With Halloween approaching, the spooky spirit is in the air, and with it the desire to watch scary movies. There is nothing more fun than cuddling up by a fire and watching a favorite creepy film. One classic Halloween movie is “The Witches.”
Based on the children’s book of the same title by Ronald Dahl, “The Witches” is the perfect level of creepy meets scary.
The movie is centered around a boy who, following the death of his parents, moves to England with his grandmother. It is there that he first learns of the witches. The appearance of the witches is downright terrifying: they are depicted as bald, with blisters on their heads from the wigs they wear as disguises. They don’t have toes, and their stubby feet could give anyone nightmares. But most horrific of all is their smiles; their mouths stretch extra wide, opening all the way to the ears, with sharp fangs that can pierce a person’s skin.
In attempting to avoid the witches, the boy’s grandmother accidentally makes things worse. The two go on an impromptu vacation, coincidentally ending up at the very hotel where the yearly convention of the witches is being held. After being captured by the Grand High Witch, the ruler of all the witches, the boy and his friend Bruno are turned into mice. Fortunately, by the end of the movie, the boys-turned-mice are able to foil the witches’ plan to turn all of the world’s children into rodents by stealing the magical potion and using it against the witches. The movie ends with the grandmother and children deciding to dedicate their lives to turning every witch into a mouse.
While this movie is a very accurate retelling of the iconic novel, it comes with some noteworthy issues. The ending feels very convenient; the fact that the grandmother and the children were so easily able to counter the witches’ plan seems a bit of a stretch. That the children stay mice for the rest of their lives, never being able to be turned back into human form, is also something of a disappointment. It ensures a sad ending for what should be a happy children’s story. For those who read and loved “The Witches” when they were young, this can be a very nostalgic and interesting movie, but it may be unpalatable to those interested in happy endings. Additionally, “The Witches” is not as scary as some other films, so it may not be the best choice for those truly looking for horror.
Luckily, in addition to The Witches, there are countless creepy movies to watch this spooky season. Everybody, whether they’re looking for a light kids movie that goes down easy, or a thrilling horror film that will keep them up for nights, can find something they will enjoy watching. Happy Halloween!
