really does have only one facial expression, doesn’t she?
aliyah · 875 likes
didn’t get much out of this other than i’m attracted to kristen stewart and sometimes that’s enough for me
Leonora Anne Mint (2.5★) · 865 likes
This movie is 2012 as hell, not just because it is a Dark Gritty Fairy Tale Re-Imagining with a Love Triangle, but also because it expects us to believe that Charlize Theron is "old," Kristen Stewart is "straight," and Chris Hemsworth is "serious." We know better now.
emma (3★) · 568 likes
STOP making chris hemsworth do accents that man has a face that just screams 'put another shrimp on the barbie'