When Fairy Tales Flip the Script: How Music and Misfits Are Redefining Animation
What if the villains in your favorite fairy tales were just... misunderstood? Netflix’s Steps isn’t just another animated comedy—it’s a rebellion against the black-and-white morality of classic stories. And with jazz-trained composer Kris Bowers (known for his Emmy-nominated work on Greenbook and Bridgerton) at the musical helm, this film might just redefine how we hear—and see—animated villains forever.
Kris Bowers: Jazzing Up the Villains
Let’s get one thing straight: Kris Bowers isn’t your typical Hollywood composer. His background in jazz—a genre built on improvisation and emotional nuance—makes him the perfect choice to score a film about morally gray characters. Personally, I think this is why his work on Steps feels so groundbreaking. Traditional fairy tales often reduce villains to pure evil, but Bowers’ music seems to ask: What if these characters feel as deeply as heroes do? When he talks about wanting listeners to “remember the entire journey” just by hearing the score, I hear a composer who’s not just scoring scenes—he’s scoring inner lives. How rare is that for a character labeled ‘evil’?
The Real Magic Wand: Subverting Expectations
Steps reimagines Cinderella’s stepsisters as the protagonists. Lilith, the ‘villain,’ accidentally turns her sister into a frog and teams up with Cinderella to save the kingdom. At first glance, this feels like a gimmick—until you realize how desperately animation needs this shake-up. For decades, kids grew up learning that ‘happily ever after’ only belongs to the ‘right’ kind of people. But what many people don’t realize is that these tropes quietly reinforce societal norms about who deserves success. By flipping the narrative, Steps isn’t just clever—it’s quietly revolutionary. A cynical take might call this ‘woke pandering,’ but I’d argue it’s a long-overdue correction. After all, even Disney’s villains are more fascinating than their princes. Why shouldn’t they get their redemption arcs?
A Director’s Outsider Lens: Why This Story Matters
Co-director Alyce Tzue has called Steps a deeply personal project. Growing up as a queer Taiwanese kid in New Jersey who felt like an outsider? I can’t overstate how much this perspective changes the film’s DNA. When Tzue says the story is about ‘belonging,’ she’s not just talking about fairy-tale kingdoms—she’s talking about every kid who ever felt too weird, too different, or too ‘not enough’ to star in their own happy ending. This isn’t just diversity for diversity’s sake; it’s storytelling that acknowledges real wounds. And honestly, isn’t that what great art does? It turns personal pain into universal truth.
Why Animation Needs More Risks Like This
Let’s zoom out. Netflix’s decision to animate Steps in-house—a first for their animation division—isn’t just a technical choice. It’s a statement. Streaming giants are realizing that audiences crave more than remastered nostalgia; they want fresh myths. I’d argue this is part of a larger shift: animation isn’t just for kids anymore. From Spider-Verse’s genre-bending visuals to Puss in Boot’s existential dread, the medium is maturing. Steps fits perfectly here. It’s not trying to be ‘for everyone’—it’s specifically for the outsiders. And that specificity is what’ll make it resonate widely.
Final Thoughts: The Future of Fairy Tales
When Bowers talks about music that ‘draws emotion through the screen,’ I can’t help but think he’s describing the future of storytelling. The best art doesn’t just entertain—it connects. Steps might be a small story about magical mishaps, but it’s also a Trojan horse for bigger ideas: redemption, empathy, and the danger of single stories. If this film succeeds, it won’t just be because of its star-studded cast (though Daniel Radcliffe as a royal role? Chef’s kiss). It’ll succeed because it dares to ask a radical question: What if ‘happily ever after’ isn’t a formula, but a choice we make for each other? And honestly, we could all use that reminder right now.
