SNOW WHITE (2025)

Snow White’s clunky, exposition-heavy opening introduces the kingdom, Snow White herself (Rachel Zegler), and her wholesome royal parents (Hadley Fraser, Lorena Andrea). Then, a cheery opening song lets you know just how good everything is under this reign. But it all goes wrong when Snow White’s mother dies, and the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot) soon steps in and sends her father away to protect the kingdom.

Under the Evil Queen’s rule, poverty and starvation are rife. Snow White is forced to sweep the castle floors while her wicked stepmother hoards food and wealth for herself. And when an intruder, Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), breaks into the castle to steal food, Snow White learns about the true horrors happening beyond the walls of her home. This meeting radicalises the young princess and turns her from a downbeat maid into a princess who takes action.

The first act follows the familiar beats of the 1937 Disney animated tale, as the queen asks her Magic Mirror, “Who is the fairest of them all?” Until one day, the Mirror declares that Snow White is the fairest maiden in the land, so the Evil Queen decides to send the Huntsman (Ansu Kabia) to kill her. However, overwhelmed by her kind heart, he lets her run to safety, escape the kingdom, and evade the queen’s grasp.

Snow White massively improves once the princess is out of the castle grounds and into the forest, where she’s greeted by adorable CGI animals who point her towards the miners’ cottage. In development, the film was criticised for intending to use actors with dwarfism in the roles, so the studio chose to utilise VFX instead. They were later criticised for putting real actors out of work by doing so, so it’s understandable why the filmmakers would feel trapped by how best to proceed.

The sight of the 3D animated characters is initially jarring, but it doesn’t take long to warm to the little miners (who are never called ‘dwarfs’) as they bumble their way through a performance of “Heigh Ho”. The characters are so delightful and charismatic that having Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey portrayed using VFX isn’t the distraction many expected..

Not all the visuals are as charming. Very little of Snow White looks authentic, with scenes predominantly happening in computer-generated landscapes, with uncanny-looking buildings and unrealistic nature. It always feels like it’s taking place in a theme park, and it certainly doesn’t look like it cost over $200M to make.

Rachel Zegler (West Side Story), while a controversial casting due to her Latin heritage, makes for a perfect Snow White. With sympathetic big brown eyes and obvious vocal prowess, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect Disney princess in live-action. While overly earnest in her performance, little girls around the world are sure to warm to the actor and her doe eyes. Without her performance, which feels authentic to the original character but also navigates a feminist update, Snow White would struggle to land.

Sadly, Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) delivers one of the worst performances in recent history. Her villain is a mix of a drag queen chewing scenery in a British pantomime and a toddler throwing a tantrum. She looks amazing, thanks to Sandy Powell’s costumes (who dresses her in lavish jewel-toned gowns), but brings little else to the movie. While Gadot just about gets away with belting out her big showtune, her dialogue delivery is flat and lifeless. Her lack of facial expression is only highlighted by how her costuming and heavy makeup focus on her face.

Andrew Burnap understands his role as the plucky love interest with a backstory. He often overeggs his performance, at times more reminiscent of Cary Elwes in The Princess Bride (1987) than Richard Madden in Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella (2015). Despite an unintentional camp performance, Jonathan is a welcome addition to the story, updated into a Robin Hood-style freedom fighter instead of a handsome prince.

The soundtrack is also a mix of old and new. Classics like “Whistle While You Work” are still the most enjoyable moments in the film. Newer songs can’t hold up to these iconic showtunes, even with Zegler belting them with all she can. “Waiting on a Wish”, a call to action which tells people that change requires more than hope, is the closest the film gets to a memorable original song. Still, the musical scenes are a delight and a nod to classic films rather than new entries, which can feel like a selection of music videos edited together.

Directed by Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man) from a screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson (The Girl on the Train), Snow White is lighter, frothier, and more suited to a younger audience than previous live-action Disney adaptations like Beauty and the Beast (2017). However, it greatly struggles with tone.

The classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale has been updated for a modern audience, giving Snow White some much-needed feistiness. Gone are passive songs like “One Day My Prince Will Come”. Instead, she’s opinionated and smart without losing the sweetness required for a Disney princess. Snow White isn’t just waiting for a prince to come and save her; she wants to affect real change in her kingdom. She feels like a Disney princess whom modern mothers would be proud to show their daughters.

The writing sometimes struggles to balance new ideas without losing the familiarity of the story. The story of a freedom-fighting princess and the tale of a woman who is awoken by a prince’s kiss can’t be blended, no matter how hard they try. It feels like the plot of Snow White had to hit the beats of the traditional fairy tale, even when they don’t feel right for this 2025 version.

Gadot’s Evil Queen doesn’t want to oppress Snow White and keep her hidden. She’s a fascist who wants to plunder the riches of the land and make humanity lose all hope in their future. The politics of Snow White are contrastingly dark when compared to the saccharine songs and script. At times, the borderline Marxist politics feel too complex for a film so obviously made for children. The writing wants to make a point about the world’s selfish nature and wealth hoarding, yet it never wants to make too much of a point.

There is a sense that the film was supposed to go in one direction but was edited and cut to be a much calmer, toned-down version. So, the finished film sits confusingly on the fence. It’s like the final version is too scared to stray from tradition but also understands the gender issues that need to be updated in the original. They created a feistier, morally grounded princess, but are reluctant to push the reimagining too far. The band of outlaws don’t quite fit into this earnest world of singing blue birds, so their scenes can come across like they are parodying the genre of the finished result.

Disney may have enjoyed better results if they’d allowed the filmmakers to execute their vision rather than compromising on the script in fear of straying too far from the safety of the original. Zegler excels in the uneven film that will please families and little ones. Snow White may struggle to connect with older audience members who either want a straight remake or for the politics to have been pushed further.

USA | 2025 | 109 MINUTES | 2.39:1 | COLOUR | ENGLISH • GERMAN

Cast & Crew

director: Marc Webb.
writer: Erin Cressida Wilson (based on ‘Snow White’ by the Brothers Grimm.)
starring: Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, Andrew Burnap, Ansu Kabia, Patrick Page (voice), Jeremy Swift (voice), Tituss Burgess (voice), Andrew Barth Feldman (voice), Martin Klebba (voice), Jason Kravits (voice), George Salazar (voice) & Andy Grotelueschen (voice).