Pointy black hats. Cauldrons full of newt eyeballs and unicorn tears. Flying broomsticks. Everyone has a vision in their mind of what witches are all about, and the movies have played a huge role in crafting that image for generations of viewers. After all, they’ve been the subject of films since the silent era, in one iteration or another, their use of magic a narrative stand-in for female empowerment and persecution.
Over the years, the cinematic interpretation of the witch has evolved, widening the circle to include many different types of characters in many different genres, from horror to comedy and everything in between. Just look at the massive popularity of "Wicked," which centers a "wicked witch" in a soaring musical epic. If you're looking for more magic, here are seven movies about witches to stream after "Wicked."
'The Witches'
Roald Dahl has a reputation for writing consistently traumatizing children’s novels, but he outdoes himself with "The Witches," which was adapted for the big screen by Nicolas Roeg in 1990. In it, a young boy (Jasen Fisher) goes on what is supposed to be a relaxing vacation with his grandmother, only to accidentally stumble upon the annual witches convention happening at the same hotel.
And to make matters worse, these are not the quirkily endearing witches we often get in children’s entertainment — these witches, it turns out, like to torture and kill children, and are in the process of unleashing a plot to turn all kids into mice, thus ridding the world of them once and for all. With a gleefully malevolent performance from Anjelica Huston as the Grand High Witch, "The Witches" is a dark but thoroughly entertaining production.
'The Craft'
Back in the 1990s, "The Craft" redefined the image of witches, transforming them from old women in black hats with warts on their noses to moody goth teens. A quartet of high school girls (played by Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell and Rachel True) begins experimenting with witchcraft. Their spells start off petty and selfisf; they use magic for love, for beauty, for revenge.
But it isn’t long before all four find themselves well and truly in over their heads, messing with powerful forces beyond their own understanding. "The Craft" has developed a cult following over the years, and now stands out as one of the most iconic teen horror films of the ‘90s.
'Kiki’s Delivery Service'
Witches aren’t all bad. In fact, oftentimes they’re shown using their magical powers for good, as we see in Hiyao Miyazaki’s imaginative anime production "Kiki’s Delivery Service." In it, Kiki (voiced by Kirsten Dunst in the English dub) embarks on her coming-of-age journey as a young witch, where she must set out into the world and hone her skills. But to begin with, she takes work as a flying delivery girl, scooting around her adopted seaside town of Koriko on her trusty broomstick.
As much as she likes helping people, however, it doesn’t take long for her to start doubting herself and her abilities. What’s a teen witch to do? With all of Miyazaki’s trademark charm, Kiki’s Delivery Service is one of his lightest and fluffiest productions.
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'The Witch'
"The Witch" (or The VVitch, if you like) is as much about isolation and the dangers of religious fervor as it is about supernatural women in the forest liaising with the devil. In colonial America, a farmer moves his family from the relative safety and comfort of their small community to a remote clearing near the edge of the woods, intended to separate them from the perceived impurities of their friends and neighbors.
But not long after they arrive, the family’s infant son goes missing, and they place blame at the foot of the witch they believe inhabits the forest. What’s worse, suspicion quickly falls on their eldest daughter (Anya Taylor-Joy) as well, who was watching the baby at the time. "The Witch" features a star-making turn from Taylor-Joy, and it put director Robert Eggers on the map for his deeply unsettling storytelling style.
'Suspiria'
So many witchy dramas adhere to a dark, gloomy color palette in an attempt to cultivate a suitably supernatural atmosphere. By contrast, Italian director Dario Argento fills "Suspiria" with vivid color, making its disturbing events all the more shocking for their larger-than-life brightness.
Released in 1977, "Suspiria" stars Jessica Harper as Suzy, a young American who moves to Germany to study ballet at a prestigious dance studio. Once she arrives there, however, it doesn’t take long for her to realize that things are a little … off. And when we say off, we mean that the school is run by a coven of witches determined to partake in a little ritual human sacrifice. Now one of the most famous films from Argento, "Suspiria" revels in its unique brand of supernatural horror.
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'You Won’t Be Alone'
A quietly stunning directorial debut from Macedonian Australian filmmaker Goran Stolevski, "You Won’t Be Alone" offers up a fascinating coming-of-age story by way of European folklore. A young mother makes a bargain with a witch to save her infant daughter’s life: the witch can claim the girl as her own, on the condition that her mother is allowed to keep her until her 16th birthday, hidden away from society to protect her.
When the witch comes for her prize, she turns the girl into a shapeshifter like herself, teaching her to prey on humanity. But when she strikes out on her own, she takes on the form of various villagers, and with each new body she learns a different lesson — what it means to be human.
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'I Married a Witch'
Look, it happens to the best of us. Sometimes, you’re a witch hell bent on getting revenge on the descendent of the man who tried to burn you at the stake hundreds of years ago, but when you try to torture him with an ill-conceived love potion, you end up falling for the guy. At least, that’s what happens in "I Married a Witch."
Veronica Lake stars as Jennifer, a witch whose plans go considerably awry when she gets tangled up with Fredric March’s Wallacy Wooley. Much more in line with the comedic stylings of "Bewitched" rather than darker horror fare, "I Married a Witch" is a slight but charming supernatural offering, bolstered by the chaotic chemistry between Lake and March.
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