There's a reasonable number of films out there exploring children's fantasies as a cover for deeper traumas - everything from "Bridge to Terabithia" to "Pan's Labyrinth". And this is another entry in that genre - one that doubles down particularly heavily on the trauma side of thing. MAdison Wolfe, playing our 12 year old protagonist, is tough, guarded and downright unlikeable at times - her obsession with her rituals to guard against attacking giants is quite clearly an emotional wall to protect her, and we see as much how it keeps other people out as keeps her safe.
Danish director Anders Walter has a great sense of the grim nature of the chilly woods and seashore that young Barbara traverses every day, and he gets great performances out of his cast. If there's a slip, it's that the climax feels like it resolves a little too much - the post-climax scenes give us a Barbara that's let all of her darker edges slip and is almost too damn sunny. And despite the PG rating, this is not really a film for a younger audience - the grim nature of the narrative means this'll probably alienate or scare younger audiences. But for anybody who likes their fantasy with a big spackle of mud and grit in there, this might be up your alley.
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