The Witches
Seen it?1990 | 91 min | Fantasy, Family, Horror
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
Critics loved it (93% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it's still drawing plenty of interest, despite soft box office. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for horror fans, fantasy fans and families. If you loved Coraline or A Monster Calls, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Scary.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 31 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG: scary moments. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
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.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 78 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.0 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$15 million worldwide on a $11 million budget
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 256K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Nicolas Roeg
- Jasen FisherLuke Eveshim
- Mai ZetterlingHelga Eveshim
- Anjelica HustonMiss Eva Ernst
- Charlie PotterBruno Jenkins
- Rowan AtkinsonMr Stringer
- Bill PatersonMr Jenkins
- Brenda BlethynMrs Jenkins
- Jane HorrocksMiss Irvine
- Nora ConnollyBeatrice
- Rose EnglishDora