Halloween Review: The Witches (1990)

Post date: Nov 1, 2016 11:41:26 AM

By: Robby Timmler, Staff Writer

Posted November 1st, 2016

The Witches, based off the story by Roald Dahl, is about an orphan boy named Luke (played by Jason Fisher) that lives with his grandma Helga (played by Mai Zetterling), who tells him about the Witches, women that look and act like ordinary women, but hate children. They disguise themselves so then it's easier for them to hunt and kill children, not with knifes or guns, but magic. Luke and his Grandma stay at a hotel on vacation the same time that a large group of suspicious looking women are residing at. While Luke is playing with his pet mice, he stumbles upon the gigantic group of women in the meeting room, and they turn out to all be Witches lead by the Grand High Witch (played by Anjelica Huston). The Grand High Witch plans to get rid of all the children in England by giving all the Witches lots of money to buy every candy store in England that will sell candy mixed with a magic potion that will turn every child who eats the candy into a mouse. That’s when the Witches sniff out Luke and turn him into a mouse. So now, it’s up to Luke to stop the Witches and save the kids of England.

The Witches is a fun and dark halloween movie. Being based off a Roald Dahl book, it does have some of the wit and child aspects, much like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but not nearly as colorful or lighthearted. The special effects used on the Witches when they unmasked are so impressive and detailed that it's bone chilling. The Witches gets 4.5/5.