From teen to century-old witches, the 90s had some of the best witchcraft movies of the last century. With the horror genre being one of the oldest genres in film, witchcraft movies have dominated cinema for centuries. Besides, the genre has long moved past the burning of Salem witches at the stake.
Thanks, in no small part, to TV shows like Charmed and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which made spells and Horcruxes much more relatable. Although the 90s did not produce the biggest witchcraft film series/franchises, it laid the foundation for which it was built. These were the best 6 witchcraft movies of the ’90s.
Casper Meets Wendy
The 1998 fantasy comedy Casper Meets Wendy was Hilary Duff‘s first major film. The actress was only a few days shy of her 11th birthday before the movie was released. Duff portrayed the title character, Wendy, based on Harvey Comics’ Wendy the Good Little Witch. Casper Meets Wendy is a heartwarming family film that follows the story of Wendy, a young witch. Wendy befriends a friendly ghost, Casper, after meeting in a barn. They form a special bond and team up to outsmart an evil warlock, Desmond Spellman (George Hamilton), who is determined to destroy Wendy.
The Craft
The 1996 teen supernatural horror movie The Craft was a surprise hit, earning $55.6 million at the Box Office from a $15 million budget. The Craft centered around Sarah Bailey (Robin Tunney), a troubled teenage girl who moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, Sarah befriends three other girls (played by Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, and Rachel True) at her new school to form a coven to practice witchcraft. As the girls harness their newfound abilities, they initially experience a sense of empowerment and control over their lives. However, things turn for the worse as they delve deeper into the world of magic. Afterward, they grapple with the consequences of their actions and the darker forces they have unleashed.
Practical Magic
Practical Magic starred two Hollywood heavyweight actresses, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. Its plot revolves around the Owens sisters, Sally (Bullock) and Gillian (Kidman), who come from a long line of witches. However, they’re stuck with a family curse that causes the men they love to meet tragic ends. As the sisters grapple with their magical heritage and the challenges of love, they must confront the dark legacy that haunts their family. Although it received mixed reviews and wasn’t a commercial success at the time it was released, Practical Magic later developed a cult following.
The Witches
Before the Anne Hathaway-led movie in 2020, the first Roald Dahl 1983 novel adaptation to a film was in 1990. The Nicolas Roeg-directed The Witches became a cult classic over the years. Its plot follows a young boy, Luke Eveshim (Jasen Fisher), who, after losing his parents, goes to live with his grandmother, Helga Eveshim (Mai Zetterling). Luke and his grandmother embark on a seaside holiday where they encounter a convention of witches who despise children.
Luke learns about the witches’ evil plan to turn all children into mice using a magical formula. For this, he’s caught and turned into a mouse. With the help of his grandmother and gluttonous friend, Bruno Jenkins (Charlie Potter), who has also been turned into a mouse, they set out to stop Eva Ernst/The Grand High Witch (Anjelica Huston) and her coven of witches from executing their evil plot.
The Blair Witch Project
The Blair Witch Project is one of the best found-footage horror movies of the 90s. Although a sleeper hit, with Box Office earnings of $248.6 million, The Blair Witch Project is one of the most successful independent films of all time. Interestingly, it was produced on a $200,000–750,000 budget. The Blair Witch Project centered around three student filmmakers. The students go into the Maryland woods to make a documentary about the Blair Witch. As they venture deeper into the woods, they soon become lost, and eerie and unexplained events occur.
Hocus Pocus
The 29-year-old sequel Hocus Pocus 2, released in 2022, was a direct sequel of its original 1993 Hocus Pocus movie. Over the years, Hocus Pocus became a cult classic and is regarded as one of the top witchcraft movies of the 90s. The 1993 Hocus Pocus revolves around three sister witches, Winifred (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy), and Sarah Sanderson (Sarah Jessica Parker). It follows their resurrection after three centuries after Maximilian “Max” Dennison (Omri Katz) unknowingly lights the Black Flame Candle.
The witches are determined to become immortal by stealing the lives of children in present-day Salem, Massachusetts. Max, alongside his 8-year-old sister Danielle “Dani” Dennison (Thora Birch), his crush Allison Watts (Vinessa Shaw), and the three-century-old cat Bink, set out to stop the witches from carrying out their wicked plan. If you enjoyed reading about these 6 best witchcraft movies of the 90s, read Kyle Richards & 9 Other TV Stars Who Defined the 90s.
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