“The School for Good and Evil” is a sprawling introduction to a world Netflix surely hopes will be its own Hogwarts. But like many a first outing, it’s got it's troubles. Film critic Lauren Coates weighs in on whether Netflix's latest hit is worth a look.
THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL. Michelle Yeoh as Professor Anemone, Charlize Theron as Lady Lesso and Kerry Washington as Professor Dovey in The School For Good And Evil. Cr. Helen Sloan / Netflix © 2022is one of Hollywood’s go-to comedy kings. But while he’s best known for directing comedies like "Spy," "The Heat" and the Oscar-nominated "Bridesmaids," he’s dipped more than just a toe into other genres.
Nor is it a low-stakes enterprise. Directed and co-adapted by Feig from Soman Chainani’s young adult book series of the same name, "School" is a sprawling introduction to a world Netflix surely hopes will be its own Hogwarts. But like many a first outing, it’s saddled with a whole novel’s worth of exposition.
"The School for Good and Evil" follows best friends Sophie and Agatha , a pair of mischievous young women whose status as small-town outsiders bonds them together. Frustrated by the mundanity of her life and convinced she’s destined for greatness, Sophie makes a wish to attend the mythical School for Good.
At first, they’re both eager to find a way home. But soon the girls are swept up into a sprawling, generations-long battle between the Schools for Good and Evil. Before they realize it, the two friends have become key players on opposite sides of a raging war. THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL. Sofia Wylie as Agatha and Sophia Anne Caruso as Sophie in The School For Good And Evil. Cr. Helen Sloan/Netflix © 2022As the first installment of a potentially mammoth franchise , "The School for Good and Evil" has a lot of boxes to check before it can begin to tell any kind of a story: It must establish the world, explain the magic, let history unfurl and, of course, make plain the important rules that govern this universe.