A Darker Side of Snow in Cinema
Here is the first post – A Darker Side of Snow in Print – for you to check out as well. In that post I set out my parametres for the tale and specified the type (Aarne/Thompson/Uther Type 709) so you can see what themes I’m including.
This time, it’s films… and… ok, go with me on this one. I asked for some recs and got some really interesting suggestions, plus ones I’m willing to argue myself… but not a hill I’m willing to die on, or anything. Feel free to add more or discuss in the comments.
These films have the theme of a jealous/rage-filled antagonist going after the protagonist, who has some inherent attribute that set them off, or the fact of their existence was enough. Bonus points for themes of reflections/mirrors, even if metaphorical.
Horror Films with Snow White Themes
‘La maschera del demonio’/Black Sunday (1960) dir. Mario Bava – A vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witch’s beautiful look-alike descendant. Only the girl’s brother and a handsome doctor stand in her way.
I’m going to say this one is definitely a Snow White themed film! A handsome doctor, you say…
Les lèvres rouges / Daughters of Darkness (1971) dir. Harry Kümel – THESE ARE THE DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS… THEY ARE WAITING FOR YOU – THEY THRIVE ON BLOOD. A newlywed couple are passing through a vacation resort. Their paths cross with a mysterious, strikingly beautiful countess and her aide.
Yes, it’s vampire lesbians! The wicked queen (Countess) is a vampire, because of course she is, and this was a suggestion as a film with Snow White themes of jealousy and that central conflict between female characters.
Halloween franchise – ignoring Halloween III, which is not a Michael Myers film. The franchise obviously has various release dates and directors, but the first film, Halloween, was released in 1978 dir. John Carpenter. The most recent film is the conclusion to the reboot trilogy, Halloween Ends (2022), dir. David Gordon Green.
Michael Myers is obsessed with ending his sister Laurie, and she keeps escaping his clutches – often with help from others. There’s also the plot featuring Jamie Lloyd and Michael’s child, in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) dir. Joe Chapelle.
I’d argue that this fits the themes because Michael is the supernatural wicked queen figure, homicidally single-minded and tracking down Laurie (the Snow White figure) wherever she goes, wherever she tries to hide from him. He tries to end her life multiple times through each film and the whole franchise, building up slowly to their final confrontation, but also he is the mirror, the distorted, unkillable reflection of small town evil and ugliness that nobody can control, forcing confrontations they cannot deny.
The Brood (1979) dir. David Cronenberg – A man tries to uncover an unconventional psychologist’s therapy techniques on his institutionalized wife, while a series of brutal attacks committed by a brood of mutant children coincides with the husband’s investigation.
I know this one is about as left field as Halloween, but hear me out. Escaping her mother (the wicked queen figure) through marriage (to her Prince), a woman (the Snow White figure) takes her revenge on those who have hurt and abused her by spawning rage-minions (Snow’s helpers/the 7 dwarfs of the fairytale) that go out and commit unspeakable crimes she cannot commit herself. A happy never after.
Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997) dir. Michael Cohn – THE FAIRY TALE IS OVER. When young Lili’s mother dies in childbirth, her father remarries Lady Claudia, a woman ruled by an evil mirror with the power to make her queen of all living things. After escaping an attempt on her life, Lili finds herself lost in a dark forest, where living happily ever after seems unlikely.
This is the horror version of Snow White, and it also deals with miscarriage/stillbirth, and infertility grief. It’s pretty grim, no pun intended.
Snow White: A Deadly Summer (2012) dir. David DeCoteau – THIS IS NO FAIRY TALE. A troubled teenage girl finds herself in a web of lies and deceit when her stepmother attempts to murder her by sending her to a discipline camp.
2012 was the year of Snow White: in that year there was fantasy-action Snow White and the Huntsman,Tarsem Singh’s Mirror, Mirror, Spanish version Blancanieves set in 1920s Seville, with Snow as a female bullfighter, which is a black and white silent movie dir. Pablo Berger, Rachel Lee Goldenberg’s Grimm’s Snow White, and the TV series Once Upon A Time was made available outside the USA that year also (it aired on ABC in the US in November 2011). There was also this film.
Snow White keeps the fairytale name (it’s set in the USA so that’s plausible to me as an outsider, US people do name their kids weird things) and goes to a discipline camp with 7 other kids, and then it turns into a slasher. Apparently with no blood or gore, so more like a Goosebumps sort of slasher? I’m pretty sure R. L. Stine did something like this. Anyway, here it is, the “slasher” Snow White, rated… PG13.
白ゆき姫殺人事件 / The Snow White Murder Case (2014) dir. Yoshihiro Nakamura – Beautiful Noriko Miki works at a cosmetic company. One day, Noriko is murdered. People begin to suspect her co-worker Miki Shirono might have killed her. Television begins to cover her story. A TV show interviews Miki Shirono’s colleagues, family, people from her hometown. Rumors turn into fear. Is she a wicked a woman?
I’ve not seen this one but there are deliberate parallels made in the poster and the title, so I’m going to go with it. It’s more crime thriller than horror, but I think it counts as a dark Snow White film.
The Neon Demon (2016) dir. Nicolas Winding Refn: BEAUTY IS VICIOUS. When aspiring model Jesse moves to Los Angeles, her youth and vitality are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will take any means necessary to get what she has.
This one sounds very Snow White in that respect, so maybe it counts!
Level 16 (2018) dir. Danishka Esterhazy – PURITY HAS A PRICE. The teenage girls of Vestalis Academy are meticulously trained in the art of being “clean girls,” practicing the virtues of perfect femininity. But what exactly are they being trained for? Vivien intends to find out.
This one was recommended as a Snow White themed film: I think using the idiom ‘snow white’ to mean ‘pure’ or ‘[morally/spiritually] clean’ is a good shout. What do you think, if you’ve seen it?
The Perfection (2018) dir. Richard Shepard – IT’S TIME TO FACE THE MUSIC. When troubled musical prodigy Charlotte seeks out Elizabeth, the new star pupil of her former school, the encounter sends both musicians down a sinister path with shocking consequences.
I’ve not seen this one either as I think this might be above the limit of things I’m alright with (but I could just about watch Y Gwledd/The Feast so is it… worse?). This was another recommendation on a film that might have some jealousy/obsession motivation themes underneath. I’m putting it on the list to see if anyone else sees it. There’s definitely some… food stuff… that happens? Is that a poisoned apple equivalent? I don’t know. Discuss.
Bleed With Me (2020) dir. Amelia Moses – During a winter getaway at an isolated cabin, a self-destructive young woman becomes convinced that her best friend is stealing her blood.
Amelia Moses also directed Bloodthirsty (2020), a pretty good werewolf film. This one I haven’t seen and was a rec when I asked for films with ‘Snow White’ themes. I can see the vibes in the synopsis, so if anyone else has seen this, would you agree?
X (2022) dir. Ti West – DYING TO SHOW YOU A GOOD TIME. In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the cast find themselves fighting for their lives.
Forced to confront her own ageing and loss of youth by a vibrant young porn star who looks just like she did when she was younger, Pearl is the wicked queen on a rampage in her tiny gator-infested kingdom, and her loyal husband is her Huntsman (with a weak heart).
This is absolutely a Snow White story, and I doubly love that Mia Goth plays both Pearl and Maxine Minx, so that Pearl (literally) sees her double in Max, along with her lost youth and beauty and sex appeal. This is Pearl’s motivation for her killing spree, aided by her loyal husband who would do anything to make her happy.
Throwing this in at the end as I think it’s the perfect horror film to end on for this post, and such a good film anyway. I loved it and would recommend.
Other Snow White FilmsHere’s a list of some Snow White films – not all are dark!
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) dir. David Hand – Disney animation, probably inspired by the [live action silent film] Snow White (1916) dir. J. Searle Dawley.
Grimms Märchen von lüsternen Pärchen / Grimm’s Fairytales for Adults (1969) dir. Rolf Thiele – the erotic versions of some fairy tales including Snow White (with Marie Liljedahl). Definitely not the only Snow White erotica out there. Who can forget that classic animation, Snow White and the Seven Perverts (1973) dir. David Hamilton-Grant? Nobody who saw it, I’ll bet.
白雪姫 / Snow White (1987) dir. Shuichi Ishii – anime adaptation
Good King Wenceslas (1994) dir. Michael Tuchner – gender flipped and based on the story of the real King Wenceslas, the Bohemian king upon whom the Christmas carol is based. This film has the same themes and rough narrative structure as Snow White, if I’m remembering correctly, and I remember noticing this at the time! Wenceslas fights to restore his kingdom from the wicked queen, his tyrannical stepmother, who tries to kill him to prevent him taking the throne. [Other versions of his life include Svatý Václav/St Wenceslas (1930) dir. Jan S. Kolár, a lavish historical drama, and the animated Good King Wenceslas (1996) dir. Keith Scoble.]
Branca de Neve / Snow White (2000) dir. João César Monteiro
Snow White (2001) dir. Caroline Thompson – (Miranda Richardson! And much darker than I expected for kids, but that’s also what I appreciate about it… I was a bit old for it maybe when it came out but would have been entranced as a younger kid, and I do kind of like it now)
Snow White (2005) dir. Samir – contemporary retelling where ‘Prince Charming’ is a rapper, because of course!
Το Σύνδρομο Της Χιονάτης’ / The Snow White Syndrome (2008) dir. Angelos Spartalis
Blanche Neige / Snow White (2010) dir. Angelin Preljocaj – the filmed version of the ballet
Grimm’s Snow White (2012) dir. Rachel Lee Goldenberg
Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) dir. Rupert Sanders
Mirror, Mirror (2012) dir. Tarsem Singh
Blancanieves (2012) dir. Pablo Berger
‘Snjeguljica’ / Snow White (2022) dir. Lana Barić
