← Back to results
The Witches
1990 91 min United Kingdom, United States of America PG 16+
★7.4
Fantasy, Family, Horror
Director: Nicolas Roeg
🎭 Based on
«The Witches»
byRoald Dahl
Trailers
EN
EN
EN
Description
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.
Budget:
$11M
US Gross:
$10.36M
Worldwide:
$15.4M
Starring
Anjelica Huston
Actor
Mai Zetterling
Actor
Jasen Fisher
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 1991
— Best Original Score
BAFTA 1991
— Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Saturn Awards 1991
— Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Saturn Awards 1991
— Best Actress
Saturn Awards 1991
— Best Young Performer
Saturn Awards 1991
— Best Supporting Actress
Key opinion
Nicholas Roeg's adaptation of Roald Dahl's 'The Witches' is widely regarded as a visually striking and uniquely dark entry in family cinema. While the performances and practical effects are frequently praised for their impact, the film's shift in tone and narrative choices remain a point of contention among viewers.
| Acting | Anjelica Huston delivers a magnetic and chilling performance as the Grand High Witch that serves as the film's primary anchor. | |
| Production | Jim Henson's practical effects and prosthetic makeup create a grotesque, visceral aesthetic that effectively bridges the gap between fairy tale and horror. | |
| Theme | The film features a bold, dark, and often macabre tone that, while atmospheric and memorable, proves potentially unsettling or traumatizing for younger viewers. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay’s pacing and plot development draw mixed reactions; some find the episodic, dark humor engaging, while others criticize its narrative thinness and lack of emotional weight. | |
| Ending | The ending is divisive, with some critics appreciating its whimsical, fairy-tale resolution, while others view it as a convenient and unearned departure from the darker, grittier tone established earlier. |