Roald Dahl's The Witches

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Roald Dahl's The Witches

PG

2020

1h 45m

Fantasy

Adventure

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

49%

Tomatometer

186 Reviews

32%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

In late 1967, a young orphaned boy goes to live with his loving grandma in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis. As the boy and his grandmother encounter some deceptively glamorous but thoroughly diabolical witches, she wisely whisks him away to a seaside resort. Regrettably, they arrive at precisely the same time that the world's Grand High Witch has gathered her fellow cronies from around the globe -- under cover -- to carry out her nefarious plans.

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Critics Consensus

The Witches misses a few spells, but Anne Hathaway's game performance might be enough to bewitch fans of this Roald Dahl tale.

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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

ABC Radio (Australia)

The Witches is enormous fun, bringing new life to an old story

Rated: 3.5/5

Dec 18, 2020

Full Review

David Stratton

The Australian

With Stanley Tucci very amusing as the hotel manager and Spencer giving a wonderfully warm performance, the film is never less than engaging. The visual effects, some of them created in Melbourne, are excellent...

Rated: 3.5/5

Dec 16, 2020

Full Review

Jake Wilson

The Age (Australia)

Who could improve on the regal fury of Anjelica Huston?... Certainly not Anne Hathaway, whose performance in this remake, by comparison, has more than a tinge of the high school drama club.

Rated: 2.5/5

Dec 10, 2020

Full Review

Francesca Steele

iNews.co.uk

Robert Zemeckis’s new adaptation of Roald Dahl’s story is slick and dull.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 10, 2024

Full Review

Joonatan Itkonen

Toisto.net

It’s not a classic for all ages, and Zemeckis has undoubtedly been better, but for fans of the book and the director, there are certainly far worse options out there.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 13, 2024

Full Review

LaNeysha Campbell

But Why Tho? A Geek Community

The Witches is a great new reimagined story based on Roald Dahl’s classic 1983 children’s book. The film has just the right amount of campy and creepy.

Rated: 9/10

Jan 16, 2023

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J F

Great, fun story. Anna Hathaway was terrible though. Poor acting and even worse accent. She should have left that horrible accent home. The movie n story overall in spite is fun with great scenes.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/23/25

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Audience Member

I don't know what I'd expected for this but certainly wasn't what I got. I mean I got Anne Hathaway acting great as always but other than that, nothin... even the cat had more potential

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/18/25

Full Review

Audience Member

Sakto lang. Nakakagulat lang na direktor pala nito e si Robert Zemekis at producer naman si Guillermo Del Toro. Nakakagulat dahil dalawang bigating tao na kilala sa mga de kalibreng pelikula pero parang kinulang o minadali tong remake na to.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/12/25

Full Review

Martin V

So now I understand what ‘Cultural Appropriation’ means! Roald Dahl transported into a tedious and dull Afro Caribbean scenario. And the biggest issue, why on Earth remake a movie that had already be done so superbly well?!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/12/25

Full Review

matthias s

This remake of *The Witches* left me disappointed, especially after the charm of the original. While Octavia Spencer brings warmth and is easily the highlight, the film falls short in capturing the magic that practical effects and puppetry brought to the 1990 version. The over-reliance on CGI here feels lackluster and even a bit hollow, taking away the eerie, tangible atmosphere that made the original so memorable. Though it respects the source material, the movie felt a bit boring and ultimately empty. Robert Zemeckis, a director known for great storytelling, surprisingly delivers something that lacks real emotional impact. The actors, clearly having fun with their roles, give it their best, and I think kids will enjoy the whimsy. But for me, it was a hollow experience that didn't resonate. I expected more heart and enchantment, and this remake just didn't deliver.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/28/24

Full Review

Roland W

The makeshift and inconsistent story is extremely empty of content, but still manages to convey cheap clichés about supposedly evil neighbors and to once again legitimize pseudo-religious witch hunts. One of the nastiest films I have ever seen.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/25/24

Full Review

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Robert Zemeckis

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Anne Hathaway

Grand High Witch

Octavia Spencer

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The Witches: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

In late 1967, a young orphaned boy goes to live with his loving grandma in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis. As the boy and his grandmother encounter some deceptively glamorous but thoroughly diabolical witches, she wisely whisks him away to a seaside resort. Regrettably, they arrive at precisely the same time that the world's Grand High Witch has gathered her fellow cronies from around the globe -- under cover -- to carry out her nefarious plans.

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Producer: Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón, Luke Kelly
Screenwriter: Robert Zemeckis, Kenya Barris, Guillermo del Toro
Production Co: Necropia Entertainment, The Jim Henson Company, Warner Bros., Esperanto Filmoj, ImageMovers, Double Dare You
Rating: PG (Scary Images/Moments|Language|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 22, 2020
Runtime: 1h 45m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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