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Trailer

The Witches

1990Movie1 h 31 minPG

Family
78
GreatGoodWatch score
IMDb6.8Letterboxd3.4/5Metacritic787.8Rotten Tomatoes94%70%

A nostalgic, eerie fantasy movie about fantasy and family.

Good for family movie night · friends night · kids

Where to watch

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Not for big ideas or romance.

Movies with

Story

Saving the world from witches is a tall order for a boy they've turned into a mouse!

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.

Feels like

  • Classic Children's Fantasy
  • Gothic Camp Horror
  • Intergenerational Bonding
  • Bizarre Visual Effects
  • Nostalgic 90s Cinema
  • Good vs. Evil Allegory
  • Charming Villainy
  • Family Adventure
  • Imaginative World-Building

Cast

24 of 25

Crew

Directed by
Nicolas Roeg
Written by
Roald Dahl, Allan Scott
Produced by
Mark Shivas
Music by
Stanley Myers

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

May 25, 1990 · 1 h 31 min · PG

Released
May 25, 1990
Runtime
1 h 31 min
Age rating
PG
Content
Violence, Disturbing Imagery
Genres
Fantasy, Family, Horror
Original language
English
Made in
United Kingdom, United States
Budget
$11 million
Box office
$15 million
Available in
61 countries
Keywords
based on novel or book

Tropes

Accidental Passenger, Nothing Is Scarier, Would Hurt a Child +9

  • Accidental Passenger
  • Nothing Is Scarier
  • Would Hurt a Child
  • Bowdlerise
  • Hope Spot
  • Deathly Unmasking
  • Pre-Mortem One-Liner
  • Comically Missing the Point
  • Good Shapeshifting, Evil Shapeshifting
  • Composite Character
  • The Cameo
  • What You Are in the Dark

12 of 114 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

6 questions, like "Where can I stream The Witches?"

Questions about The Witches

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Witches?

In the United States, you can rent or buy The Witches from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It streams in 5 other countries, but not in the United States.

Is The Witches worth watching?

78
GreatGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 78 (IMDb 6.8, Letterboxd 3.4 out of 5, Rotten Tomatoes 94%, and Metacritic 78). Critics rate it higher (86 out of 100) than audiences (71).

Is The Witches okay for kids?

PGViolenceDisturbing imagery

Yes: it's rated PG in the United States for violence and disturbing imagery, and the viewing guide lists it for kids.

Will The Witches scare me?

Not scaryTerrifying

At times: scares are rated 7 of 10.

Can I half-watch The Witches?

Easy watchDemanding

Yes: it's easy to follow, with complexity at only 3 of 10, and the viewing guide calls it drop-in friendly.

What tropes does The Witches use?

Accidental PassengerNothing Is ScarierWould Hurt a ChildBowdleriseHope SpotDeathly UnmaskingPre-Mortem One-LinerComically Missing the PointGood Shapeshifting, Evil ShapeshiftingComposite CharacterThe CameoWhat You Are in the Darkand 102 more

TV Tropes lists 114 tropes for it, including Accidental Passenger, Nothing Is Scarier, and Would Hurt a Child.