However, while most of the film stitches in psychological and cerebral threads to paint a haunting thriller, there’s one unique scene that cleverly mixes humor and horror to give us the trippiest fairy tale sequence ever.
This occurs after the siblings leave their home in the film’s first act after their mother threatens to kill them. Unfortunately, they’re poor and can only leave with the clothes on their back. Even after meeting a Huntsman and gorging on the food he provides, when they continue their journey to find a place they hope will take them in, the little food they have is consumed very quickly. The kids are parched, starving and losing energy, and Hansel is on the verge of passing out.
However, they encounter a mushroom patch in the forest, and Gretel, who doesn’t know she has witch blood in her, establishes a link to nature. Her powers allow her to connect to the „green“ and she deduces these mushrooms aren’t poisonous. She and the boy consume them, but while they aren’t lethal, the kids go on quite a trip! Their psychedelic experience is hilarious because it’s something you wouldn’t expect in this kind of movie. It’s like Pineapple Express as we see Gretel and Hansel hallucinating and wigging out, turning red in the face.
This is mixed with Gretel’s „second sight,“ though. And as we see the kids wide-eyed and hear them laughing hysterically, it all goes to hell soon enough because Gretel starts getting dark visions.