A Fairy Tale Dipped in Adrenaline—Joe Wright’s Genre-Bending Thriller. From the very first shot, Hanna sets itself apart from the standard action fare. Director Joe Wright, known for his lush period dramas (Atonement, Pride & Prejudice), delivers a film that is as visually arresting as it is pulse-pounding. But Hanna is more than just a chase movie; it’s a coming-of-age story, a twisted fairy tale, and a meditation on innocence lost—all wrapped up in a package that’s as stylish as it is strange.

Movie Review: Hanna (2011)

The Premise: Survival Is All She’s Ever Known

Hanna Heller (Saoirse Ronan) is no ordinary teenager. Raised in the snowbound forests of Finland by her father Erik (Eric Bana), a former CIA operative, Hanna’s life is a relentless routine of combat training, survival skills, and language lessons. There are no friends, no school, no distractions—only the singular goal of being prepared for the day when the outside world comes calling.

That day arrives when Hanna flips a switch—a literal beacon that alerts the shadowy CIA agent Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett) to their location. What follows is a cat-and-mouse chase across continents, with Hanna thrust into a world she’s never known, pursued by forces she can barely comprehend.

The Cast: Performances That Elevate the Material

Saoirse Ronan is the heart of the film, delivering a performance that’s both fierce and fragile. She moves with the precision of a predator, yet her wide eyes betray a longing for connection and understanding. Ronan makes Hanna believable as both a lethal weapon and a child discovering the world for the first time.

Eric Bana brings a stoic tenderness to Erik, a father whose love is expressed through discipline and preparation. His scenes with Ronan are quietly powerful, hinting at a deep bond forged in isolation.

But it’s Cate Blanchett who steals many scenes as Marissa Wiegler. With her immaculate bob, steely gaze, and unsettlingly calm Southern accent, Blanchett crafts a villain who is both chillingly efficient and oddly vulnerable. She’s less a mustache-twirling baddie and more a twisted fairy godmother—obsessed, meticulous, and always just out of reach.

Tom Hollander, as the sadistic Isaacs, injects a dose of dark humor and flamboyance, making every scene he’s in both unsettling and strangely entertaining.

The Style: A Fairytale World with a Modern Beat

Wright infuses Hanna with a visual and sonic energy that’s hard to resist. The cinematography is stunning—whether it’s the icy blues of the Finnish wilderness, the sun-baked deserts of Morocco, or the neon-lit labyrinths of Berlin. The camera work is dynamic, often swirling and darting to mirror Hanna’s own restless energy.

The Chemical Brothers’ electronic score is a character in itself. Pulsating, urgent, and sometimes discordant, the music underscores the film’s off-kilter tone. Action scenes are choreographed to the beat, giving them a surreal, almost dreamlike quality.

The Themes: Nature vs. Nurture, Innocence vs. Experience

At its core, Hanna is a story about identity. Hanna has been engineered—genetically and psychologically—to be a weapon. But as she encounters the world for the first time, she’s forced to grapple with questions of who she is and who she wants to be. The film draws heavily on fairy tale motifs: Hanna as the lost child, Marissa as the wicked witch, and the world as a dark, dangerous forest.

There’s a haunting sadness to Hanna’s journey. Her brief encounters with a quirky British family (Olivia Williams and Jason Flemyng) offer a glimpse of normal adolescence—friendship, laughter, even a hint of romance. But these moments are fleeting, underscoring just how much Hanna has been denied.

The Action: Brutal, Beautiful, and Unconventional

Hanna delivers on the action front, but not in the way you might expect. The set pieces are intense and inventive—a one-take subway fight, a tense escape through a shipping yard, a final showdown in an abandoned amusement park. Wright eschews shaky-cam chaos in favor of balletic choreography and clear, kinetic visuals.

What makes these scenes stand out is their emotional weight. Every punch, every chase, every narrow escape is charged with Hanna’s desperation to survive and to understand her place in the world.

Final Thoughts: A Genre Mashup That Dares to Be Different

Hanna is not a film for everyone. Its blend of fairy tale whimsy and brutal violence, its offbeat humor, and its refusal to provide easy answers may alienate viewers expecting a straightforward action flick. But for those willing to go along for the ride, it’s a unique, exhilarating experience.

Joe Wright’s direction, Saoirse Ronan’s star-making performance, and The Chemical Brothers’ propulsive score combine to create a film that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll. Hanna is a coming-of-age story with a razor’s edge—a modern fairy tale where the monsters are real and the happy ending is anything but guaranteed.

Verdict:

Hanna is a genre-defying thriller that’s as thoughtful as it is thrilling, as beautiful as it is brutal. It’s a fairy tale for the 21st century—one where the princess saves herself, and the world is as dangerous as it is wondrous. Highly recommended for those who like their action movies with a side of existential angst and a dash of surreal style.