Plot

A demented widow lures unsuspecting children into her mansion in a bizarre "Hansel and Gretel" twist.

A retelling of the old tale of Hansel and Gretel, but set in 1920's England. To the children and staff at the orphanage, Auntie Roo is a kindly American widow who gives them a lavish Christmas party each year in her mansion, Forrest Grange. In reality, she's a severely disturbed woman, who keeps the mummified remains of her little daughter in a nursery in the attic. One Christmas, her eye falls upon a little girl who reminds her of her daughter and she imprisons her in her attic. Nobody believes her brother, Christopher, when he tells them what's happened, so he goes to rescue her.—Mark

In England, in the beginning of the Twentieth Century, the American millionaire Mrs. Forrest welcomes ten orphans from the local orphanage to spend the Christmas night with her. Mrs. Forrest misses her daughter Katherine, who died in a silly accident, and is exploited by the charlatan Mr. Benton, her butler and her housekeeper in fake seances. When the sibling orphans Christopher Coombs and Katy Coombs are not selected to go to the party, they sneak out to Mrs. Forrest's home and she welcomes them. She feels a great attraction for Katy, who resembles Katherine, but Christopher suspects that the widow is a witch.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil