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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThere is no objective ranking of the best witch movies: this is a curated set of 13 films, ordered as in Entertainment Weekly’s October 18, 2024 selection reproduced by Yahoo. It spans silent-film history, family fantasy, romance, comedy and horror—and includes stories where witches are villains, targets of suspicion, or protagonists who embrace their power.
How to choose a witch movie
Start with the tone you want. For family fantasy, try The Wizard of Oz, Bedknobs and Broomsticks or Hocus Pocus. For romance and comedy, look to I Married a Witch, The Witches of Eastwick or Practical Magic. The horror choices range from the stylized unease of Suspiria to the folk horror of The Witch and the slow-burn fairy-tale dread of Gretel & Hansel.
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The list is useful as a viewing guide, not a measured consensus: the selection provides no scoring system or objective ranking. The films also differ in what “witch” means on screen. Some center on threatening magical figures; others ask what happens when a woman is accused, or give witches agency over their own lives.
The 13 best witch movies
1. Häxan (1922)
This silent hybrid of documentary and dramatized scenes examines witchcraft, superstition and witch hunts across historical periods. It is a distinctive starting point for viewers interested in cinema history and in how societies construct the idea of witchcraft, rather than conventional narrative horror.
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- An instant library of 50 horrorics assembled on 12 DVD's.
2. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Wicked Witch of the West gives this musical fantasy its witch-centered menace. It remains a family-oriented classic, though the witch’s frightening presence may feel intense for some younger children.
3. I Married a Witch (1942)
A witch returns centuries after being burned and sets out to take revenge on a descendant of her persecutor. The plan changes when she falls in love, making this a natural pick for vintage romantic comedy with a supernatural twist.
4. Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
Miss Eglantine Price is an apprentice witch caring for three children during World War II. She pursues magic in the hope of helping fight the Nazis, in a lighter family fantasy built around an unusual wartime mission.
5. Suspiria (1977)
Dario Argento’s horror follows sinister events at a German dance school. Its striking, stylized atmosphere makes it a strong choice for viewers seeking visually distinctive horror; the story was remade in 2018.
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6. The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
George Miller’s supernatural comedy follows three women who summon a man whose arrival proves more dangerous than they expected. Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer play the women, with Jack Nicholson as the man they conjure.
7. The Witches (1990)
Nicolas Roeg adapts Roald Dahl’s children’s story as dark, grotesque fantasy. Anjelica Huston plays the leader of a group plotting to turn children into mice; the disturbing transformation premise makes this a less gentle choice than its source material’s broad audience might suggest.
8. Hocus Pocus (1993)
Three witch sisters from seventeenth-century Salem are conjured into modern-day Salem, where their return sparks comic chaos. Disney lists the film as PG, with a runtime of 1 hour 36 minutes and a release date of July 16, 1993. Those details can help families decide whether it suits their viewers, but a rating alone cannot predict how a particular child will respond.
9. The Craft (1996)
Four high-school students form a coven and use their new power to change their circumstances. This teen supernatural drama takes a darker turn as those choices bring consequences.
10. Practical Magic (1998)
Witch sisters Sally and Gillian confront a family curse that threatens the men they love. Choose it for romantic fantasy with sisterhood at the center, rather than a story focused mainly on frightening a coven or witch-hunt.
11. The Witch (2015)
Robert Eggers’s folk horror is set in New England in 1630. After an isolated Puritan family relocates to the edge of an ominous forest, suspicion turns toward their eldest daughter, Thomasin. The film makes accusation and religious fear as central as the threat of witchcraft itself.
12. The Love Witch (2016)
A potion-making seductress seeks romance in a highly stylized pastiche of 1960s films. Its heightened period look and knowingly theatrical approach suit viewers who want romantic fantasy with a distinct visual personality.
13. Gretel & Hansel (2020)
Oz Perkins reworks the fairy tale as slow-burn horror, with Sophia Lillis as Gretel and Alice Krige as the witch. Its moody approach makes it a fit for viewers looking for unsettling fairy-tale atmosphere.
Choose by mood, era and portrayal
| What you want | Try | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Early cinema and witch-hunt history | Häxan (1922) | Silent hybrid using dramatization to explore witchcraft and superstition. |
| Family fantasy | The Wizard of Oz (1939), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), Hocus Pocus (1993) | Fantasy and comedy rather than straight horror; the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz may be intense for some younger children, and Disney rates Hocus Pocus PG. |
| Romance or comic fantasy | I Married a Witch (1942), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Practical Magic (1998) | Romantic complications, supernatural comedy, or a story centered on witch sisters. |
| Stylized or atmospheric horror | Suspiria (1977), The Witch (2015), Gretel & Hansel (2020) | Distinct approaches: stylized horror, Puritan-era folk horror, and slow-burn fairy-tale horror. |
| A witch with agency | The Craft (1996), Practical Magic (1998), The Love Witch (2016) | Each centers women who use, inherit or pursue magic, though the tone and consequences differ. |
| Witchcraft as accusation or social fear | Häxan (1922), The Witch (2015) | Both engage with the ways people interpret or direct suspicion around witchcraft, through very different forms and eras. |
Ratings and where to watch
Of these titles, the verified rating and runtime here are for Hocus Pocus: Disney lists it as PG and 1 hour 36 minutes. The other descriptions do not establish ratings, so check the classification in your country before choosing a film for children. Streaming catalogs vary by region and change over time; check your local services for current availability rather than assuming a title is included.
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