Some of the most beloved films in cinema history tell spooky tales of witchcraft and magic, entrancing audiences across the world. The depiction of witches has changed drastically over the years. Initially shown as deformed, malevolent hags flying around on broomsticks and targeting innocent children, this representation has shifted more into magical beings who often serve as protagonists with kind hearts and flawless faces. Witches in Hollywood went from the dramatic portrayal of a green-skinned, pointy-hat-wearing evil menace à la the Wicked Witch of the West in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, to the beautiful and caring Owens sisters in 1998’s Practical Magic.
That’s not to say that Hollywood hasn’t released countless pictures involving witches demonstrating less-than-virtuous behavior. For instance, the teen grunge supernatural flick The Craft follows a group of teenage girls who dabble in the occult, and end up wreaking havoc on those who have wronged them in the process. The Sanderson sisters also turned the town of Salem upside down in search of children’s souls to steal in the cult classic Hocus Pocus. Whether they're illustrated in fun family flicks, dark fantasy pics, or horrifying happenstance, witches have been and will remain a constant attraction on the big screen. Now that they're making a comeback on-screen once more, let's take a look at the best movies about witches the 20th century had to offer.
Updated on September 23rd, 2023 by Amanda Minchin: If you're a fan of all things spooky and scary, then you'll be glad to know this article was just updated to include even more Wiccan delights.
12 The Witches (1990)
Nicolas Roeg’s 1990 dark fantasy comedy The Witches famously stars Anjelica Huston as The Grand High Witch. She deviously plots to turn all children into mice through a magical potion, only to face a surprising adversary in the form of an 8-year-old boy. Based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name, the story focuses on evil witches who masquerade as ordinary women while harboring extreme hate for all children. The Grand High Priestess is the most powerful and evil witch of them all. She hides her ancient and hideous appearance behind an attractive disguise in order to blend in with the rest of society.
The character’s frightening and monstrous true look was crafted by none other than Jim Henson’s Creature Shop: “The prosthetics for Miss Ernst’s transformation to The Grand High Witch were extensive. The various features–contacts lenses, full facial mask, hump, withered collarbone, and hands–took over six hours to apply and almost as much time to remove at the end of the day.” The Witches was well-received by critics and audiences alike, much more so than its remake. It's no wonder it's developed a cult following ever since!
11 Practical Magic (1998)
The 1998 romantic comedy Practical Magic features the brilliant Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as sisters and witches Sally and Gillian Owens. They are raised by their aunts, who taught them the uses of helpful magic in everyday life. Unfortunately, being a member of the Owens family comes at a high price: all the romantic suitors the women fall for are doomed to an untimely death. It’s up to the reserved Sally and the feisty Gillian to use their powers to fight against the family curse and the menacing supernatural forces that come along with it.
Bullock revealed that while filming the fantasy flick, the cast felt that the supernatural elements of the project were beginning to affect them; both the actors and the crew claimed they heard otherworldly noises while shooting the coven scene at the end of the picture. Despite a lukewarm reception by both critics and audiences, Practical Magic has gone on to become a cult classic and, like pretty much everything else, is in the process of getting a remake!
10 The Blair Witch Project (1999)
What's scarier than a witch that's alive? How about a shape-shifting, borderline invisible, not quite dead one? There’s nothing scarier than an unseen being with the forces of witchcraft behind them. The Blair Witch Project, however, did just that. Their 1990s iteration of a witch was more myth than legend. Tales foretold the ghost of Elly Kedward, who was banished for witchcraft in the late 1700s.
In practice, the ‘witch’ in question seemed to have powers both ghostly and Wiccan. Some claimed she took the form of a half-human hag who couldn’t touch the earth. Characters saw her in many forms, from a disappearing old woman dressed in black to a naked old lady with hair like in the previous year’s Ringu. One thing’s for certain - a being with the powers of both witch and ghost is nothing short of a formidable foe indeed.
9 The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
George Miller’s classic 1987 dark comedy The Witches of Eastwick includes a slate of cinema’s most dazzling stars at the time, including Jack Nicholson, Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon. Based on the John Updike novel, the story centers on three single women living in the picturesque village of Eastwick, Rhode Island. They each find their desires fulfilled with the arrival of a flashy and mysterious man. The iconic Jack Nicholson portrays the brazen Daryl Van Horne, who sets out to seduce the three small-town friends and reveal each of them as powerful witches in the process.
For his performance of the devilish Van Horne, Nicholson won the Saturn Award for Best Actor. Interestingly enough, the role was initially supposed to be played by funnyman Bill Murray, but he ended up dropping out before production began. The Witches of Eastwick is a quirky and well-crafted fantasy flick from the director of Mad Max, one that’s full of dynamite performances by its gifted leads. It truly is a Halloween staple (which means, of course, that it too is being remade).
8 The Little Mermaid (1989)
Disney’s 1989 beloved animated musical The Little Mermaid tells the tale of a mermaid named Ariel who longs to become a human. She falls in love with a human prince named Eric, whom she rescued from drowning. She makes a magical bargain with a villainous sea witch Ursula in order to become a human and be with him. Ursula only agrees to help the young mermaid because she wants to overthrow her father, King Triton. Pat Carrol provides the voice of the scheming witch. She based her performance on a combination of Shakespearean actresses and car salespeople.
The character was quickly embraced as one of Disney’s best villains, garnering praise for being both scary and humorous at the same time. Carrol earned so much acclaim that the role ultimately eclipsed her previous body of work and became synonymous with her. Ursula was revived once again in Disney's recent live-action remake.
7 Halloweentown (1998)
The adored 1998 Disney Channel Original Movie Halloweentown focuses on a 13-year-old girl living with her secret witch mother and siblings. After learning that she too is a witch, she sets off to help her eccentric grandmother save Halloweentown from evil forces. Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds portrays Aggie Cromwell, a witch from the supernatural town who enlists the help of her magical family to fight a dangerous, mysterious force that is threatening the colorful residents.
Halloweentown was famously filmed in St. Helens, Oregon, which hosts a month-long Spirit of Halloween event that allows fans to explore the town and even recreate parts of the set. The monumental success of the Disney flick predictably led to three follow-up sequels and established the family movie as a cherished Halloween standard.
6 Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost (1999)
The Scooby-Doo franchise has seen its share of spooky, scary skeletons. Buts Witches? The turn of the millennium saw an increase in animated Scooby-Doo films, starting with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. One of the most acclaimed among these, however, was Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost. The film saw Mystery Inc. en route to New England, where they've been summoned by a horror novelist whose ancestor, Sarah Ravencroft, was executed as a witch. Now Sarah is roaming the town, creating mischief.
Of course, the iconic Hex Girls, an all-female goth band, are obvious suspects - one of them is even a practicing Wiccan! There's more than meets, the eye, however. Much in the trend of these films, this one also featured real supernatural elements alongside the traditionally fabricated men in masks... so be on the lookout! Originally released on VHS, the film made the rounds on tv re-runs before finding its way onto DVD.
5 Hocus Pocus (1993)
1993’s fantasy comedy Hocus Pocus follows a villainous trio of witches who are inadvertently resurrected on Halloween night by a teenage boy in Salem, Massachusetts. Starring the sensational Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters, this Kenny Ortega film first came to fruition in 1984. Production was stalled until 1992 when Midler expressed intense interest in the picture. Throughout filming, the movie turned more and more from horror to comedy.
Though initially a box office blunder, the fantasy gained new life with audiences through annual airings on network television, becoming a cult classic in the process. The city of Salem also acknowledges and appreciates the film for what it’s done for its tourism, stating: “There’s always been a Hocus Pocus component to the visitors to Salem, especially in October. But it’s like the film’s following grows every year.” A long-awaited sequel was released last year on Disney+.
4 The Craft (1996)
Andrew Fleming’s 1996 teen supernatural horror flick The Craft follows four outcast teenage girls at a Los Angeles Catholic prep school who use witchcraft for their own gain... with, of course, consequences. Though nearly 85 actresses screen-tested for the roles, reportedly including Alicia Silverstone and Angelina Jolie, the film wound up casting Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell, Fairuza Balk, and Rachel True as the mysterious misfits.
Production enlisted a real-life Wiccan named Pat Devin to serve as an on-set advisor. She wrote the incantations used and made sure that the Wiccan subject matter was done in an accurate and respectful manner. The Craft went on to become a sleeper hit. It earned mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances of its leads as well as the production and direction values. Balk even won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. The film’s cult following led to a 2020 sequel from Blumhouse named The Craft: Legacy.
3 Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
From the gifted mind of visionary Hayao Miyazaki and the beloved Studio Ghibli comes the 1989 animated fantasy Kiki’s Delivery Service. It tells the story of a young witch who moves to a new town and uses her gift of flying to earn a living. In accordance with her village’s tradition for training witches, Kiki must spend a year in the seaside town honing in on and mastering her craft. As the determined yet insecure 13-year-old begins to question her skills, she starts losing her magical abilities. A pivotal journey of self-discovery ensues.
Miyazaki revealed that he wanted the film to portray the gulf between independence and reliance in teenage Japanese girls, so of course it heavily features the concepts of maturity and vulnerability. Kiki’s Delivery Service was a box-office smash and earned the praise of moviegoers and critics alike, with The Guardian writing, “The film becomes a benign guided tour of femininity…gently broaching universal coming-of-age issues such as independence, insecurity, and even–more boldly than any Western children’s movie would contemplate–sexuality.” And, yes, this too got a live-action remake.
2 Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
Who among us can say no to Angela Lansbury as a witch? Well, how about Angela Lansbury fighting the Nazis as a witch in training? Disney's Bedknobs and Broomsticks has been described as, "Mary Poppins, except on half the budget and double the LSD." Intertwined with animated interludes with anthropomorphic animals, the special effects for this film went on to win an Academy Award in 1972. Songs for the film were written by the acclaimed Sherman brothers.
The film follows Miss Eglantine Price's (Lansbury) quest to find a spell that might just repel the Nazis from England's shores. While one might expect a less matronly presence for a witch in training, Lansbury positively sparkles in her role of the modern 70s witch. Alongside her for the ride are David Tomlinson, Ian Weighill, Cindy O'Callaghan, and Roy Snart.
1 The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, 1939’s hallowed musical The Wizard of Oz is an adaptation of L. Frank Braum’s fantasy children’s novel. It follows Dorothy Gale and her loyal dog Toto, who are swept away from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz during a tornad0. Alongside a Scarecrow, a Tin Man, and a Cowardly Lion, our heroine embarks on a quest to meet with the mystical Wizard. Only he can help her return home. Along the way, she makes enemies with the Wicked Witch of the West after accidentally dropping a house on her sister... which, to be honest, is a fair reaction. The cinematic masterpiece was innovative by its use of Technicolor and has become influential for its fantasy storytelling and iconic characters (and its behind-the-scenes snafus).
Silver screen star Judy Garland memorably leads the picture as Dorothy, beating out fellow child stars Shirley Temple and Deanna Durbin for the highly coveted role. One of few films to feature both witches and 'wizards', playing the role of the Wicked Witch on set proved hazardous to one's health. Both Margaret Hamilton and her stunt double were injured during faulty special effects, and it reportedly took weeks for the green tint to fade. The film has been adapted into a wide range of iterations, including Michael Jackson's The Wiz. What's actually interesting, and perhaps inspirational considering the slew of aforementioned remakes, is that the classic The Wizard of Oz was actually the fourth filmed version of the story and a remake in and of itself. There is hope, after all.