Jana Brejchová

A flood in Prague has damaged Marcela and Jarda's home, and he behaves boorishly about their son's asthma, so she threatens divorce and takes the kids to her mom's, a possessive woman whose husband is a creep. While they're away, Jarda is jailed for possession of a stolen car (he's a mechanic who's turned his garage into a chop shop). Benes, the car's urbane owner, befriends Marcela, and soon she has options. Her mother and Jarda's mother push her in opposite directions. Jarda has animal magnetism, Benes offers security, and her own body and mind may be at cross-purposes. The Cold War is over, Czechs are free to behave well or badly. What's best?

This singular adaptation of the classic tale is an altogether darker interpretation than we’re used to, transforming the familiar story into a fairy tale horror that’s light years from Disney. Juraj Herz’s macabre reimagining presents the beast as a terrifying, enigmatic bird-like creature; the filmmaking amplified through wonderful costume design, an evocative score and beautiful cinematography.