Parents' Guide to

The Witches

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Campy but creepy Dahl adaptation has lots of spooky stuff.

Movie PG 2022 106 minutes
The Witches Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 52 parent reviews

sarahreviews123
sarahreviews123 Parent of 8-year-old
October 2, 2022
age 13+

NOT for children

This is WAY too scary for anyone under 13 years of age. I am in my 20’s and was freaked out by the witches. NOT family friendly. The witches have claws and terrifying large sharp teeth. There is a scene where her bones all break and extend. Quite frightening.
lomie
lomie Parent of 9, 12 and 13-year-old
June 18, 2022
age 13+

to avoid

Horrible film, not recommended for young children. this film scared mine, I strongly advise against it
See all 52 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE WITCHES opens with an unseen narrator (Chris Rock) explaining to a classroom of children that witches are real, live among us, and hate children. He goes on to tell the story of how he discovered this first-hand as a boy. In a flashback, he explains how, in late 1968, when he was 8 (and played by Jahzir Bruno), his parents died in a car accident. He goes to live with his maternal grandma (Octavia Spencer) in a small town in Alabama. While he's at a local market, an elegantly dressed woman with a snake hisses and asks him whether he wants a piece of candy, scaring him. He tells his grandma, who has developed a bad cough, and she reveals that it wasn't a woman he saw, but a witch. Witches, she explains, always wear gloves, wigs, hats, and makeup to disguise their clawed hands, bald heads, and elongated mouths, among other identifying features. Alarmed, grandmother and grandson decide to vacation at a fancy hotel. Soon after arriving at their destination, the boy discovers that the group of female guests allegedly there for a child-welfare conference are in fact a coven of witches. They're led by the Grand High Witch (Anne Hathaway), who has a master plan to use a potion to transform all children into mice -- and then exterminate them.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (52 ):
Kids say (43 ):

This campy, creepy, fun Dahl adaptation will entertain fans of the author's quirkily dark tales about kids in peril who get away from terrible adults (in this case, kid-hating demons). Director Robert Zemeckis still knows how to put together a slick, family-friendly adventure full of elaborate makeup and visual effects, and The Witches doesn't disappoint. It's perfect for a Halloween movie night. Parents will particularly enjoy seeing Hathaway reunite with her Devil Wears Prada co-star Stanley Tucci, who plays the hotel's rule-following manager, Mr. Stringer. They both look like they're having a grand time, especially Hathaway, who chews the scenery as the over-the-top Grand High Witch.

Spencer and Bruno have a lovely rapport as a grandma who knows a thing or two about witches and her kind and brave orphaned grandson. Bruno keeps up with the Oscar-winning actress, and he manages to keep his character's emotional range even in voice form (spoiler alert: He's turned into a mouse). The soundtrack is fantastic, featuring a mix of Motown hits and contemporary tracks, including The Four Tops' "Reach Out I'll Be There," Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," the Isley Brothers' "It's Your Thing," and Samantha Jade's cover of "We Are Family." It's worth noting that although the movie is set in Jim Crow-era Alabama, it features a Black grandmother and grandson staying at a hotel that would surely have been segregated at the time. Fantasy movies have no reason not to be diverse, even when set in the past. With The Witches, Zemeckis has conjured old-school magic that should be a sweet, spooky treat for families.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about The Witches and other movies based on Roald Dahl's books. If you've already read the book, what did you think of the movie? If not, do you want to read it now? What makes for a "good" adaptation? Did this one meet your expectations?

  • Discuss the violence in the movie. Is it necessary to the story? Many adults in Dahl's books are terrible to kids; how is Grandma different?

  • Who in the movie do you consider a positive role model? What character strengths are on display? Why are communication, courage, and teamwork important?

  • How does this movie compare, representation-wise, to other adaptations of Dahl's books? Why is it important to see diverse representations in the media?

  • Disability advocates have spoken up about the way the witches' limbs are depicted. How can filmmakers and other artists ensure that they're not promoting harmful ideas about underrepresented groups?

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