13 films about witches that will scare you or entertain

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Lifehacker has collected very popular and undeservedly forgotten paintings from all over the world, old and new, funny and scary.

13. Witch of love

• USA, 2016.
• Comedy, horror, melodrama.
• Duration: 120 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 2.

The young widow moves to another city, where she dreams of meeting her true love. To bewitch local handsome men, the girl uses witchcraft and magic potions. The only trouble is that many gentlemen die after meeting her.

Director Anna Biller (she also acts as a cameraman, composer, artist and editor) builds a strange world, stylized as films of the 60s of the last century. This is an inverted America, in which the forces of evil are hidden behind an attractive facade. The author deliberately takes the action of the picture 50 years ago and shows a short period of time when the naive citizens of the United States, with a single impulse, believed in the availability of a happy and cloudless life. World War II and the Korean War are behind us, you can finally love, enjoy and build a family life. But the young witch quickly realizes that blind faith in a bright future is not enough. Her disappointments are accompanied by a lot of comic situations.

12. Witches from Sugarramurdi

• Spain, France, 2013.
• Adventure, comedy, fantasy.
• Duration: 112 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 4.

Today, three hapless thieves end up in the village of Sugarramurdi. At the beginning of the 17th century, several residents of the town were burned at the stake for witchcraft. According to rumors, witches live in these parts to this day. If so, it will be extremely difficult for adventurers to get out of here safe and sound.

The films of the Spaniard Alex de la Iglesia are always full of bright colors and black humor. Witches look very organic in such carnival decorations. Not at all scary, but provocative and fun.

11. Eastwick witches

• USA, 1987.
• Comedy, fantasy, horror.
• Duration: 118 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 5.

Three single middle-aged women yearn for male attention and warmth. Everything changes when a fabulously rich mysterious stranger enters the largest house in the city. Outwardly, women are completely different from each other: one is blonde, the other is a brunette, the third is a redhead. But they all simultaneously start an affair with the same man.

The film was based on the novel of the same name by John Updike. Devilishly charming Jack Nicholson and devilishly attractive Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon act out a sweet and cozy comedy, measuring their witchcraft.

10. The Blair Witch: Coursework from the Beyond

• USA, 1999.
• Horror, mysticism.
• Duration: 81 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

Three student filmmakers travel to the woods of Maryland to create a documentary about the famous Blair witch. Young people disappear, but after a year the material they filmed is found. Maybe he will shed light on the mysterious disappearance and debunk the myth of the sorceress.

"The Blair Witch" is the most important film for the horror genre, which showed directors all over the world the possibilities of mocumentari (imitation of documentary). The shooting features allow the viewer to live the events of the film together with the characters. Horror movies have never been so interactive. The audience seems to remain at a safe distance from evil, but the effect of the engagement is so strong that the film is truly intimidating.

9. Bell, book and candle

• USA, 1958.
• Comedy, fantasy, melodrama.
• Duration: 106 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

Gillian the witch is beautiful, young, but lonely. Life is brightened up only by a faithful Siamese cat and all kinds of intrigues. So, once the girl tried to bewitch the neighbor's groom. But from witchcraft games a real feeling is born.

The painting by Richard Quine was shot in the best traditions of classic Hollywood. Kim Novak, who played the witch, became a celebrity in 1958. Around the same time as the fantasy comedy Bell, Book and Candle, Alfred Hitchcock's melodramatic noir, Vertigo, was released. In both films, Novak's screen pair was a handsome aging James Stewart.

8. Witch

• USA, 2015.
• Drama, horror, mysticism.
• Duration: 92 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

At the beginning of the 17th century, a family of colonists who had recently arrived on the American continent decided to settle in a deep forest so as not to be tempted by the benefits of civilization. Their guide in this world is the Protestant faith. And everything would be fine, but the measured course of life is disturbed by tragedy. After the disappearance of the baby, parents begin to suspect that evil has settled in their home.

The spectacular and authentic horror film directed by debutant Robert Eggers immediately attracted the attention of both audiences and critics. The American used documents from the Salem witch trials in the film. Eggers generally carefully approaches his paintings, trying to convey the chosen era as carefully as possible.

7. I married a witch

• USA, 1942.
• Comedy, fantasy, melodrama.
• Duration: 77 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

Burned at the stake in time immemorial, sorcerers Jennifer and her father Daniel return to America in the 40s of the XX century to annoy the descendants of those who sent them to the next world.

In René Clair's romantic comedy, the witch and the witcher are not intimidating. These are funny buggers who don't go according to plan. Witchcraft turns out to be the setting for a touching and cheerful love line.

6. Witch of war

• Canada, 2012.
• Drama, military.
• Duration: 90 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

An endless civil war is going on in one of the African countries. Twelve-year-old Komona is forced to shoot her parents. And after that, she begins to see ghosts. The rebel leader considers this a good sign and makes the girl a tribal witch.

Canadian Kim Nguyen manages to tell the story of growing up in exotic circumstances. Through the eyes of a teenage girl, the life and traditions of the distant and incomprehensible African world are shown, an important component of which are shamans and witches.

5. November

• Estonia, 2017.
• Fantasy, melodrama, drama, comedy.
• Duration: 116 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

End of the 19th century. Residents of a poor Estonian village are used to solving problems with the help of evil spirits. They sell their souls to Satan so that he would revive for them golems-golems, helping the poor with the housework. And the peasant girl Liina goes to the witch to help her in love affairs.

Director Rainer Sarnet collected folk legends and shot a wonderful comedy horror in the spirit of the Ukrainian stories of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. Estonian landscapes, which are so similar to Russian ones, add a special charm to the film.

4. Mask of Satan

• Italy, 1960.
• Horror.
• Duration: 87 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

The inquisitors recognize the young princess as a witch and put on her a Satan's mask - an instrument of torture with thorns inside, leaving marks on her face forever. The girl dies, but after a couple of centuries she returns to this world.

This film is one of the early works of Mario Bava, a giallo classic. The genre combines surprisingly bright colors, eroticism and murder. The "Mask of Satan" is a beautiful and very terrible example of him. Rarely is blood spilled in a frame so beautifully.

3. Wii

• USSR, 1967.
• Horror, fantasy, drama.
• Duration: 77 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 4.

Philosopher student Homa Brut kills an old witch flying on a broomstick. And in the morning she turns into a beautiful little girl. Now the young man is forced to read prayers near her tomb for three nights. On the first night, the girl comes to life, and this is just the beginning.

The classic film adaptation of Gogol's mystical story today looks like a funny fairy tale with hardly terrible evil spirits. But in 1967, special effects were a breakthrough. First of all, because Alexander Ptushko was responsible for the appearance and movements of the monsters, who worked on Sadko, Scarlet Sails and Ilya Muromets.

2. Suspiria

• Italy, 1977.
• Horror.
• Duration: 99 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 4.

Young American Suzy comes to study at a German ballet school. On the very first night, mysterious events begin to take place in the old Gothic building. The girl suspects that she was on a real witch's coven.

Classic horror by Dario Argento has stood the test of time. The bright costumes, masterful camera work and thoughtful scenery, as well as the otherworldly soundtrack of the Goblin band, which forever settled in the memory, helped.

In 2018, Italian Luca Guadagnino could not stand it and filmed his own version of "Suspiria" starring Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton. The story of the Sabbath in the ballet school continues.

1. Spirited Away

• Japan, 2001.
• Fantasy, adventure.
• Duration: 125 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 6.

Girl Chihiro and her parents move to a new home. A forest road leads them to an abandoned enchanted city. It is ruled by the evil witch Yubaba. Chihiro's mom and dad turn into pigs, and the girl needs to save them from the spell by going through a series of tests.

One of the main masterpieces of the great Japanese storyteller Hayao Miyazaki amazes with a unique and complex magical world, as well as a virtuoso animation technique. Traditional legends and beliefs are harmoniously combined with current problems of ecology and economics.