Pomegranate Seeds (2015 film)

Pomegranate Seeds is a 2015 action adventure film that is a retelling of the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone. While most of the story follows the action genre, the romance between Hades and Persephone is more based on Beauty and the Beast.

The film follows Demeter as her daughter Persephone is kidnapped by Hades and is kept in the underworld. Demeter enlists the help of Hermes and Hecate to guide her to the underworld and save her daughter, before Demeter's depression of famine among Earth starves the mortals and kills them. But when Hades' true side comes out, will Persephone be willing to leave?

Plot
The film begins in the underworld as Hermes visits Hades. Hades is distracted by watching Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, and asks Hermes to retrieve Zeus.

Above ground, Demeter is visited by Hecate, and as they converse Demeter reveals Persephone is becoming rebellious, and Demeter is becoming worried about her daughter. As Hecate leaves, she sees Hermes zooming across the wheat field Demeter lives in.

Later, Hades meets with Zeus and tells him he requires a bride. Zeus complies, and Hades makes his decision that Persephone will be his wife. The next day while Persephone is plucking flowers in a field, Hades appears and has a short conversation before Persephone is kidnapped and taken to the underworld, no one witnessing it.

Demeter looks for her daughter, but is unsuccessful, and goes into a panic attack. Hecate arrives and offers her to take her to the titan Helios. They see him, and won't tell them who took Persephone, but Helios is tricked into telling Demeter that Hades has taken her.

Demeter visits Zeus and pleads that her daughter is returned, but Zeus is stubborn and refuses. As a result Demeter withdraws from Olympus and goes into a severe depression, which kills off all the crops that the mortals have tried to grown, and a famine occurs on Earth.

Persephone, after being kidnapped, becomes firghtened and stays in her room for days, not even coming out for meals. However she does come out eventually and is discovered by Hades, who does nothing but give her food before walking away. Persephone chases after him, wondering why, and learns that the stories told of the treachery and maliciousness are all wrong, and that Hades is more peaceful and actually cares for her, since Persephone believes Demeter ignored her when Persephone was screaming her name.

Hades and Persephone gain a relationship, to the point where Persephone sees what's under his helmet, which he always wears, and discovers strange markings all over his face.

Zeus, in an outrage, demands Demeter return the healthy crops, but she does not comply until her daughter is returned. Zeus orders Hermes to take Demeter to the underworld (since Hermes is a guide in the underworld) and retrieve her daughter. Hermes agrees, and Hecate comes along to use her torches to light the way.

As Hermes guides the goddesses to the underworld, Hades and Persephone have an 'appropriate' wedding and proceed in sex. Hermes leads the goddesses to Chiron, who won't comply, but Hermes makes him and they are brought into the underworld.

Hades hears of their arrival and panics, deciding to put everything against them. The underworld is pitch black, and with Hecate's light and Hermes' guide, they help Demeter get through to the mountains of stygian that surrounds the palace.

During which Persephone discovers her mother, and feels happy she came all the way in the underworld to see her. Hades tells her it's not good and they argue.

Hermes guides them to the fields around the palace, where souls do their best to destroy them. Hermes and Hecate defend Demeter and get closer to the palace. Hades tells her Persephone will never be returned if she leaves, leaving her shocked. He tells her there's a way to keep her there and Persephone agrees to it as Hades gives her a pomegrante seed.

After a confrontation with Cerebrus, they make it in the palace, where they try to 'save' Persephone, but discover she ate the seed, which is a food of the underworld, not allowing her to leave. Demeter breaks down and when she learns of what's happening above ground, she becomes shocked and torn between the people she loves.

Suddenly Zeus arrives. He tells Demeter most of the humans have died already, and is told of the situation. While scolding Hades for tricking Persephone everyone is shocked to learn Persephone ate the seed voluntarily. Zeus, torn, changes Hades' rule and makes it so Persephone will be gone 9 months out of the year.

As Persephone leaves, she kisses Hades and goes to her mother, bringing crops and vegitation back to the world.

Cast
Avan Jogia as Hades- God of the Underworld. Unlike other media interpretations, he follows more of his personality in the myths and is rather altrusistic and passive. He has a long black cloak that melts onto the ground with wailing souls on the inside. He also has on his helmet of invisibility all the time, giving him a black face with milky white eyes. His real face has strange markings that are actually greek letters.

Shailene Woodley as Persephone- Queen of the Underworld. She is very innocent and doesn't seem to fear anything at first glance. She wears a long dress that is at first in a tye-dye-ish design, but it later turns to a shade the color of pomegranate.

Courteney Cox as Demeter- Goddess of growth (and later seasons). She controls all crops on the earth. She becomes depressed after her daughter is taken and has the sheer courage to go save her. Her dress seems to be made out of wheat and seems to connect to the ground above ground.

Jason Bateman as Hermes- God of messengers and speed. He talks very fast and seems to have very low patience. Though he does have a good heart, when not tricking someone. His design is a more greek toga design and he holds his staff with two snakes that converse with him.

Michelle Pfeiffer as Hecate- Goddess of magic and crossroads. She is very defensive of her beliefs and has a keen fondness of torches (which is her symbol). Her design is similar to her design in Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series, a black dress that looks like ink spilling off her body.

Timothy Olyphant as Zeus- God of Gods and thunder. He is very bossy and has a short temper.