The Witches

Name: The Witches
Genre: Adventure, Mystery, Fantasy, Horror, Comedy
Released: October 22, 2020
Duration: 106 min
Rating: 47
Cast: Angus Wright, Anna Devlin, Anne Hathaway, Brian Bovell, Charles Edwards

2020

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 31 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 109 Ratings

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4.7

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4.7	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 109 Ratings

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The Witches

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date (Streaming): October 22, 2020 | PG

Starring: Angus Wright, Anna Devlin, Anne Hathaway, Brian Bovell, Charles Edwards, Chris Rock, Codie-Lei Eastick, Eugenia Caruso, Eurydice El-Etr, Jahzir Bruno, Jon Prophet, Jonathan Livingstone, Joseph Zinyemba, Josette Simon, Me'sha Bryan, Miranda Sarfo Peprah, Morgana Robinson, Octavia Spencer, Paul Leonard, Philippe Spall, Simon Manyonda, Stanley Tucci, Tim Niverth

Movie Facts:

Roald Dahl's novel was previously adapted into a 1990 film by Nicolas Roeg.

Summary: Reimagining Roald Dahl's 1983 children's novel for a modern audience, The Witches tells the darkly humorous and heartwarming tale of a young orphaned boy (Jahzir Kadeem Bruno) who, in late 1967, goes to live with his loving Grandma (Octavia Spencer) in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis. As the boy and his grandmother encounter someReimagining Roald Dahl's 1983 children's novel for a modern audience, The Witches tells the darkly humorous and heartwarming tale of a young orphaned boy (Jahzir Kadeem Bruno) who, in late 1967, goes to live with his loving Grandma (Octavia Spencer) in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis. As the boy and his grandmother encounter some deceptively glamorous but thoroughly diabolical witches, she wisely whisks our young hero away to an opulent seaside resort. Regrettably, they arrive at precisely the same time that the world’s Grand High Witch (Anne Hathaway) has gathered her fellow cronies from around the globe to carry out her nefarious plans.… Expand

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Genre(s): Adventure, Mystery, Fantasy, Horror, Comedy, Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 106 min

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Critic Reviews

Blake Goble

Oct 21, 2020

There are just enough goodies here for parents and well-prepared kiddies alike. The nifty VFX, performances, and modern updates are what make this remake an easy-enough treat. Read full review

Owen Gleiberman

Oct 21, 2020

Anne Hathaway’s performance provides the film with a sick-joke center of gravity, and Zemeckis, sticking to Dahl’s elemental storyline, stages it all with a prankish flair that leaves you buzzed. Read full review

Lindsey Bahr

Oct 22, 2020

It’s not going to be as iconic as Roeg’s, but it should provide some nice family entertainment at home for Halloween. And, bonus, post-viewing nightmares and trauma should be minimal this time. Read full review

Richard Roeper

Oct 21, 2020

The special effects are first-rate and the performances are way over the top yet entertaining, but The Witches is far too disturbing for young children and not edgy enough to captivate adults. Read full review

James Berardinelli

Oct 23, 2020

It’s the same basic story recycled with slightly better special effects and a different cast. As lukewarm as I was toward the Roeg version, I was open to the possibility that Zemeckis could improve upon it – something he proved unable to do. Read full review

Leah Greenblatt

Oct 21, 2020

This Witches, alas, has the misfortune of doubling down on all the late writer's eccentricities, while somehow finding only a fraction of his magic. Read full review

Joe Morgenstern

Oct 22, 2020

What was weirdly but deliciously scary has grown ponderously out of scale, even for witches at their malign worst. Read full review

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User Reviews

invisible69

Oct 23, 2020

Anne Hathaway did an amazing job! I love the cast! They brought the characters to life

2 of 8 users found this helpful26

Asheley96

Oct 27, 2020

This movie is definitely going to be in our Halloween collection every year. My 5 year old son loved the movie, and I enjoyed it as much as well. Such an entertaining movie! Love it.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

TheQuietGamer

Jul 4, 2021

Feels weird to watch a children's movie tailor-made to scare the crap out of them. Actually, upon reflection I'm amazed at how many horror flicks were designed with kids in mind. From Gremlins to Coraline and pretty much everything from Tim Burton, apparently watching something with theFeels weird to watch a children's movie tailor-made to scare the crap out of them. Actually, upon reflection I'm amazed at how many horror flicks were designed with kids in mind. From Gremlins to Coraline and pretty much everything from Tim Burton, apparently watching something with the potential to give you nightmares is fun regardless of your age. And let me tell you parents, you're definitely risking your son and/or daughter's sleeping pattern with this one.

The titular witches are terrifying in their disgusting, monstrous true forms. Not even Anne Hathaway's figure flattering dress and ridiculous, yet very committed performance can make her any less unsettling to look at when she loses the wig and gloves. Personally, I don't think I would have been able to handle this growing up.

In order to keep things from getting too frightening for the target audience, the film balances the more hair-raising stuff with plenty of silly humor. There's a whimsical, escapist tone running throughout even during the darker moments that keeps things from ever getting too serious or intense and crossing over into the realm of adult-oriented entertainment. Perhaps too much so during the second half. The movie starts off with the perfect amount of fantasy and fairytale vibes. There's a strong emotional component that allows you to sympathize with and get invested in the young protagonist and his grandmother, with hints of race-related social commentary going on in the background. As soon as the first person gets turned into a mouse though it all starts to get steadily more over-the-top before devolving into a full-blown farce by the end.

Yet, its worse flaw is Chris Rock's narration. His unbelievable old southern man accent only served to make me question how I could have possibly failed to notice he can't act before now. Outside of that there's not much too complain about. So if you've ever wanted to help ensure your future cinephile(s) enter adulthood with a healthy appreciation for the horror genre this will make for a nice building block. You may want to start with something tamer like 2015's Goosebumps, but regardless of when you get around to showing this to them I'm sure you'll find it to be petrifying fun for the whole family.

8.3/10… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

vitortfv

Dec 15, 2020

Although they brought representativeness and modernized the film, it still has the air that something else was missing. Because it is a remake, it should at least be good in relation to the original, but this film is dispensable.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

Rithyleapphea

Oct 30, 2020

Let me just say this... no one can top Anjelica Huston. Anne Hathaway did not do the character justice

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

Mauro_Lanari

Nov 8, 2020

(Mauro Lanari)
Two of the "tres amigos" join Zemeckis for another of their films more full of politically correct metaphors than emotions, with the reproposal of the Hathaway-Tucci pairing that makes one believe to a watered-down sequel to the already indecent "The Devil Wears Prada" (Frankel 2006).

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

Liquidus

Oct 23, 2020

I love Anne Hathaway but. I'm sorry. This movie was trash. I put the original one on right after, so my kids didn't remember that garbage.

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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