Overview
- Julia Jackman’s second feature adapts Isabel Greenberg’s graphic novel into a star‑studded, Scheherazade‑inspired fantasy romance.
- The film’s nested storytelling follows Hero, a servant and narrator, whose nightly tales frame a fairy‑tale courtship plot without revealing major turns.
- Variety commends the sumptuous production design and costumes but argues the feminist and queer ideas feel theoretical and the performances emotionally distant.
- Polygon contends the adaptation softens the comic’s sharper edges, recasting a key antagonist and simplifying Cherry’s characterization to broaden appeal.
- With its limited U.S. theatrical release beginning Dec. 5 after a Venice premiere, reviewers widely agree on the film’s visual ambition but question its emotional pull.