Here are six movies to watch if you love Hocus Pocus. Check them out before Hocus Pocus 2 hits Disney+ on September 30th!
6 Movies To Watch If You Love Hocus Pocus
29 years ago, the Sanderson Sisters returned to wreak havoc upon a wee ole town called Salem… And we’ve been under their spell ever since. Hocus Pocus is timeless. A household favourite. A perfect encapsulation of 90s fashion and lingo.
While one might be skeptical about the upcoming sequel, Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker sharing the screen once again is as good a pitch as any to get us watching. Nonetheless, some of us might need a little more prompting, and these movies might give you the push needed to get into the Sanderson mood.
Practical Magic (1995)
Starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, Practical Magic is an epic tale of sisterhood and empowerment. Everyone will feel right at home with the Owens family; we cheer, we cry, we crave those midnight margaritas, the film is an adventure from start to finish.
Though it steers through several tonal shifts, Practical Magic is never afraid to dig deep into its darker elements or pursue a delicate romance. A balancing act is executed fairly well, but it’s the lively chemistry between Kidman and Bullock which captivates and locks us in a trance.
Teen Witch (1989)
Teen Witch is the type of movie that once you start watching you can’t seem to stop no matter how hard you try. That being said, Teen Witch slander is not, nor will it ever be, tolerated because Teen Witch is awesome.
Why is there a rap song in the middle of the film? Do we care that it’s there? Only because it’s wonderfully bad and super catchy. Top That, Sabrina! Bizarrely, this isn’t the only high school fantasy film that sees the unpopular kid grow a sudden huge following due to the supernatural – Teen Wolf also made the rounds before becoming a popular MTV series.
The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
Any project led by Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer and Cher is bound to be every bit as iconic as you’d imagine. So naturally, banding the trio together, as witches no less, is the work of a genius. Of course, we can’t forget about the horny devil in disguise as Jack Nicholson gives one of his greatest roles to date.
The Witches of Eastwick is utterly ridiculous in the best way possible. Sarandon, Pfeiffer and Cher are fantastic together and there’s no denying we’re thoroughly charmed by the three, it’s just Nicholson proves to be the ultimate showstopper through a comical performance.
Watch The Witches of Eastwick here.
The Witches (1990)
Angelica Huston is a renowned queen of gothic-fantasy. Beloved as everyone’s favorite kooky matriarch Morticia in The Addams Family (1991), Huston spent the year prior traumatizing every child and their mother with her performance as The Grand High Witch. The Witches is nightmare fuel.
A proper childhood classic that never fails to entertain no matter how often you watch it. Whilst Huston gives a terrifying performance (even as an adult the Grand High Witch’s transformation into her true form is chilling), it’s Bill Paterson’s line delivery that steals the show – the man just wanted to enjoy some crest soup for crying out loud.
Halloweentown (1998)
Anyone growing up watching Disney Channel back in the day probably has Halloweentown memorized word for word by now. The first instalment in a series of four is a family classic over the spooky season. Debbie Reynolds just radiates comfort as Aggie – she’s *our* grandmother now, Marnie.
Like Hocus Pocus, we fall in love with the concept immediately. Maybe Halloweentown’s a little bit cheesy now; maybe it’s not award-winning material, but it is beyond fun to watch. Keeping things light and simple, nothing beats getting cozy and reliving our childhoods every Halloween with this.
Return to Oz (1985)
Tapping into a far darker and jarring story of Oz, this sequel finds Dorothy (now played by Fairuza Balk) ventures back to the mystical land to find it conquered by the Nome King. Where The Wizard of Oz is epitomized as a magical fantasy, Return to Oz is intensely grisly and leaves us grateful that we weren’t in Dorothy’s shoes.
Between The Wheelers and Mombi, most of us probably watched a good portion of the film through our fingers, yet that’s the whole fun of it. There’s a slim chance Hocus Pocus 2 will be nearly as frightening as this sequel but it’d be a thrilling adventure if it were.
NEXT: Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Blu-ray Bonus Features
About Hocus Pocus 2
It’s been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters, and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high-school students to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallow’s Eve.
Hocus Pocus 2 will premiere September 30, 2022, exclusively on Disney+.
Jenna is a Film and Visual Culture graduate and freelance entertainment writer from Scotland. Her passion lies with TV and horror, where she will take any opportunity to geek out. Jenna spends her free time binging shows and looking to be spooked.