Film : The School for Good & Evil (2022)

The School for good & evil

Ages ago, twin brothers Rhian and Rafal innaugurated the School for Good and Evil (SGE), meant to prepare its students to participate in popular fairytales. During a friendly duel, a power-thirsty Rafal attacks Rhian using blood magic, seeking to dominate the School. Defending himself, Rhian throws Rafal off a cliff, presumably killing him.

In the village of Gavaldon, ambitious and fairytale-obsessed Sophie and cynical misfit Agatha, who share a strong friendship, visit Deauville's Storybook Shop, where they discover a copy of Cinderella with the SGE stamp, on which the shop keeper tells both about the school and its purpose. While Agatha is skeptical, Sophie - desperate to escape her dreary village life and become a princess - writes a letter to the SGE, hoping to gain acceptance in the School for Good, unaware her wish would be granted. That same night, a blood moon appears as Sophie attempts to leave Gavaldon in secret. As Agatha tries to stop her, a misty red-eyed creature drags Sophie away while Agatha gives chase, until a giant skeletal bird (a stymph) snatches up both, flying them to the SGE. Unexpectedly, however, Agatha is dropped off at the School for Good instead of Sophie, who is dropped at the School for Evil.

While both are forcefully inducted by their schools, convinced they were misplaced, Agatha wishes to return to Gavaldon while Sophie wants to stay and transfer to the School for Good. At the welcoming ceremony, Agatha and Sophie meet Tedros, the most popular Ever prince and son to King Arthur. While trying to sneak into the School for Evil at night, Agatha is chased by a cupid and forced to hide in the library, where she overhears Never Dean Leonora Lesso and Ever Dean Clarissa Dovey arguing about Sophie and Agatha's arrivals. As they leave, Rafal manifests from a blood vortex, warning Agatha to stay away from Sophie and her 'destiny'. Agatha reunites with Sophie and they seek out Headmaster Rhian and the magical Storian pen. Rhian informs Sophie he'll only allow her to switch schools if she can find her true love, as only real Evers can, via a true love's kiss.

The next morning, Agatha and Sophie attempt to find Sophie's true love, whom Sophie had already declared was Tedros, while attending and failing their classes, both considered outcasts by the stereotypical Evers (students of Good) and Nevers (students of Evil). Agatha is warned of terrible consequences should she fail three times at school classes, witnessing such a case with another student, Gregor. Later, at a magical wishing lake, Agatha frees a school of “wish fish” revealed to be a failed student from a hundred years ago, and then a stymph interrupts afterwards and approaches Agatha as the other students flee, Agatha recognizing the creature to be a transformed Gregor. Tedros unknowingly kills Gregor with Excalibur when he intervenes, and Agatha lashes out on him and Dovey, even more adamant she doesn't belong there; however, Dovey disagrees, as Agatha's selfless, empathetic personality makes her the first true princess in a long time. Meanwhile, during Lesso's class, Sophie falls into a rivalry with another student, Hester, who attacks her with a tattoo-born demon, in which Rafal intervenes as a wasp swarm. Lesso interprets this as Sophie's unique potential for finally winning a victory for Evil, something thought impossible for centuries.

That afternoon, Sophie and Tedros finally meet, but she is forcefully dragged to the Doom Room, where Lesso cuts her hair to break her spirit, allowing Rafal to persuade Sophie to push all limits to win Tedros' heart. Sophie then undergoes a radical, overconfident change in both appearance and personality, which gains the favor of the Nevers - including Hester and her friends Anadil and Dot - while diverging from Agatha, who still tries to aid Sophie by using magic to bring her and Tedros together. Given they’re an Ever and a Never, being together causes chaos between both schools and alarms both Deans to the point Rhian determines a Trial by Tale to settle the issue. At the Trial, Sophie ends up proving inept in defending herself and Tedros, prompting an infiltrating Agatha to intervene and save him in her stead. This results in Sophie’s imprisonment for cheating and Tedros forfeiting and dumping her for choosing self-preservation over him.

Convinced by Rafal that Agatha is her enemy, Sophie accepts his offer of blood magic, which she uses on Lesso, Dovey, and the rest of the SGE staff when they try stopping her, turning them into dolls. Sophie then invades the Ever's Ball, now transformed into a hag witch, to threaten Agatha and goad Tedros into attacking the School for Evil. Sophie then goes to join the Nevers at their own ball as Tedros arrives and attacks, breaking the law of 'Good defends, Evil attacks'. As a result, the Nevers and Ever magically switch places and a violent battle breaks out.

During the battle, Sophie heads to the Headmaster's tower as a raven, seeking revenge. There, she confronts Rhian, who reveals himself to have been Rafal all along, having survived the fall and killing Rhian instead, assuming his identity, and manipulating Good's stories to favor Evil and weaken Good from within. He then proposes a union to Sophie to rule together and forever, declaring her his true love. As they kiss, both Schools and all within them are condemned to death, horrifying Sophie before Agatha appears to challenge Rafal. As Rafal tries to impale Agatha with the Storian, Sophie takes the fatal hit, undoing Rafal's spell and saving everyone. As Tedros comes to their aid, Agatha, with Sophie's help, takes Excalibur and slays Rafal. As Sophie dies in Agatha’s arms, she kisses Sophie goodbye. This, in turn, brings Sophie back to life, as their kiss proved to be a demonstration of true love.

With the school students having reconciled and the school staff restored, a portal to Gavaldon opens. Agatha kisses Tedros before choosing to cross over with Sophie, returning to their old lives. The film ends with an arrow piercing the veil between worlds followed by a mysterious knife, with Tedros’ voice pleading he needs Agatha; the Storian then states that "this is only the beginning."