23 Witch Movies That Will Put a Spell on You
Updated: Jan. 22, 2024
Get ready for a little magic—and the ultimate guilty pleasure—with these witch movies you won’t be able to resist.
Witchy women
Rev up your broomstick: It’s the season of the witch. Actually, that should be a year-round thing, because we could all use a little magic in our lives even when Halloween isn’t right around the corner. While the best witch movies definitely rank among the best Halloween movies around, they will keep you enchanted whenever the mood strikes—and no matter what that mood is.
Looking for a scary Halloween movie? No problem. How about a sweetly spooky Disney movie you can watch with the kids, a funny-scary movie on Netflix or Hulu for a movie marathon with friends, or an empowering tale of good witches getting it done? Check, check, and check. And that’s just the beginning of what you’ll find on this list. So, grab the popcorn, curl up on the couch, and let your inner witch fly! You just might find the perfect inspiration for a Halloween party—complete with the best spooky songs to put on your party playlist.
The Love Witch
Let the sumptuous visual style of Annie Biller’s 2016 artsy masterpiece bewitch you. Madcap elegance infuses brutality with chic settings in this story about a lovestruck witch and the men who obsess over her. The costumes and makeup take retro glam to a new level. If this inspires you to up your game for the big day, check out these easy Halloween makeup ideas almost anyone can master.
Practical Magic
Practice magic with one of the quintessential witch movies. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman lend star power to this rom-com-goes-dark cult hit about sister witches who are unlucky in love. Come for the romantic seaside setting, and stay for the dark revenge necromancy. You’ll find some memorable lines in here that you probably didn’t realize originated with the 1995 movie. Here are another 55 Halloween quotes to get you in the spooky spirit.
The Craft
Light as a feather. Stiff as a board. Intense performances from Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, and Rachel True as telepathic high school witches give this 1996 teen thriller lasting gravity. There’s a 2020 update, but watch the camp-infused original for real Goth-girl magic. Add some spell work to your Halloween party games…if you dare!
The Witch
Anya Taylor-Joy of the hit TV show The Queen’s Gambit plays a Puritan farm girl in this atmospheric thriller set amid new world settler life—otherwise known as the witch trials era. Get ready to be seduced by the artsy, surreal style as it descends into witchy revelry. And watch out for goats. You know, just your average demonic farm animals. Once you’re thoroughly freaked out, learn the origins of witches and these other seemingly spooky Halloween monsters.
The Witches of Eastwick
A trio of besties discovers they’re actually witches with enormous powers when they work together to take on a devilish rogue who arrives in their small coastal town. Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer anchor the silliness with star bravado, while Jack Nicholson hams it up as an underworld scalawag named Devil—whoops, we mean Daryl Van Horne. If you loved that pun, check out these pun-tastic Halloween costumes that include a deviled egg. Wicked smart.
A Wrinkle in Time
If you’re in the mood for galactic witch movies, join Mrs. Which, played by Oprah Winfrey, along with Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling, who star as magical mystics of the universe. You’ll be treated to a visual feast as a young girl, with her friend and kid brother along for the ride, hops across dimensions on a dad-saving mission. It’s adapted from the classic novel, so you’ll have to see for yourself if you like the movie better.
Escape to Witch Mountain
You could go for any of the later sequels and remakes, but we recommend starting with Disney’s 1975 original about two orphans on the run to the mysterious Witch Mountain. Since the brother and sister duo are imbued with telekinetic powers, various villains are out to get them. They befriend a grump with an RV who joins them on the adventure using a hidden star map as a guide. This one’s perfect retro fun for the kiddos. Keep the fun going with these spooky and silly Halloween books kids love.
The Wizard of Oz
Get back to time-honored prototypical witch movies by rewatching The Wizard of Oz. Glenda is good and all, but Margaret Hamilton steals the show as the bicycle-riding, Toto-stealing meanie Miss Gulch. Hamilton also plays the ultimate witch icon, the Wicked Witch of the West, with green skin, long nails, and a broomstick that skywrites in black smoke. Just surrender already, and while you’re at it, gather ideas for a classic family Halloween costume.
Into the Woods
Get Grimm with this fairy tale musical pastiche adapted from the hit Broadway musical. Meryl Streep earned a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance as the curse-wielding Witch. Fantastical forest settings entwine classic characters like Red Riding Hood and the Wolf with Cinderella and Rapunzel as they’re all caught up in the Witch’s evil schemes.
The House with a Clock in Its Walls
A young boy is sent to live with his warlock uncle, played by Jack Black, in this big-budget caper set in a Gothic mansion with magic in every nook and cranny. Cate Blanchett stars as the witch next door who’s not everything she seems in this atmospheric fantasy. File this one under family-friendly, along with these 50 cornball Halloween jokes that offer next-level status to all the dad jokesters out there.
Witching and Bitching
If you like your witch movies concocted with over-the-top outrageousness and gore galore, then put this subtitled Spanish horror film on your Halloween screening schedule. In it, hapless thieves happen upon a coven of cannibal witches. The men initially escape, but they make the mistake of going back for the booty. The cops then get pulled into the extra-silly, extra-violent mix.
Teen Witch
If your inner ’80s witch is thirsty for some world-class cringe, this is the rom-com cheese for you! Dumb and delightful, it’s a sight to behold with bad dates, bad hair, and so-bad-they’re-good dance numbers that have inspired sing-along screenings across the country. Don’t miss the locker room aerobics number “I Like Boys” or the low-point irony of the rap “Top That.” The featherweight plot follows a sweet sixteen teenybopper who discovers she’s actually a witch and uses her powers to become popular.
Spirited Away
Get caught up in the dreamy spell of Hayao Miyazaki’s beautifully animated anime fantasy about a young girl whisked into a surreal land on a quest to save her parents after they’re transformed into pigs. Once spirited away, she meets up with powerful twin witches in this mesmerizing treat. You can go wrong with this animated film on family movie night.
The Blair Witch Project
This 1999 hit made waves as an early “found footage” masterpiece that spawned a franchise and new genre. The staged documentary follows three campers with a camcorder who are investigating a mythic witch in the woods. The low-budget, hard-to-see aesthetic manages to amp up the creepiness and end with the truly terrifying.
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark
Horror hostess TV queen Elvira makes her film debut in this campy send-up of scary-movie schlock. Cassandra Peterson stars as the iconic pop force, Elvira, a witchy woman who finds herself amid small-town hysterics after she inherits a mansion and cooks up spells galore. Keep the giggles going with these Halloween memes that will have you howling with laughter.
Black Sunday
Mario Bava’s 1960 Gothic classic of Italian cinema is considered an exemplary horror film, churning with shadows, gore, and vengeance. Barbara Steele stars as a condemned witch awakened from the dead who understandably wreaks havoc after enduring injustice. The visuals are a stunning dark mood.
Season of the Witch
George A. Romero, of Night of the Living Dead fame, wrote and directed this campy 1972 thriller about a disenchanted housewife who dabbles in witchcraft. She finds it freeing to discard suburban normalcy for coven life. (Um, who wouldn’t?)
Snow White
Bluebirds and forest merriment are just one part of this sweet classic with a dark side. When the young heroine dashes through the woods, the animation turns from peace and calm to shadowy calamity. Don’t forget the quintessential fairy tale witch in this one. Hunched. Hooded. Totally committed to evil. This Disney villain is still thrilling and worth a watch. And, of course, you’ll find a classic Disney quote or two in here that the kids will love reciting.
Rosemary’s Baby
Newlyweds move into a new apartment, and the neighbors seem great! Unfortunately, they’re actually part of an extremely creepy coven obsessed with obstetrics and Satan. Look for atmospheric chills as malevolence seeps into domestic married life.
The Conjuring
Based on real-life demon sleuths, this haunted house hit amps up the chills. A long-ago curse terrorizes a family who just moved in. Hey, if you can’t handle payback, then don’t persecute witches. This one’s genuinely scary, so bring a blanket to hide under, then follow up with three more films in the franchise. Speaking of spooky tales, these Ouija board stories will give you chills, too. Good luck sleeping tonight!
Hocus Pocus
In one of the most iconic (and quotable) witch movies, Bette Midler goes full-throttle sorceress, and she’s accompanied by Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker as part of the spell-casting trio. Fun performances and wholesome high jinks soak over-the-top theatrics with charm. We can’t wait to see what hilarious adventures these witches get into once again in Hocus Pocus 2.
The Witches
Angelica Huston leans into her role as a witch in this fantasy about a boy who’s turned into a mouse after he stumbles upon a coven’s nefarious plans. Try the classic original, known for its charming watchability, before streaming the 2020 update starring Anne Hathaway and Octavia Spencer. Prefer reading over watching? Here are some spellbinding books about witches that enchant adults and teens alike.
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Another delightful and moving anime from Hayao Miyazaki, this one features a witch trainee with a flying broomstick and black cat sidekick. She opens a business delivering witch supplies but loses her powers during a bout of depression in this coming-of-age fairy tale. Next, check out these easy Halloween crafts your kids will love to make.
Originally Published: August 13, 2021
