Rumpelstiltskin (Glasgow Frightfest 2025)

The original folk tale of Rumpelstiltskin is one we’ve all had read to us as children or at least know the overarching events of. A miller, eager to elevate his social status, lies about his daughter’s abilities – claiming she can spin straw into gold. The king, soon to remarry, takes her, locks her in a room, and there she strikes a deal with Rumpelstiltskin: he can weave straw into gold… but only in exchange for the life of her firstborn child.

Paranoid Android takes this classic tale and injects the harsh reality of its implications, transforming it into a moody medieval epic. The story follows the original down to the last detail, with an unrelenting darkness that would make the Brothers Grimm sit back in pride.

What stands out is the commitment to morally grey characters. Few are one-dimensional; each is a reflection of the brutal times they live in. Eat or be eaten. Everything is a transaction – for status or survival. Rumpelstiltskin’s reimagining, through the vision of costume designer James Dance, is particularly striking. His mask resembles a deep-sea creature, lending him an eerie, aquatic quality. When unmasked, he leans into the long-established grotesque look we expect, but his first appearance is unforgettable. The way his costume blends with the shadows of the dungeon could make him a horror icon in his own right.

One thing Paranoid Android gets so right is the lens through which it frames women in this world. Men hold all the power, while women are disposable – valued only for their ability to bear children. The king is soon to remarry – here’s his ex-wife’s head on a pike. The film’s unflinching portrayal of the former queen giving birth to a girl, only to be immediately beheaded, nods to Henry VIII and the brutal realities of medieval monarchy. Hannah Baxter-Eve’s Evalina (Escape, Aguska) is a breath of fresh air; her sharp wit guides her through a world that constantly places her in peril. She holds strong, navigating the consequences of her father’s lie. The irony of the king wielding absolute power yet desperately needing to consolidate it – beyond land and gentry – gives Evalina a sliver of control over her imprisonment. Her intelligence draws Rumpelstiltskin to her, making him a living manifestation of the society they inhabit.

Nothing is free. As a woman, you pay with the one thing of true value – your body and your ability to give life. Evalina becomes trapped between both the king and the imp, but Baxter-Eve plays her with a rebellious edge, standing her ground in the worst of circumstances. She manipulates the situation however she can to survive. Even Rumpelstiltskin has a price to pay for his magic, reinforcing the film’s grim truth: no one escapes unscathed. Pay up, or heads will roll.

Writer and director Andy Edwards (Ibiza Undead) masterfully handles the stakes, keeping the tale alive and breathing. As Evalina’s debts pile up and her promises contradict one another, tension mounts – until it’s shattered by the moment she discovers the power of a name. It’s no small feat to build suspense from near scratch halfway through a film, but the creeping darkness escalates to a fever pitch when Rumpelstiltskin comes to collect. The second half frequently returns to the forest, cloaking his desperation in the shadows. The Evil Dead-esque clearing of space in the woods is a brilliant touch, signaling the end of a chapter, while Evalina’s triumph remains tainted by the ever-present horror of a transactional world.

The film’s immersive world-building is impressive, especially given its budget. Under the leadership of Edwards, Paranoid Android proves itself as a production company with vision, delivering a deeply unsettling, fully realized descent into the horrors of an older world—peppered with all the deliciously eerie elements of folk horror.

SAMPIRA’S ARCHIVE – RUMPELSTILTSKIN