You can tell October isn’t too far off when articles like this start popping up, speaking of ghouls, goblins, and of course, one of All Hallow’s Eve’s biggest contributors, witches. Some witches are worse than others when it comes to certain movies and others are actually seen as benevolent, but in the eyes of those that don’t understand, all witches are simply bad. There’s a good reason why you won’t see movies like the Paranormal Activity movies on here however, since many believe that while the movies do show witches in a poor light, it’s also not quite the same as some of these movies, nor are they as involved as it seems in those listed below. Witches have been reviled and misunderstood for so long that the movies are, at this time, the only real criticism of their practice that seems to be allowed. But even the movies seem to come under fire now and again.
Here are some of the best films that portray witches in one way or another.
5. Sleepy Hollow
Normally one would think that this story was all about Ichabod Crane and his encounter with the Headless Horseman, but in this version Tim Burton has upped the ante and made it a story that is more about who controls the horseman than anything. Imagine a demonic creature pulled from the depths of hell to be used as a tool in one woman’s quest for vengeance against those that wronged her so long ago. If not for the kindly witch looking out for him throughout the movie Ichabod might have been killed a number of times, but thanks to his intellect and ability to deduce just what was really going on he was finally able to solve the riddle of the Horseman and bring peace to Sleepy Hollow.
4. Witches
Witches and children don’t seem to get along that well when it comes to the movies or to the legends. Witches are either trying to eat children, kill them, or enslave them in some way and it never seems to turn out very well for the witch at the end. Even if they manage to kill a child or several children there are always those that will come around and find a way to outsmart them. After devising a way to turn children into mice, the witches in this movie have the tables turned on them when the same potion is given to them. Upon turning into mice they are killed by the hotel staff and thus eliminated without anyone ever knowing who they really were.
3. The Craft
A witch having a bad day seems like a disaster waiting to happen, but a teenage witch having a bad day or going through changes in their life seems like it could absolutely disastrous. The young ladies in the Craft are, as a rule, out of control thanks to the impulsive and often disastrous desires that teens tend to have, but they’re also in over their heads since the witch they welcomed into their circle is someone that has a true measure of power to her and doesn’t need to call to the corners for added power. In the end the three witches that thought their power made them so much better come to realize that the one they turned on has always been more powerful.
2. The Witches of Eastwick
Beware who you let into your life because they might be just around the corner and will be up to no good the moment you’ve found them. Daryl is perhaps one of the worst thing to happen to the witches of Eastwick but at the same time he’s responsible for them actually finding out about their abilities. The trouble with accepting power into your life is that it doesn’t tend to go away on its own, and a man like Daryl isn’t so easily dissuaded since he tends to want what he wants and won’t take no for an answer. In the end however the witches manage to deal with him and send him packing, but their lives are definitely changed.
1. Hocus Pocus
There’s a reason why this gets the top spot and it has more to do with the overall movie than it does with the actors or the story. The whole thing just came together in a way that was absolutely great since even for a kids movie this was highly entertaining. There was just enough adult content in the movie that it was appealing and not enough that kids would get too confused by what was going on, and the story itself was pretty fun since it involved at least some historic value even as it delved deeply into fiction. Plus, the idea of the three sisters was a dynamic that worked perfectly for this type of movie.
I’ve put a spell on you, and now you’re mine. Classic.
