“A real witch hates children with a red-hot sizzling hatred.”
synopsis
A young boy visiting England with his grandmother stumbles upon a secret convention of witches led by the terrifying Grand High Witch. These witches despise children and have devised a plan to transform them into mice using a magical formula. When the boy himself becomes a victim of their scheme, he and his grandmother must outwit the witches and stop their sinister plot before countless children fall prey to their cruelty.
pairs well with ...
mini-review
Roald Dahl’s macabre children’s tale gets a deliciously creepy treatment in this darkly imaginative film. What makes The Witches stand out is how unapologetically unsettling it is — the witches are not mischievous pranksters but genuinely frightening villains. Anjelica Huston’s performance as the Grand High Witch is unforgettable: grotesque, theatrical, and wickedly funny. The film walks a fascinating line between fairy-tale adventure and nightmare fuel, making it one of the most distinctive family fantasy films of the 1990s.
A rainy afternoon, a mug of hot chocolate, and the satisfying feeling of being safely indoors while something wicked prowls outside.
Absurdist's Corner
If the witches despise children so much, why hold their convention in a busy seaside hotel during peak family vacation season? Apparently even evil masterminds appreciate a good ocean view.
fun facts
Jim Henson’s Creature Shop created the grotesque prosthetics used for the witches’ true forms.
Anjelica Huston reportedly spent up to six hours in makeup for the Grand High Witch transformation scenes.
Roald Dahl disliked the film’s more hopeful ending, which differed from the darker tone of his book.
The hotel ballroom scene became famous for the witches removing their disguises in front of hundreds of children.