Over the course of history, witches have been largely misunderstood, and in the age of cinema, they’ve been a popular culture to draw upon, even though many people would openly contest the representation that witches have been given over the years, especially when it comes to the Paranormal Activity movies, which won’t make it onto this list. The sole reason for this is that while the witches operated behind the scenes in the movies they weren’t front and present where people could see them working their nefarious tricks. Most movies that have anything to do with witchcraft tend to have a very different plot that requires the use of such magic but doesn’t focus on it so intently. But these movies listed below are focused intently on the idea of witchcraft and its application in everyday life, as the actors tend to take up roles that are heavily steeped in the craft and are seen to display the type of power and dedication to the magical arts that a lot of people either find silly or deluded in this day and age. Whatever one might believe, witchcraft is still practiced today and there are plenty of those that support the craft.
Here are a few movies about witchcraft that have been deemed to be the best.
5. The Witches of Eastwick
The reason this movie was so great was largely because of the cast of Susan Sarandon, Cher, Michelle Pfeifer, and Jack Nicholson. Due to their on-screen chemistry, this movie was actually pretty funny and yes, even worth mentioning for its action and intrigue since it was a lot of fun. If there’s ever been an actor that could play a more devilish character than Nicholson in this case, they hadn’t been found yet. But while the three women were in fact powerful and were able to stand against Nicholson’s character it’s established that he wasn’t really gone at the end of the movie, which was kind of amusing.
4. Hocus Pocus
As it is with several movies, Hocus Pocus is kind of a testament to the fact that Disney is able to somehow hold onto its popularity while practicing hypocrisy along the path to success since Hocus Pocus was kind of hardcore when one really thinks about the idea. The execution is what saved it since the Sanderson sisters were definitely more goofy than sinister despite the fact that their plan was to murder children by stealing their essence to preserve themselves. Plus, there are plenty of other themes throughout the movie that are capable of disturbing children if they were really played up for effect. But again, Disney kept themselves safe by keeping things family-friendly.
3. The Craft
Just so we’re clear, we’re talking about the 1996 version with Robin Tunney and Fairuza Balk since personally, the newest version feels like a walking dumpster fire without any of the excitement or even the intrigue that went into the first. But this group of witches took the magic to a level that was definitely juvenile but turned in a way they hadn’t expected, since once they were able to get what they wanted it simply wasn’t enough. Isn’t that usually the case though? One of them wanted beauty, one wanted to be accepted, another wanted a boy to fall in love with her, and the last wanted power, plain and simple. While they all received what they wanted, none of them were ready for it.
2. The Witch
The slow but steady and disturbing turning of Thomasin, which could also be called a strange kind of seduction, was definitely something to watch. But there are plenty of moments in this movie when one might want to avert their eyes simply because they’re not certain that they want to see what is about to be shown, especially when it comes to children being killed and the violence that precedes Thomasin’s walk into the woods where she meets the coven that would eventually take her in. As great as this movie is, it’s a good idea not to watch it at night if only to spare oneself the certain nightmares to come.
1. The Wizard of Oz
You had to know that this movie would make the list since it features one of the most famous witches of all time, plus Glinda, who shows that there is a different side to witches in her own way. But the Wicked Witch in this movie is one of those characters that managed to give kids nightmares back in the day when this movie was still big and people hadn’t seen the type of movies that were still to come. From her evil cackle to her green skin she was a certifiable terror, and even now people are still enamored of her since the movie and the characters have become classic over the years.
Witchcraft is still very real, but thankfully not quite so devastating.
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