Watch The Witches
- PG
- 1990
- 1 hr 32 min
-
6.8 (54,461)
Based on Roald Dahl's book of the same name, The Witches is a 1990 American comedy-fantasy film directed by Nicolas Roeg. The movie is a visually stunning adaptation of the book, bringing Dahl's imaginative world to life with incredible special effects and practical make-up. The story follows a young orphaned boy named Luke (Jasen Fisher), who goes to live with his grandmother (Mai Zetterling) in a seaside town in England. While there, Luke discovers that witches are real and have a plan to turn all of the children in the world into mice. With the help of his grandmother, and the courage he gets from the love he has for her, Luke sets out to stop the witches from executing their diabolical plan.
As Luke and his grandmother travel to a hotel, they soon realize that they have stumbled upon a conference of witches led by the Grand High Witch (Anjelica Huston). The Grand High Witch has an even more sinister plan, to turn all the kids of England into mice, as part of her wider goal to rid the world of children.
However, she is not alone in her mission, and her witches are scattered around the world, so she must come up with a cunning plan to make it all happen. When Luke gets transformed into a mouse by the witches, he realizes that he can now communicate with other mice and rallies them to help him stop the witches.
Throughout the story, the filmmakers create a unique world full of grotesque and terrifying witches, enhanced by the special effects and costumes. The Witches are fascinating to watch, with elongated fingers and grotesque faces, each one designed to be visually distinct from the other. These creatures give the movie a dark, disturbing undertone, which is perfect for the story of the wicked witches' plan.
The cast is also excellent, with Anjelica Huston giving a marvelous performance as the Grand High Witch. Huston, with her piercing eyes and dramatic outfit, brings the character to life, making her both scary and funny, and an overpowering presence in almost every scene. Jasen Fisher, who plays the lead, is a likable and charming hero, with his wide-eyed wonder and quick intelligence making him an excellent protagonist.
Overall, The Witches is a well-crafted, visually pleasing, and at times, spooky film, that perfectly captures the story of Dahl's book. The characters are well-drawn, and the special effects and costumes are impressive, making it a film you will remember for years to come. As one of Roald Dahl's most beloved books, the film version is a must-watch for all fans of his work, and it is easy to see why it has become a cult classic over the years.
The Witches is a 1990 fantasy movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 32 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8 and a MetaScore of 78.