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The Witches

The Witches

Fantasy · Family · Horror · 1990

While staying at a hotel in England with his grandmother, Helga, a young boy named Luke inadvertently spies on a convention of witches. The Grand High Witch reveals a plan to turn all children into mice via a magical formula. When they discover the eavesdropper, the witches test the formula on him. Now, with the help of Helga and hotel manager Mr Stringer, Luke the mouse must fight back against the witches.

Movie details

The Witches

“Saving the world from witches is a tall order for a boy they've turned into a mouse!”

1990 Fantasy · Family · Horror 1h 31m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.0 / 10

Community rating

While staying at a hotel in England with his grandmother, Helga, a young boy named Luke inadvertently spies on a convention of witches. The Grand High Witch reveals a plan to turn all children into mice via a magical formula. When they discover the eavesdropper, the witches test the formula on him. Now, with the help of Helga and hotel manager Mr Stringer, Luke the mouse must fight back against the witches.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Witches?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Alex, a boy obsessed with scary stories, is trapped by a witch in her modern, magical New York City apartment. His original hair-raising tales are the only thing keeping him safe as he desperately tries to find a way out of this twisted place.

The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It

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Cassie, a 13 year old Gothic girl, is trying to fit in at her new school. To entertain herself, she plays a series of pranks on the popular kids and her younger brother, Max. When she goes to a Halloween store looking for new tricks, she finds a little book called "The Evil Thing"

Snow White: A Tale of Terror

Snow White: A Tale of Terror

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When young Lili's mother dies in childbirth, her father remarries Lady Claudia, a woman ruled by an evil mirror with the power to make her queen of all living things. After escaping an attempt on her life, Lili finds herself lost in a dark forest, where living happily ever after seems unlikely.

The Sword in the Stone

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Cinderella

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Cinderella chafes under the cruelty of her wicked stepmother and her evil stepsisters, until her Fairy Godmother steps in to change her life for one unforgettable night. At the ball, she falls for handsome Prince Christopher, whose parents, King Maximillian and Queen Constantina, are anxious for him to find a suitable paramour.

Cinderella and the Secret Prince

Cinderella and the Secret Prince

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Cinderella discovers a secret that could shake their world: an evil witch turned the prince into a mouse and replaced him with a look-alike. Cinderella and her friends must save the real prince and help him defeat the evil witch.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Nicolas Roeg

Written by

Allan Scott

Jasen Fisher

Jasen Fisher

Luke Eveshim

Mai Zetterling

Mai Zetterling

Helga Eveshim

Anjelica Huston

Anjelica Huston

Miss Eva Ernst

Charlie Potter

Charlie Potter

Bruno Jenkins

Rowan Atkinson

Rowan Atkinson

Mr Stringer

Bill Paterson

Bill Paterson

Mr Jenkins

Brenda Blethyn

Brenda Blethyn

Mrs Jenkins

Court is in session

Put The Witches on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Its refusal to behave is the point.”

The strange choices create the kind of friction that follows you out of the theatre and into the argument.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Oddness is not depth.”

A film can break every rule and still leave nothing behind but the memory of how hard it tried to be singular.