ENTWINED A MODERN-DAY GOTHIC FAIRY TALE NOW ON VOD
Reviewed by Simone Cromers: Entwined is a modern-day gothic fairy tale set in the deep forests of Greece where a mysterious young woman lives like a leper due to her strange skin condition.
Danae (Anastasia Rafela Konidi) is a beautiful creature in need of devoted attention and admiration and is not the damsel in distress her circumstances might imply. A young doctor, Panos (Prometheus Aleiferopoulos), recently suffered the loss of someone close to him. To start a new life he finds a new position as the primary physician of Alyti a small remote village. On the drive to the quaint village, his car almost hits Danae (Anastasia Rafaella Konidi )as she is crossing the road. When he goes to her aid, she runs off into the woods.
As Panos is trying to acclimate himself into his new home town, he’s alarmed by the cold reception he receives from all the villagers. They eye him suspiciously whispering prayers and making the sign of the cross. One begins to wonder what is driving their behavior. Or is there some ominous secret that needs protecting. Panos’ brother George (John De Holland) makes regular calls to check on him. Panos laments his lifestyle change but he’s determined to stay the course. After hearing mysterious soft music two nights in a row coming from the woods, Panos goes to investigate. Lured to a small farmhouse much like Hansel and Gretel, he meets the girl he almost hit with his car earlier. He immediately senses something otherworldly about her, she’s beautiful, sensual, but appears to need medical attention for her strange skin condition. Danae rushes him out of the house fearful of her father’s reaction
Obsessively thinking about Danae, Panos asks Mrs. Sevasti (Alika Toumazatou) about her and the farmhouse. She warns him to stay away, the forest is evil. But he’s perplexed as to why no one in the village cares about her. Once more, he’s lured to check in on her, and this time she’s very receptive to his visit getting entwined in her supernatural web of secrets. Danae eventually reveals her secret to him, but he is now bounded to her, trapped, and completely under her will. Only one person could save him by a strange twist of bad luck.
Films that combine mystery and mysticism can be a difficult mix . However when done with a fined tuned purpose we get so much more than expected.
Directed by Minos Nikolakakis, Entwined was an Official Selection at the 2019 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival. The lush forest landscape of the Peloponnese Penisula gave the film a haunting aura for the ancient tree spirit folklore of this enthralling psychological tale of loss, love, and life. But most importantly, nature shows how interconnected we are to each other regardless of our backgrounds and stations in life.
Entwined opened in virtual theaters on August 28th and is now available on all major platforms. VOD (US & Canada) (September 8): Including iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Xbox, Vudu, Direct TV, Dish Network, and all major cable providers.
