Movie Review Article by Chelsey Villarin | 02 March 2026

MALEFICENT (2014) 

Maleficent (2014) is a fantasy movie directed by Robert Stromberg that tells the story of Sleeping Beauty from the villain’s perspective. The story begins when Maleficent, a strong and powerful fairy living in the Moors, met and fell in love with a farm boy named Stefan. He captured her heart when he threw the iron ring he knew hurt fairies. They became friends, and on her 16th birthday, he gave her a “true love's kiss." He then stopped coming around, and it turned out that he abandoned her to pursue his thirst for power. Now an adult, he rebuilt her trust and then cut her wings with an iron that he knows hurts fairies. 

Years later, Stefan became the king and Maleficent the queen. When Stefan's daughter, Aurora, was brought into the world, Maleficent put a curse on her that on her 16th birthday, she would prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a death-like sleep. Over time, Maleficent secretly watches Aurora grow. Instead of hatred, she begins to feel affection and cares for her as a child. When the 16th birthday comes close, Maleficent finds ways on how she would prevent the curse, while Stefan does everything to kill Maleficent. In the end, Maleficent's kiss took effect, and not the Prince Aurora met the other day. 

Themes:

The theme for this movie explores betrayal and revenge as seen in how Stefan abused Maleficent’s trust in order to achieve his ambition and gain power. He betrayed Maleficent by drugging and cutting off her wings. Maleficent wanted to seek revenge by cursing Aurora. However, the story shifted when Maleficent’s revenge did not really relieve her pain. But instead, it made her love Aurora, and she became a protective godmother. This also highlights that betrayal can create resentment and darkness, while healing can still happen. 

Techniques:

The story shows dramatic irony. As part of the film structure, viewers expected the prince's “true love's kiss” to break the curse. However, it didn't work, and when Maleficent kissed Aurora's forehead, it awakened Aurora. It turns out that the true love lies within Maleficent herself, who cared for her her whole life. This creates the irony of the film. 

Intertextuality is also present as the film retells the story from the villain's perspective, redirecting the views of the watchers about the original narrative and questioning who is truly good or evil.

Literary Lenses:

Feminist lens—the film shows a patriarchal power structure. Stefan's ambition led him to betray and harm a woman (Maleficent) to gain authority in return. The cutting off of Maleficent's wings symbolizes the stripping of power. In addition, the idea of true love coming from a motherly love instead of the prince tells us about the challenging roles of a fairy tale. 

Psychoanalytical lens—Maleficent's curse on Stephan's daughter represents her unresolved trauma and pain. Her motive in revenge reflects her hatred and wounds. Stefan's paranoia in defeating Maleficent also shows his guilt and fear from his betrayal. 

Marxist lens—The war between the human kingdom and the Moors shows class struggles. Just like what the king says, “A king does not take orders from a winged elf," announcing his dominance. The kingdom represents the capitalist, while the Moors represent the working class. Stefan's rise to the throne and abuse of power show how greed drives individuals to exploit others. 

Overall, Maleficent (2019) changes the original tale into a complex story about trauma and power. With irony and intertextuality, the film challenges the stereotype of a villain. The feminist, psychological, and Marxist lenses allow viewers to understand the deeper meaning about gender, ambition, and hierarchy. The film suggests that pain shapes individuals, but it does not mean that healing is not possible with love.