Alison’s Birthday (1981)  soft horror cult

When she is younger, Alison receives a message from her dead father to leave before her 19th birthday during a seance session with her friends.  Just before her 19th birthday her aunt tricks her home and then proceeds to drug her and ostracize her from her boyfriend.  Undeterred,  he starts digging for clues with a friend, determined to help Alison.

All the Colors of the Dark (1972) horror satanists

Aka Tutti i colori del buio, tells the story of a traumatized woman, Jane, forming a friendship with her neighbor who quickly convinces her to participate in a black mass at her house.  Once initiated into the group, however, dreams and reality begin to blur as murder and danger follow Jane.  As she tries harder to flee to freedom, she finds she has more ties to the group than she imagined.

Arcane Sorcerer (1996) horror mystery

Aka L’arcano incantatore and Mysterious Enchantor follows Giacomo Vigetti as he becomes the private secretary of a clergyman separated from the church by his explorations into the occult.

Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)    horror

The sheriff of a small town delivers a mysterious body to father and son coroners and leaves them to figure out how Jane Doe died.  Examination leads to more questions than answers.  Why is she unbruised but several bones are broken and organs damaged?  Why are her lungs blackened as if burned?  As they discover more and more about the body, other mysterious events occur:  power outages, spontaneous radio changes, voices, movements.

Baba Yaga (1973)    horror

Valentina nearly gets hit by a car saving a puppy from the street at 3am in the morning.  The mysterious and commanding woman driving the car declares that their meeting was preordained before taking a personal object from Valentina that she promises to return the next day.  She says her name is Baba Yaga.  Suddenly, Valentina ‘s life is beset by strangeness and coincidence as Baba Yaga casts her spells.

Beautiful Creatures (2013)    dark fantasy romance    witches as non-humans    teen

Through the eyes of Ethan Wate, we watch as Lena Duchannes shows up as a new student in the small town of her family’s ancestral home.  Lena’s return is met with suspicion and rumor that Ethan happily ignores.  As the story unfolds, Lena’s secret coming of age becomes a threat to the young couple who may have more ties with each other and the past than they ever imagined.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)    family comedy    

Three children are sent away from the dangers of WWII London to live with a single young woman in the country who is nothing like what they expected.  Ms. Price is as peculiar about her house and routine as the mail away magical mastery course she has been taking to hone her abilities as a witch.  When her final lesson does not arrive, she and the children set off on an adventure to find the headmaster and the magical lesson that Ms. Price believes will help Britain win the war.

Bell, Book & Candle (1958)    romantic comedy    Christmas    witches as non-humans 

Gillian Holroyd, a witch in Greenwich village, her cat Pyewacket, and her family live in a relatively insulated community of New York witches, play heartlessly with the lives of mortals, but generally keep a low profile.  When Gillian takes umbrage with her new neighbor’s fiance and decides to meddle in her neighbor’s love affairs, she becomes more entangled in his life than she expected.

Bewitched (2005)    romantic comedy    Halloween    witches as non-humans

Isobel Bigelow is a witch that is tired of being a witch.  She takes possession of a cute cottage near LA in an attempt to be normal, but it isn’t long before she catches the eye of Jack Wyatt, an actor going through tough times who has just signed on to play Darren in a reboot of Bewitched.  He convinces Isobel to audition as Samantha and soon fantasy and reality are blending for the whole cast and crew.

Black Journal (1977) dark comedy crime drama

Lea arrives at a new house that her husband has obtained for them.  It faces north, which she says is unlucky, and after showing her the house, her husband has a stroke.  Some time passes and we follow Lea as she goes about her day meeting friends, attending church, and teaching her mute housemaid witchcraft.  Lea declares that no one will separate her from her son Michele after losing 12 previous children in infancy.   Seeing Michele with a girlfriend drives her to malicious deeds.

Black Sunday (1960)    horror    

A witch and her lover, brutally executed for their crimes, return two centuries later to have their revenge on the descendants of their murderers.  To attain full power the witch must take the blood and youth of her reincarnated self.

Book of Shadows:  Blair Witch 2 (2000)    horror

Fans of the Blaire Witch come to Burkittsville Maryland to tour the location of the movie.  One tour group sets out into the woods to retrace the steps documented in the movie.  After a night of partying they awake to find their camp grounds in ruins.  Upon returning to their tour guides home base to view the video tapes, it becomes apparent that they have all lost the memories of what really happened to them the night before.

Brother’s Grimm (2005)     adventure comedy

Will and Jacob Grimm travel from town to town in French occupied Germany to dispatch witches and evil spirits that plague the townspeople.  They end up in hot water with the occupying French when their co-conspirators expose their scam to cause the haunting in advance of the Grimm’s arrival.  The French general is willing to accept that they may not be the culprits behind the missing children at Marbadden, but forces them to find the scam artists that are, believing the supernatural misfortune of the town to be caused by similar con-artistry.  Will and Jacob will discover that some witches and fairy tales are true.

Cast a Deadly Spell (1991)    horror comedy    nior    Lovecraft

In 1940s Los Angeles, magic is real and remaking Hollywood.  Private Detective Lovecraft, however, doesn’t use magic, and is eking out a living the old fashioned way.  His reputation for not using magic gets him a job finding a powerful and stolen book of magic.  He’ll have to look all over a strange and transformed LA where zombies provide free and clumsy labor on build sites, young girls hunt unicorns in the trees, and vampires stock the police holding cell.

Chocolate (2000) drama romance

Vianne and her daughter arrive in a sleepy and traditional town to open a chocolate shop during lent.  Vianne’s chocolates awaken joy and pleasure in the townsfolk.  This is not normally considered a witch movie, but there are several themes that I think make it appropriate for this list.  The ostracism that Vianne and her daughter encounter for being different,  the medicinal and evocative qualities of her chocolates,  and her efforts reaching out to the neglected women of the town.

City of the Dead AKA Horror Hotel (1960)    soft horror    mystery

Nan Barlow arrives in Whitewood at the recommendation of her professor.  Her goal is to access some primary sources as background research for her term paper on witchcraft.  Too late, she finds that she will be the sacrifice in a Candlemas celebration perpetrated by a witch who was resurrected after being executed by the townspeople.

Constantine (2005)    dark fantasy horror

John  Constantine is a paranormal detective often called upon to free humans from the demons that plague them.  While helping a girl in Los Angeles, Constantine is concerned that the demon he ejected from a young girl was a herald of worse things to come.  His investigations brings him into contact with a police detective whose twin sister has just committed suicide.

The Covenant (2006)    dark fantasy action    witches as non-humans    teen

The sons of Ipswich, descendants of the founding families of the town, have inherited prestige, money, and position.  They have also inherited a power that grows during adolescence until it becomes strong enough to consume them from inside.  Yet, they have an easy and relatively care free existence until the arrival of two new transfer students upset the balance of their small community.

The Craft (1996)    dark fantasy    teen

Sarah warms to the friendship overtures of a trio of ‘witches’ at her new school after moving to a new town with her father and step mother.  She joins in their rituals and soon their spells start taking hold in a way that surprises them all.  Spooked by the events around her, Sarah is unsure where to turn for help.

The Craft Legacies (2020) dark fantasy teen

Lily and her mother move to a new town to join houses with her mother’s fiance and his three sons.  Lily seems nervous and uncomfortable, but is happy for her mother and understanding.  On her first day in a new school the beginning of her period takes her by surprise and inspires bullying, but three girls come to her aid and befriend her.  It is only later when the three realize that Lily will be the fourth to their coven.  They introduce her to their magic rituals and all enjoy their growing powers until it seems as though they have overreached and Lily’s new friends begin to doubt her.

Crowhaven Farm (1970)  soft horror 

Maggie and Ben Carey have inherited Crow Haven farm.   They are childless so far, but their desire for children leads them to take in 10 year old Jennifer who recently lost her family.   Not long after, Maggie becomes pregnant.   The visions she has been having since moving to the farm get worse, and she begins to suspect Jennifer of being involved in the accidents that have been happening all around her. 

Dark Shadows (2012)    dark fantasy    witches as non-humans

Barnabus Collins has come back from the grave after being shackled in a coffin for 200 years.  Upon returning to his home town he finds his family is struggling to maintain their livelihoods while the witch that put him in the grave is profiting from their downfall.  His plans to reclaim the family’s power in the town will lead to a reckoning.

Il Demonia (1963) drama supernatural

Purificatione, aka Purif, an outcast in her town casts a spell over Antonio just prior to his wedding.   She has chosen him, she says, though it is not clear if he has ever been complicit in her seductions.  The film follows Purif’s obsession and her  trials with exorcism and witchcraft accusations by a small highly superstitious community as she and her family try to find a place for her in the village.

A Dark Song (2016)    horror

A grieving mother is looking for an esoteric guide and teacher to assist her in completing a highly complex, dangerous, and ancient rite to speak to her guiding angel and her deceased son.  As soon as the circle is sealed tensions rise between the two.  Whether they will be able to complete the rite almost becomes a moot question when their very survival is threatened.

Devil’s Daughter (1973) suspense satanists

Diane has recently lost her mother.  At the funeral she meets a friend of her mother’s, named Lilith, who she does not remember.  Diane relates to Lilith that her mother was often away, and, so, she has little memory of her.  Lilith offers Diane a place to stay until she can find her feet, but has reservations as Lilith reveals her belief that Diane is the daughter of the Devil.  OMG, there is a mid century zodiac clock in that apartment! 

Devonsville Terror (1983) horror supernatural

The founding fathers of a small town abducted, tortured, and murdered three women for witchcraft.  The body of one of the slain women vanishes in a lightning strike and her ghostly visage curses the townsfolk.  In modern day the witch slaying is both remembered proudly and haunts the townfolk, who immediately chafe against three independent female newcomers.

Doctor Strange (2016)    action/adventure

Dr. Stephen Strange is a conceited but brilliant surgeon who loses his ability to practice in a horrific car accident.  Struggling with the possibility of not being able to use his hands in surgery any longer, Strange seeks out alternate methods of healing and finds a secret organization dedicated to studying the mystic arts and protecting the world from evil.

Dorothy and the Witches of Oz (2012)    family comedy   

Dorothy Gale is a children’s book author in New York, unaware that the fairytales she spins are repressed memories from her childhood adventures.  Her past refuses to stay in Oz when the wicked witch and cronies show up to pull Dorothy into a conflict.  The movie was originally released as the miniseries The Witches of Oz (2011).

Down a Dark Hall (2018)    dark fantasy     horror

Five girls are recruited by an exclusive academy.  Once there they find out that all of them have had troubled pasts and have run afoul of the law.  Yet, the academy’s head mistress promises to awaken their inner genius if they are prepared to devote themselves to the process.  It soon becomes clear that their newly awakened abilities come with a price.

Dreams in the Witchhouse, Master’s of Horror episode (2005) horror adaptation Lovecraft

Peter takes a run down room in a boarding house to work on his university research.  Soon he begins having dreams of a rat with a human face and a witch.  A tenant downstairs warns him to run, but he is sure he can save the infant child of his neighbor if he fights the witch.  

The Dunwich Horror (1970)    horror Lovecraft

Wilblur Whateley, the grandson of a powerful man hanged in Dunwich, arrives unceremoniously in a college library and pressures the staff to allow him time with the most valuable book in the library, the Necronomicon.   Though initially thwarted in his attempts to get more time with the book, he arranges to have the library assistant, Nancy, drive him home.  When her friends come to find her, Nancy assures them, quite coldly, that she decided to stay with Wilbur.

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988)    comedy horror

Elvira barrels into Fallwell Massachusetts to claim an inheritance left to her by her estranged great-aunt.  Her dabbling with a ‘cookbook’ she finds in her new house leads to chaos in the town and the townspeople into accusing her of witchcraft.

Eyes of Fire (1983)  horror 

The new preacher at a frontier town leaves with a small group of followers after his parishioners attempt to hang him for bigamy and unnatural living.  His ward Leah, a psychic, protects the group in their travels.   They settle in an abandoned valley and are beset by phantoms from which Leah seeks to protect them.

Fear Street Trilogy (2021) novel adaptation horror slasher

Based on R.L. Stine’s book series, this adaptation centers on the effects on a town of the lingering curse cast by a persecuted and punished witch.  Each film is based at a different point in time with an overall mystery being uncovered by each permutation of the main protagonists.

Feast of Satan (1971)     supernatural thriller 

Hilda is intent on discovering the truth behind why her sister is insensible in a hospital.  Dr. Nescu may or may not have the answers. He can make singers lose their voice mid song.  What else can he do and what did he do to Hilda ‘s sister?

Four Rooms (1995)        Comedy    New Years

Anthology film set in a hotel during New Year’s eve follows the bellhop as he interacts with four guest rooms.  The ‘Missing Ingredient’ story brings the bellhop into contact with a coven of witches that take up residence in the honeymoon suite.

Good Witch’s … et al    romance

Series of movies created by/for the Hallmark channel that follow the trials of Cassandra Nightingale after she moves into the town’s haunted house and opens an herbalist shop that leads the townspeople to accuse her of black magic.

Gretel and Hansel (2020)    horror fantasy

A new take on the well-known Hansel and Gretel story, this movie has many of things you’d expect from something based on ancient folklore like strange happenings that do not get explained and helpful and/or hurtful characters that do not resurface, all simply doing a job of getting our characters from point A to point B.  Yet, this version does it well enough, and point B is so engrossing that its only on retrospect that you might question.  Unlike Hansel and Gretel stories I have known before, this is one more of transformation than of simply good versus evil.  Props for Norse sigils, flying ointment, and besom.

Halloweentown(s) family comedy Halloween

Marnie struggles with her mother’s aversion to all things creepy and Halloween; all things that Marnie herself greatly identifies with.  A holiday visit from her grandmother reveals that Marnie is a born witch who must embark on training or lose her powers forever.  Angry with her mother, Marnie follows her grandmother back to Halloweentown, where magic and Halloween live year round.  The movie is followed by three sequels that follow Marnie as she tries to balance the magical and human worlds.

Harry Potterverse (2001-2011)   family fantasy    novel adaptation

Harry Potter is surprised on his eleventh birthday with news that he is a wizard and has been accepted in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  His Aunt and Uncle are not pleased, but concede to his going away to school where he finds that his past is not what he thought it was, and his future may change the path of the wizarding world forever.  The Potter movies follow Harry and his new friends through his seven years at Hogwarts and deal with increasingly serious dangers as he is propelled to his destiny.

Hagazussa: a heathen’s curse (2017)    horror

In the 15th century Alps, Albrun makes a solitary life as a goat herd after her mother’s traumatizing death.  She is an outcast, like her mother was before her.  Her relations with the inhabitants of the nearby village are strained and infrequent until she is befriended by Swinda.  Swinda’s intentions are far from pure and Albrun endures heinous mistreatment before enacting a curse upon the village. 

Hell Boy (2004)     fantasy adventure    Halloween    comic adaptation

During WWII Rasputin was working for the Nazis and opened a doorway to a dimension where monsterous gods slept.  A lone demon came through and he would be raised by the paranormal scientist at the scene to hunt down the monsters that most humans don’t know exist.

Hellboy (2019)    dark fantasy    comic adaptation

Witches are a central theme in this Hellboy story.  The Blood Queen, Vivian Nimue plays a central adversary, while a terribly traditional Baba Yaga, Ishbuku included, shows up to propel the characters on to their destiny.  

Hocus Pocus (1993)    family comedy    Halloween    teen

The Sanderson sisters are executed for draining the life force from the children of Salem.  At their hanging, they vow to return from the dead to exact revenge on the town.  Three hundred years later, Max Dennison, an unwitting teen recently moved to Salem from the West coast, summons the witches.  Now he and his sister must figure out a way to save the children of Salem.

Hocus Pocus II (2022) family comedy Halloween teen

Beginning with a flash back to how the Sanderson sisters were first exiled from Salem and became witches, the story fast forwards to the 21st century where Becca and Izzy are picking up a few supplies at a spiritualist store to celebrate Becca’s 16th birthday.  The shop owner gifts them with a special candle which they discover, too late, is another black flame candle.  Awakened again, the Sanderson sisters immediately begin assembling a spell that will make them more powerful than ever.

House with the Clock in its Walls (2018)    family comedy    Halloween    novel adaptation

Lewis Barnavelt, already an outcast among his peers, decides he wants to become a witch after he moves in with his uncle after his parents die in an accident. His uncle, and their neighbor are completely supportive; they are witches too.  While studying magic, Lewis is also cultivating a friendship with one of the popular boys at school who is laid up from sports due to a broken arm.  Once the cast comes off, Lewis’ new friend has other things to do and magic, suddenly seems to Lewis, as a good way to impress and keep the friendship going.  Trouble ensues, as you can imagine.

Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)    family fantasy    animated

Sophie is turned from a young girl into an old woman by the Witch of the Waste.  She sets off across the countryside to locate Howl and his moving castle, meeting friends and allies along the way.  

I Married a Witch (1942)    romantic comedy    black and white

Two witches, father and daughter, are condemned to death during a witch hunt.  Imprisoned in a tree for hundreds of years, they are released and set out to visit revenge on the descendants of their persecutors.  Their plans take a turn when father gives the daughter a human form enact their revenge plan via temptation and she begins to fall for the man they are trying to ruin.

Inferno (1980) horror

The second of the Three Mothers trilogy, following Suspiria and preceding the Mother of Tears.  The story follows a young women who finds a book titled the Three Mothers and begins investigating clues in the book and its connection to the building where she lives.

Initiation of Sarah (1978) supernatural horror sorority

Sarah is overshadowed by her sister Pattie, whose beauty and outgoing nature make her the favorite of their mother and men.  When the two sisters head off to college, they intend to stay together through anything, but soon Pattie is accepted the most prestigious sorority and Sarah is left to join a house of misfits lead by the faculty for magic and occult practices.

Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)    family comedy    animated

When a witch reaches a certain age they must set off on their own and find their place in the world.  Kiki flies far out to the coast and finds a home with a baker and his wife.  She begins a delivery service and feels as though she has finally found her place.  But she still has lessons to learn.

The Legend of the Christmas Witch aka La Befana vien di notte (2018) fantasy Christmas

An Italian language story based on La Befana, the Christmas witch.  By day Miss Paola is an elementary school teacher, but every night she is magically transformed into the Christmas witch.  One early Christmas morning, she fails to deliver her last present before sunrise.

Little Witch (2018) fantasy

Kleine Hexe dreams of joining the ‘big’ witches as they dance on Walpurgis night.  Without an invitation, and considered far too young to participate, she has violated their laws and must be punished.  But she has been given the opportunity to learn all the spells from the witch’s book by the following Walpurgisnacht when she will be judged.

Little Witch Academia … et al    family comedy    animated

Atsuko has come to Luna Nova Magical Academy after a childhood of being inspired by the celebrity witch, Shiny Chariot.  Without a magical background, she struggles compared to her peers, but her determination wins her friendships and leads to her finding the powerful magical object, Shiny Rod.  The series follows Atsuko and her friends as they discover secrets within the Academy, and try to re-establish witchcraft as a valuable and community accepted endeavor.

Little Witches (1996)    horror    Easter

Perhaps released to ride the coattails of the Craft, Little Witches focuses on a group of girls who stay at their catholic boarding school during Easter break to discover a book in a hidden room within their school.  They studiously set to following the book’s directions for raising a demon despite the possible consequences.  This film has many things the Craft lacks, like Zelda Rubenstein, small budget, nudity, and excessive boobs, but it also lacks a few things the Craft has, like better production and soundtrack, relate-able characters, and well organized plot and story line.

Lizzie Dripping Tries a Spell  (1973-75) family fantasy drama series

Lizzie Dripping is technically a television series that aired on British television from 1973-1975. The series was originally written by Helen Cresswell, a prolific children’s television author.  The episode is so odd that I had to put it on the list.  Not seeing other episodes I understand that the, possibly, imaginary witch that Lizzie Dripping sees and talks to regularly is a continuing character in the series.

Lords of Salem (2015)    horror

Heidi is a recovering drug addict who works as a late night DJ in Salem.  She receives an album by ‘The Lords’ that causes her to have a vision of a Satanic witch ceremony, later playing it on the radio station.  Unbeknownst to Heidi all the women in Salem go into a trance at the music.  From then on, Heidi moves between reality and visions of demons as the women around her drop ominous hints about her purpose in the coming days. 

The Love Witch (2016)    horror comedy    

Elaine travels to a new city and a new life after her husband dies.  She moves into an apartment in a friends house and begins making friends and lovers with the people in her new town.  She has an obvious and powerful allure, but her lovers always seem to go a little crazy. 

Maleficent (2014) family adventure

Telling the story of the horned fairy who would become the powerful evil queen of the Sleeping beauty story.  Maleficent protects the fairy realm and, in her youth, falls in love with a young mortal boy.  After growing estranged and being betrayed by the boy, who burns off her wings, she takes revenge on him by cursing his only daughter.

Mark of the Witch (1970) soft horror Walpurgisnacht

The movie begins with a witch’s execution by hanging on Walpurgisnacht.  Her dying pronouncement is a curse.  Hundreds of years later, a college psychology class is studying folklore and witchcraft through after hours parties where they read tea leaves and tarot and discuss all aspects of the occult.   Jill arrives with a handwritten bound volume she found at the book sale,  and talks everyone into trying an invocation to summon a witch.  At first it doesn’t seem to work,  but Jill suddenly isn’t acting like herself.

Mary and the Witch’s Flower (2017)    family comedy    animated

Mary has moved in with her great aunt in advance of her parents arrival in a new town.  She is bored and frustrated that she always makes a mess of things when she tries to help the older residents of the sleepy cottage.  She follows two cats into the woods and finds a beautiful glowing flower, that calls her back to the spot the next day even though she’s been warned not to go into the woods in the mist.  Upon finding an old broom, she accidentally crushes the flower and its juices absorb into her hands suddenly imbuing her with the power to fly.  Her broom takes her up into the clouds to a mysterious college of magic that is both unimaginable and not what it seems.

Mary Poppins (1964) family fantasy

Jane and Michael Banks are in need of a new nanny.  Their father opens interviews for the position to find that all but one of the applicants have blown away.  The one that remains, Mary Poppins, comes equipped with a list of qualities Jane and Michael had drawn up, and Mr. Banks had summarily dismissed.  Mary Poppins quickly takes control of the household, providing lessons to children and parents alike that strengthen family bonds.

Mephisto Waltz (1971) soft horror satanism

Myles and Paula form a friendship with Duncan Ely, a pianist that Myles interviews.  Through Duncan they are introduced to a cadre of wealthy and eccentric people, including Duncan’s daughter Roxanne.  Paula is uncomfortable with the friendship, becoming more uncomfortable as Roxanne and Duncan’s odd relationship becomes apparent to her, and as Myles becomes closer and closer to the pair.  Soon she is having nightmares, and, after her daughter is killed, she decides to embrace the satanism practiced by Duncan and Ely in order to reclaim her life.

Midnight Offerings (1981) teen horror television

Vivian has been ruling her highschool with the help of midnight magical rituals that combine Satanism, Wicca, Vodoun, including multiple pantheons.  When Robin, a new girl, arrives at the school and catches the attention of Vivian’s ex boyfriend, David.  At least David thinks their relationship is over after he broke up with Vivian when his teachers start dying after threatening to flunk him.  Robin must take on Vivian if she wants to protect her own.  This movie would be a good pair with The Spell (1977).

Mirror Mirror (2012) romantic comedy adventure    teen    fairytale

A colorful retelling of Snow White, where the curious princess finds herself  lost in the woods after the Queen has ordered her to be killed.  She makes a deal with the group of dwarves she finds there to let her stay in return for cooking and housekeeping, but the dwarves decide to train her as one of their bandit crew after hearing  her story.  As a bandit, Snow refuses to benefit from other’s misfortune and returns the tax money the dwarves stole, telling the towns-people that they had retrieved it for the benefit of the town.  This goes a long way to repair a rift between the dwarves and the towns-people established when the evil queen banished them.  

Mother of Tears:  The Third Mother (2007)    horror

The third and final movies of the Three Mothers trilogy that began with Suspiria.  A casket containing relics from Mater Lachrymarum is unearthed and sent to the Museum of Ancient Art to be examined by a restoration student, Sarah Mandy.  Sarah barely escapes chaos that kills her boss and overtakes the city.  Now she must uncover the truth to survive the coming of the Mother of Tears.

Nanny McPhee (2005)    family comedy    novel adaptation

A widower has an impossible time keeping a nanny for his seven children.  At the end of his wits, he cautiously takes on a nanny who seems to appear out of no where.  It is soon apparent to the children that Nanny McPhee is more than just a governess for hire.  

The Neon Demon (2016) horror

Jesse has newly arrived in LA in the hopes of breaking into the modeling business.  Her instant and seemingly effortless success attracts the attention of three other women, two models and a make-up artist, who befriend her. Neon Demon is not a witch movie on the surface, but it is included in many lists of witchy movies for having themes of witchcraft. From what I can tell, this inclusion is due to the primarily female cast; the characters directing their attention often to the persistent full moon that hangs over LA; triple triangle or pyramidal imagery; and the included acts of consuming another to obtain their power and bathing in blood to obtain beauty.  

Nightbooks (2021) family dark fantasy

Alex angrily tears horror movie posters from his walls and shoves them in his backpack along with his notebooks before he sneaks out of his apartment while his parents argue about his emotional state and unusual interests.   On his way to the furnace room, the elevator malfunctions and deposits him on an abandoned floor.  He wanders down the hall to an open door where Lost Boys is playing on a TV, next to a piece of pumpkin pie.   He is now trapped in the apartment of a witch where he must use all his talents at writing scary stories to please her and keep himself alive. 

Night of Dark Shadows (1917) horror

Mr. And Mrs. Collins arrive in their inherited family home in Collinswood and learn of an ancestor, Angelique, who was hanged as a witch in the 1800s.  Mr Collins is soon beleaguered by nightmares and visions of his ancestor, the lover of Angelique.

Night of the Eagle AKA Burn Witch Burn (1962)    soft horror    novel adaptation

Norman teaches classes on the psychology of superstition at an elite New England college.  It becomes clear through his interactions with other instructors and their wives that he is a new, and perhaps unwelcome, competition for leadership at the school.  His wife Tansy sees this animosity and has taken steps to protect him from it using magic that she learned from their travels together studying different cultures of superstition and magic.  When Norman finds out he is infuriated at her lack of reason.  He makes her give up her protections, not knowing what could happen.  Though, not a perfectly accurate adaptation of ‘The Conjure Wife’ by Fritz Lieber, it is pretty faithful and wholly enjoyable. 

Ninth Gate (1999) suspense satanists   

Dean Corso deals in the location and evaluation of rare books.  Corso is hired to find the two other copies of a rare book purported to be written by the devil himself.  During his investigations he discovers that the book is revered by a group of Satanists who may also be responsible for the deaths happening around him.  Props for the tarot imagery in the book engravings and the serpent tattoo that looks like the kundalini serpent.

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) family adventure fantasy

A magician/con artist escapes in a hot air balloon from a jealous husband.  The hot air balloon soons gets lost in a tornado and is deposited in Oz where a young witch identifies him as the prophesied King of Oz.

Paranorman (2012)    family comedy    animated

Norman’s town celebrates its historic witch execution with a statue the town square, witch themed stores and restaurants, and school plays devoted to re-enacting the witch trial.  When Norman’s estranged uncle passes on the responsibility for keeping the ghost of the town witch asleep for another year, Norman will find out there is more to the story than he and his classmates have been taught.

Poison for the Fairies (1985)    fantasy horror    

Flavia begins a new school where she meets Veronica.  Veronica lives with her grandmother and her nanny, the later of which reads her fairy tales every day and tells her stories of witches.  When nanny tells her that “witches can do anything” Veronica’s interest is captured.  Soon Veronica is convincing Flavia that she herself is a witch.

Practical Magic (1998)    romantic comedy    Halloween

Sally and Jillian Owens arrive at their aunts’ house as orphan children and are quickly indoctrinated into a life of magic and witchcraft.  The sisters form opposed views of magic and love from their shared experiences.   After living separately for many years, troubles in love bring the sisters back together to find new common ground in love, family, and witchcraft. 

Rough Magic (1995)    romantic dramedy    nior 

Myra is an apprentice magician and the fiance of a rising, corrupt, politician.  She flees to Mexico to escape him and also in search of a Mayan shaman who holds answers to her deepest, perhaps unknown, questions about magic; all the while playing cat and mouse with the detective hired to find her and bring her back.

Rosemary’s Baby (1968) horror suspense satanists

Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse move into a new apartment in New York City and are quickly befriended by their new neighbors.  After successfully landing an acting role, Guy suggests that he and Rosemary try for a baby.  Events turn odd on the night they plan to conceive and, when Rosemary becomes pregnant, the strange happenings increase.  A friend is concerned that Rosemary may be at the mercy of Satanic witches.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996)

Sabrina, a new transfer student, lives with her aunts while her parents are traveling.   Strange things are happening around her, and, after her 16th birthday,  she finds out that she is a witch from a family of witches.  This Showtime original just barely preceded the television show. 

Satan’s School for Girls (1973) soft horror television satanists

Elizabeth Sayers enrolls in a school for girls in order to find out why her sister seemingly committed suicide in her rental. While she is adjusting, under an assumed name, and making discrete inquiries about her sister, two other girls commit suicide.  She gains a friend and co-investigator, as the danger around them increases with each hour of the night.

Saxana — The Girl On A Broomstick (1971)  Czechoslovakian fantasy family

Saxana, a poor student in witch school, bails on 300 years of detention to spend 44 hours in the human world.  As she looks for a way to stay a little longer she gets taken in and taken advantage of by school bullies.

Season of the Witch (1972) fantasy drama

Originally released as Hungry Wives, it is the story of Joan Mitchell and her growing discontent with her role as a housewife to a mostly absent husband, and mother to a college age daughter.  Joan is having nightmares that clearly illustrate her fears about being neglected by her husband, left behind, and growing older.  She lives in a world where women have little power; this is only emphasized in her therapist’s blatant demeaning attitude and the arrogant philosophizing of her daughter’s sometimes boyfriend.  It is around this time that Joan meets a witch through a friend and begins reading a primer to witchcraft.  Props for realistic coven initiation.  

Season of the Witch (2011) horror adventure

German knights return to their home country from Austria and are arrested in route and jailed for their dissertation.  The local Cardinal asks the knights to escort a witch believed to have brought plague to the city in exchange for their freedom. Tensions rise among the knights and the priest, altar boy, and guide who accompany them.  Soon it seems as though Anna, the captive witch, has been magically undermining their progress.

Silent Night Deadly Night 4: the initiation (1990?) Horror supernatural Christmas 

An aspiring journalist, Kim Levitt, decides to follow-up on a mysterious death she feels is getting less attention from her newspaper than it deserves.  She befriends the women who live in the building where the death took place and is soon drawn into a bizarre initiation ceremony.

Sleepy Hollow (1999)    dark fantasy    Halloween

In this version of Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod Crane is a police investigator from the city come to discover the culprit behind beheadings in Sleepy Hollow.  His hypotheses of a human mover to the supernatural deaths is proved true when the areas tales of witchcraft reveal a story of revenge and greed.  

Snow White:  A Tale of Terror (1997)    horror

A gorrier take on the classic tale of Snow White.  Lilli, however, is far from a blameless beauty.  Resentful and jealous she shies from the kindnesses of her new step-mother, Claudia.  Worried and insulted over Lilli’s reactions to her efforts, Claudia has a late term miscarriage.  The grief of her loss turns her against Lillli, ordering her brother  to kill her and then driving him to suicide when he fails.   

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)    dark fantasy adaptation

Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade are two friends in a small midwest town who become fascinated with a strange traveling carnival.  Both boys are internally struggling with social expectations and their feelings to their fathers. The carnival, and all of the mysterious town happenings it brings with it, offer an escape and the promise of miraculous, malevolent, change.

The Spell (1977) suspense soft horror television

Rita is bullied at school for her weight, and at home her father and her sister can be equally harsh.  Suddenly Rita develops a new confidence that infuriates her father and scares her mother, whom she says is the only one she loves.  When Rita’s sister has an accident at a swim meet,  Rita’s mother goes to a parapsychologist for help.

Spirited Away (2001)    family fantasy     animated

Chihiro does not want to move to a new town and is pouting in the backseat as her parents take a wrong road and end up at the mouth of an abandoned theme park in the woods.  Chihiro is nervous, but her parents are curious and happy to rest in a picturesque ghost town for a picnic lunch.  They are soon bewitched by the surroundings and succumb to the pleasures of mysterious food, becoming pigs as the sun sets and spirits fill the pathways of the park.  Chihiro tries to escape but finds herself trapped in the park.  Just then, a mysterious boy comes to her aid and gives her instructions on what she must do to survive her predicament and get her parents back.  She must first obtain a job from Yubaba, the witch of the bathhouse, but this first step may be the hardest part.

Superstition (1982) horror supernatural slasher

Reverend Thompson is adjusting to his new assignment to a local parish when he must take charge of a residential church property that has been the site of two killings and several drownings before.  The previous caretaker’s mother, Elvira, warns the Reverend that the pond behind the house imprisoned her son’s ‘mistress,’ the vengeful spirit of a witch that had been executed by drawing hundreds of years before.  The witch’s spirit begins to torment the new residents of the house.

Superstition II aka Witch Story (1989) horror supernatural

The witch governess of a small girl in Micanopy Florida was lynched as a witch sometime in the 1930s.  Fast forward to 80s and Simone is meeting her 3rd cousin and his friends at the bus stop to take him to the property he discovered among his recently deceased parent’s holdings.  Simone reads cards for the group and sees evil coming. The crew of fixer upper vacationers soon encounter more danger than they expected as the ghost of the small girl and witch terrorize them.

Suspiria (1977)    horror

Suzy Bannion arrives late on a rainy night at the Freiburg Dance Academy.  She witnesses a girl running out of the building after talking with someone on the inside.  However, when she gets to the door she is refused entrance.  The next morning she arrives to repeated annoyed comments about how she was expected the day before.  It is clear, that her place at the school is assured, though living quarters are not yet worked out.  Suzy immediately exhibits a weak institution and is moved in to the academy without her consent after passing out on the dance floor.  She is also put on a special diet, brought to her in her room.  Her neighbor in the dorms immediately confides in her some of the weird happenings at the school, and they begin to collude on uncovering a mystery.

Suspiria (2018)    horror

A remake of the 1977 movie with substantial re-imagining to the setting and character interactions. Suzie travels alone from Ohio to divided Berlin to audition at a prestigious dance academy.  It is made clear that the academy’s acceptance of her audition request is unusual, but Suzie’s performance impresses the headmistress and she is quickly accepted into the company.  It is soon clear to the viewer that more is happening at the school than dance.  Warning for astonishingly choreographed dance and brutality.

Sword in the Stone (1963)    family comedy animated    witch/wizard as side characters

Exploring the legend of King Arthur from his earliest beginnings as a boy studying under the tutelage of a wizard and his owl familiar.  The many adventures of the young, soon to be, king are laced with magic and culminate in the battle between the wizard and an evil witch.

Teen Witch (1989)    romantic comedy    teen

Louise Miller is destined to be unpopular if only because she skipped a grade in highschool and is younger than all of her peers.  By chance, a bike accident leads her to the door of a fortune teller.  In the middle of a scam-like fortune session, Madam Serena sees the reincarnation of her past friend in Louise, and clues Louise in to her magical destiny.  After testing her powers, Louise turns her attention to fulfilling her high school dreams of popularity and capturing the heart of her crush.

Virgin Witch (1972) soft horror

Kristine/Kristina wants to be a model, so she leaves her sister, Betty, in the clutches of a smooth talker who picked them up on the road to visit a photographer/talent scout/agent, Sybil, who immediately sets her up with a job in the country over the weekend.  They arrive in Wychwold and Sybil shows Kristina around the house talking about the ceremonies witches were said to have there. Kristina is unsurprised by their scheming or by their being witches – as she matter-of-factly declares to her sister. 

Viy (1967)  Russian soft horror fantasy

Young seminarians on holiday from their studies solicit the help of an old woman who reveals herself as a witch when she leaps on the back of a young man known as the philosopher and rides him into the sky.  He throws her off and beats her, whereupon she becomes a beautiful girl.   Later he is requested to attend the death bed of a young girl.  He arrives and sees the same witch he left in the countryside has passed away.   He is obliged to pray over her body alone in the church.  Props for characteristics of Hulda.

Warlock (1989) horror

A freak storm blows through a small 1600s Boston village and a convicted warlock vanishes from his chains in the central tower.  He appears suddenly in a pile of broken glass in the 1988 living room of Kassandra and Chas.  He visits a proclaimed psychic to get a message from his ‘father’ and is told to put together the three stolen pieces of a bible that can thwart creation. He is followed into the future by a man who hunts him. 

We Have Always Lived in the Castle (2018) soft horror suspense

Merricat and Constance Blackwood live with their uncle in the Blackwood mansion at the outskirts of town.  The sisters both display a fear of the town and of leaving the safety of their house.  Constance never leaves, and Merricat casts spells and burries spell jars in order to keep her family safe.  The sudden arrival of a cousin materially changes the Blackwood’s routine world.

Wicked Stepmother (1989)    comedy

There is a serial criminal on the loose being investigated by the police for being involved in the disappearance of several families just as their bank accounts were cleaned out.   The last family was found by accident, as they had been shrunken and hidden in a shoe box.  The next day Jenny and Steve return home a day early from vacation to find that Jenny’s father has remarried a shocking woman who proceeds to take over their lives.

The Wicker Man (1973) (2006)    horror

Sergeant Neil Howie arrives at a remote island community in search of a missing girl.  While there he is shocked to find that the secretive and distrusting villagers practice all kinds of superstitious medicine and participate in pagan ritual.  Upon investigating he finds that the landholder’s ancestor encouraged paganism to ensure good harvests, a practice that would sometimes require human sacrifice when the harvests failed.  Howie discovers a photo showing the missing girl next to empty crates at the harvest festival.  Convinced that the missing girl will be sacrificed he becomes even more desperate to locate her.

Wild Witch (2018) family fantasy Danish

Young Clara can sense things her classmates cannot.  After encountering a shadowy figure in a fog and being accosted by a black cat that follows her home, she becomes very ill.  When she recovers, she can hear the pleas of animals and quickly alienates one of her friends by setting her pet chinchilla free.  Clara’s new powers come to the attention of malevolent forces, once banished,  who seek to regain their powers through Clara’s demise. 

The VVitch (2016)    horror

During the early days of Puritan colonists, a family is banished from the town for a religious dispute.  They set up a homestead far from anyone else, on the edge of an expansive wood, and begin their lives in solitude.   While Thomasin, the eldest daughter is looking after the children, the baby vanishes from his swaddling.  It is soon revealed that he has been stolen by a witch that lives in the woods.  Thomasin’s mother is devastated and blames Thomasin.  She later blames Thomasin for the disappearance of an heirloom cup and wishes to send her away to another family.  At the same time, the twins become increasingly unruly and play and talk constantly to the family’s male goat. 

The Witch (1966) horror

Released as La strega in amore or The Witch in Love, and was based on the novel Aura by Carlos Fuentes.  Sergio Logan answers an ad for a private librarian and arrives at the house of a woman whom he’s noticed every day wherever he is all over the city. While showing him the library the woman takes a drink that makes her swoon and collapse.  He then meets Aura, introducing herself as the woman’s daughter. Aura seems afraid of cats and shares several mannerisms with her mother even though she hates the comparison. Sergio immediately tries to seduce Aura and she reciprocates his advances but has requirements of her own.  

The Witches (1966)    soft horror suspense    forgettable

Released as The Devil’s Own in America and starring Joane Fontaine as Gwen Mayfield, who takes a position as a head teacher in a new town after missionary work in Africa and, an alluded to, nervous breakdown.  While settling into her new surroundings she finds that the town has no church, and the ‘priest’ who interviewed her for the position only likes to dress like a priest to provide leadership to the town.  Mayfield also begins to investigate what she suspects may be child abuse among one of her charges.  As the existence of a coven in the town is alluded to, Mayfield’s past breakdown is used against her.

Witches of Eastwick (1987)    dark fantasy comedy    novel adaptation

Three dissatisfied women in a small town form a bond over their shared imaginings of an ideal man.  When a mysterious stranger arrives in town and attempts to seduce each separately.  Rumors are flying around town and the women become aware of their own magical abilities and the truth behind their dark dream man.

The Witches Mountain (1975) soft horror

Carla arrives home to find a knife stabbed through a wig in the garden, a doll’s head next to an empty pet bed, a doll with a pin through its head in the middle of the hallway, and her pet cat dead in her bed.  A child comes in the room and says that Carla needed to be punished.  Mario heads to the ‘mountains’ on assignment from his publishers to escape Carla’s affections.  On the way he picks up a woman named Delia.  They receive a cryptic warning from an inn keeper on the way there as strange things start happening around them.

Witches Night Out (1978) animated family comedy

Small and Tender are unhappy with being made to stay home with their babysitter, Bazooey, on Halloween and they wish that they could be monsters.  This Halloween wish hits the delighted ears of the witch that lives in the abandoned mansion at the edge of town.  As the townsfolk move into the mansion for a party, the witch grants the wish of the two kids and their babysitter.  Fun and lesson learning all around.  The witch is voiced by Gilda Radner.

Witch Hunt (1994)    horror comedy    nior    Lovecraft

A sequel to ‘Cast a Deadly Spell.’ Detective Lovecraft is hired, fired, and hired again when a big shot Hollywood producer gets murdered and all accusing eyes turn to his beautiful wife.  There is rising sentiment against witchcraft as politicians point fingers and wax nostalgic over good American values.  Lovecraft may not use magic, but magic may be using him.

The Witch in the Window (2018)    horror

Fin heads off with his dad, Simon, to fix up a house out in the country.  It soon becomes apparent that Simon is fixing up the house in an attempt to reunite his family.  As they fix up the house, they seem to wake the unhappy spirit of the former owner.  More ghost story than witch story.

Witching & Bitching (2013)    dark fantasy    horror    comedy    Spanish

The jewelry heist on which Jose brought his son goes wrong when the girlfriend of a heist partner drives off in the getaway car.  After hijacking a taxi (including the passenger) in order to get across the border to France, it becomes apparent that all the men are terrified of the women in their lives.  At the border the group becomes entangled in the plans of a band of witches who seek to revive a great Goddess to bring about a new age.  Somewhat grotesque; props for Venus of Willendorf.

Witchtrap (1989) ?soft horror

A paranormal investigator assembles a team to investigate the mansion of deceased psychic and warlock, Avery Lauder. Lauder’s nephew and current owner of the house required the team be accompanied by a security detail including irreverent and cynical Tony Vicente.  Members of the group start to meet horrible and mysterious ends.

The Woods (2006)    dark fantasy horror    

Heather’s mom enrolls her in a remote academy for girls after the tree in their front yard burst into flames.  Heather finally starts to feel at home when she makes a new friend.  Something at the school isn’t quite right, and Heather’s special lessons draw out her fears and her tensions.  But now, every time she tries to get away she is thwarted.

The Worst Witch (1986)    family comedy    Halloween

Based on a book and TV show before it, the Worst Witch follows Mildred Hubble, the most clumsy and least studied witch at Ms. Cackles Witch Academy.  In spite of her potions accidents and being sabotaged by the school bully, Mildred hears of a plan by a group of evil witches to take over the school and turn the curriculum on its head.  Will she be able to convince Ms. Cackle of the impending danger?

xxxHolic the Movie:  A midsummer Night’s Dream (2005)    family comedy    animated anime

People come to Yuko for help with the strange, mysterious, supernatural, and frightening.  This time a young woman asks for help because her key will not unlock her mansion.  Coincidentally, Yuko has received an invitation to the same mansion, which she accepts and, along with her friends, joins a small group of ‘collectors’ specifically called there with the promise of obtaining the final piece that will complete their collections.