Hey, remember when there were 2 live-action Snow White movies in 2012?

Disney’s live-action Snow White movie has nothing on the 2012 live-action Snow White films. Yes, that’s films plural, because in 2012 there was not one, but two different adaptations of the fairy tale. Tarsem Singh’s audacious Mirror Mirror and Rupert Sanders’ indulgent, tropey Snow White and the Huntsman both came out in 2012. They’re wildly different takes on the fairy tale, one a comedic fantasy and the other a dark action movie, and have visually distinct aesthetics. Both received mixed reviews in their time, but compared to Disney’s disastrous new Snow White movie, they’re both phenomenal. 

Mirror Mirror director Tarsem is best known for The Fall (and also that Iconique™  Pepsi commercial with Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Pink, and Enrique Iglesias). Like The Fall, Mirror Mirror is decadently gorgeous, with some of the most stunning costumes out there. Nothing exemplifies this more than the big costume ball sequence, where the guests all don ostentatious animal-inspired gowns and suits and prance around an extravagant ballroom. 

Lily Collins stars as Snow White, with Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen. Roberts’ version of the character isn’t particularly evil… just petty, frivolous, and concerned with her self-image more than anything. In fact, the whole “try to kill Snow White with an apple” thing is an afterthought at the end, after she’s tried and failed to throw extravagant parties in order to woo the handsome prince (played by Armie Hammer). 

There are some hilariously over-the-top situations — Prince Alcott keeps getting mugged by a band of thieves (the dwarfs) who strip him to his skivvies; the Queen undergoes a comically long and intense beauty regimen, which involves various insects and excrements slathered all over her; when Snow White dramatically locks Alcott and the dwarfs in their own house to go face the Queen on her own, they spend a stupid long time before realizing that they have their own key. There’s also a sexy banter-filled sword fight between Snow and the Prince, which doesn’t quite fit the hilarious over-the-top situation bucket but I had to highlight it because it’s just so damn fun and adds some oomph to their romance. Fairy tales are all about larger-than-life scenarios, so leaning into larger-than-life comedic situations makes for an adaptation that keeps the general heart of the story told through a new lens. 

To cap it all off, Mirror Mirror ends with a big Bollywood-style dance number, because why not? 

While Mirror Mirror is ballgowns and bold colors, Snow White and the Huntsman is torn dresses and sharpened blades. It’s no less visually stunning, but director Rupert Sanders opted for a darker take on the fairy tale. This Evil Queen, played by Charlize Theron, is evil — very evil, preying on young women and sucking out their youth and beauty. Theron commands every scene with a sharp slice of her cheekbones and her cold, calculating presence. The fantasy vibes in Snow White and the Huntsman are cranked up, with more obvious dark magic conjured by the Queen and a magic forest full of trolls, fairies, and other creatures.

Snow White (played in this version by Kristen Stewart) turns into a certified warrior princess, marching right into the final battle in full armor. Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland definitely paved the way for Snow White to pick up a sword, but Sanders makes the final confrontation an epic battle in its own right, giving all the movie’s major players a chance to shine.

This Snow White is unique in that she gets two love stories (fitting for a Kristen Stewart character, since this was right in the Twilight heyday): Eric the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth), who can’t help but be charmed by Snow’s determination and her warm heart; and her childhood friend William (Sam Claflin), the son of a duke who risks his life when he hears Snow White is alive and seeks her out. It’s ambiguous as to who she ends up with, if anyone (though, apparently, the sequel answers that), but the movie treats them both as viable options. It adds another fun twist to the familiar story, and if we ignore the sequel, we can pretend that Snow White took up the throne with two boyfriends. I love that for her.

The phenomenon of twin films — movies that come out the same year with a similar concept but from totally different studios — has basically been around since movies were a thing. Sometimes, the connection is more vague, like biopics about the same person (Capote and Infamous, for instance); sometimes they’re incredibly specific, like two movies about 19th-century magicians where Nikola Tesla is also there for some reason (The Illusionist and The Prestige). And sometimes, it’s two Snow White movies that put a spin on the familiar fairy tale.

Was it because Once Upon a Time was airing, and Snow White was a major player in that show? Was it because the success of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland signaled to studios that doing weirdo takes on familiar fairy tales could mean a lot of money? This was the era before Disney really started leaning into the direct live-action adaptations of its own works, meaning it was at least doing something fun with its remakes, be it putting beloved characters in a modern town or letting Tim Burton loose. Despite their middling reviews, both movies were popular at the box office, with Mirror Mirror debuting at No. 3 and Snow White and the Huntsman making back twice its budget. And unlike the new Snow White’s abysmal costumes, these two had such gorgeous wardrobes that they were also both nominated for Best Costume Design at the Academy Awards. The people were down for Snow White adaptations in 2012. 

Snow White and the Huntsman and Mirror Mirror cleary took the right lessons from Disney’s initial approach at live-action reduxes — if you’re going to adapt a story everyone knows, you’ve got to have a vision that makes it stand out. Maybe that’s making Snow White into a fearless warrior and giving her two boyfriends, while Charlize Theron commands an army. Or maybe that’s stuffing Julia Roberts into an enormous ballgown and having her make snippy remarks and ending with a huge Bollywood-style dance number. 

Mirror Mirror is streaming on Starz, and available to rent or purchase on digital VOD vendors. Snow White and the Huntsman is available to rent or purchase on digital VOD vendors.