The Witches

PG

Released Feb 16, 1990

1 hr. 31 min.

Kids & Family

Fantasy

Adventure

List

94%

48 Reviews

Tomatometer

70%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

While staying at a hotel in England with his grandmother, Helga (Mai Zetterling), young Luke (Jasen Fisher) inadvertently spies on a convention of witches. The Grand High Witch (Anjelica Huston) reveals a plan to turn all children into mice through a magical formula. When they find that Luke has overheard, the witches test the formula on him. Now, with the help of Helga and the hotel manager, Mr. Stringer (Rowan Atkinson), Luke the mouse must fight back against the witches.

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Critics Consensus

With a deliciously wicked performance from Angelica Huston and imaginative puppetry by Jim Henson's creature shop, Nicolas Roeg's dark and witty movie captures the spirit of Roald Dahl's writing like few other adaptations.

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Jeff M

Not only is this the best cinematic adaptation of a Roald Dahl book, it's also one of the best children's movies ever made. It harkens the deliciously cruel and surprisingly dark world of a Grimm fairy tale with a slightly lighter touch. This is the role Huston was born to play, and it's a grand slam performance. This came out the same year as THE GRIFTERS, for which Huston received an Oscar nomination, and it's one of the great years for an actress ever. Zetterling has an almost magical and ethereal realm about her, and the movie is littered with the most wonderful of British talents, from Brenda Blethyn to Rowan Atkinson. I have an insane fear of rats and mice, but the little rodents created by the Jim Henson Company ALMOST made me turn a new leaf. At just over 90 minutes, it moves quickly and won't test the patience of younger viewers. That being said, I'd recommend you watch it first before letting your kids see it as it does show little children being turned into mice and the young protagonist loses his parents in an accident, which I'm sure could upset some more emotionally sensitive youngsters. But I think this is a glorious achievement!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/04/24

Full Review

Alec B

Despite the changed ending this remains one the most faithful Dahl adaptations in tone and execution. Those terrific make-up effects still hold up.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/09/24

Full Review

Elvis D

Adaptada del libro de Roald Dahl, esta fue la última película de Jim Henson antes de partir dejándonos una clásica película de fantasía oscura. Es una historia clásica de niños siendo el blanco principal de brujas malvadas y aunque se trata de una película infantil, el concepto es bastante oscuro y tétrico. Anjelica Huston ofrece un gran rol como la malvada bruja líder con un diseño de maquillaje bastante espeluznante con el aire de las brujas clásicas. Muchos de los efectos especiales son bastante buenos y es genial la forma en que le dan vida a los pequeños ratones. La película se tomó muchas libertades creativas que la hacen algo distinta a la novela, pero tiene esa visión aterradora que Dahl trato de transmitir sobre las brujas. Claro que a Dahl no le pareció satisfactorio el resultado, especialmente el final, haciendo que Dahl no permitiera que adaptaran otro de sus libros hasta la fecha de su muerte. Eso fue algo muy exagerado del autor, ya que la realidad es que The Witches es una película genial en varios sentidos. Difícilmente se la puede considerar una película infantil debido a lo tétrica que puede ser, aunque la idea era claramente reflejar el sentimiento de terror que puede tener un niño. Si un niño puede o no ver esta película, dependerá de como el niño vaya a reaccionar. The Witches es quizás la película infantil más tétrica de su momento, pero es otra joya de los años 90 que se puede apreciar en muchos aspectos. Mi calificación final para esta película es un 9/10.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/19/23

Full Review

Sofie M

Amazing movie 🎥 👏 👌 😍 🙌 ❤

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/15/23

Full Review

Mu S

Um dos melhores filme de terror infantil, é extremamente nostálgico e icônico.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/28/23

Full Review

Teddy B

Although blemished with a few story, effect, and editing flaws. 'The Witches' transcends itself to both achieving the ability to be a faithful adaptation to the book and just being a delightfully cruel and in a wistfully eldritch world all its own. I recommend this film to those who miss how far the ratings system would allow films to go while staying within the beloved 80s and early 90s PG rating.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/26/23

Full Review

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Nicolas Roeg

Director

Anjelica Huston

Miss Eva Ernst

Mai Zetterling

Helga

Jasen Fisher

Luke

Rowan Atkinson

Mr. Stringer

Bill Paterson

Mr. Jenkins

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James Berardinelli

ReelViews

The Witches feels like a throwaway feature rather than a fully-realized fantasy adventure...

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 11, 2020

Full Review

Michael Upchurch

Seattle Times

It's not a film for small children. But for precocious first-graders with a warped sense of humor and an appetite for chills, thrills and spills, nothing could be better.

Rated: 4/4

Nov 25, 2013

Full Review

Michael Wilmington

Los Angeles Times

Real darkness seethes beneath the "Once upon a time" surface, mostly due to Henson's seemingly curious selection of the brilliant and audacious Roeg to direct.

Nov 25, 2013

Full Review

Farah Cheded

A Good Movie To Watch

Finds a clever balance between being nightmare-inducing and deliciously fun, a tonal blend that harks back to the twisted appeal of traditional fairy tales.

Oct 28, 2023

Full Review

Terry Francis

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

Anjelica Huston is an extravagantly gifted actress.

Rated: 3.5/4

May 9, 2023

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

The Witches really enchant. [Full review in Spanish]

Nov 30, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

While staying at a hotel in England with his grandmother, Helga (Mai Zetterling), young Luke (Jasen Fisher) inadvertently spies on a convention of witches. The Grand High Witch (Anjelica Huston) reveals a plan to turn all children into mice through a magical formula. When they find that Luke has overheard, the witches test the formula on him. Now, with the help of Helga and the hotel manager, Mr. Stringer (Rowan Atkinson), Luke the mouse must fight back against the witches.

Director: Nicolas Roeg
Executive Producer: Jim Henson
Screenwriter: Allan Scott, Roald Dahl
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Home Vídeo
Production Co: Jim Henson Productions, Lorimar Film Entertainment
Rating: PG
Genre: Kids & Family, Fantasy, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 16, 1990, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.7M
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround

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