“A violent desire such as yours can only be satisfied with violence,” a necromancer tells Salma Hayek partway through the trailer for Tale of Tales, and it’s the least disturbing thing that happens. It’s a parade of fairy tale archetypes and ominous portents: Toby Jones embracing a flea the size of a cow, Salma Hayek eating a monstrous heart, and John C. Reilly smiling as though he understands a situation he clearly doesn’t. Tale of Tales—the first English-language effort from Gommorah director Matteo Garrone—premiered at Cannes in 2015, but IFC Films is bringing it to U.S. theaters and VOD on April 22.
The film is an adaptation of several stories from the Pentamarone, a Neapolitan fairy tale collection that was an influence on the Brothers Grimm. Judging from the trailer, it’s going to make other upcoming fairy tale movies look like children’s stories.
