Witchy Films: 9 Magical Movies You Need to Watch
The Love Witch (2016)
This article is a list of nine films that have some sort of Pagan or witchy theme.
I had fun writing the blog post about ten witchy Pagan novels.
So…
I thought I’d carry on the theme and list some of my favourite witchy Pagan films.
Honestly, Hollywood is bloody terrible at realistically depicting Paganism and witchcraft in any sort of accurate manner.
Let alone portraying them positively.
Therefore, some of the Pagan themes are on the more subtle side.
Some of these might be rather obvious choices, but hopefuly there’s a couple in there that you haven’t seen!
Turn down the lights, get cosy and let these films accompany you into the most wonderful time of the year…
Because it’s flipping spooky season!
1. ALPHA
Keywords
Adventure
Palaeolithic
Nature
What’s it about?
While on his first hunt with his tribe, a young man is injured and left for dead.
Awakening to find himself broken and alone, he must learn to survive and navigate the harsh and unforgiving wilderness.
My Opinion
Just to let you know that this film is subtitled.
Which I rather liked because the constructed language adds to the paleolithic realism.
Alpha is a visually immersive film set during the last Ice Age.
I was lucky to watch it at the cinema when it was released. The large screen really enhanced its sweeping landscapes.
Alpha is drenched in the raw magic of nature.
One of my favourite things about the film is the relationship between the protagonist and the wolf.
It’s literally so heartwarming.
And I say that as a cat person.
Quote
Life is for the strong. It is earned, not given.
2. Chocolat
Keywords
Cosy
Kitchen witchery
Pleasure
What’s it about?
Vianne and her child arrive in a tranquil French town. She quickly opens an unusual, yet rather magical chocolate shop.
Her ability to perceive her customers’ desires coaxes the villagers to abandon themselves to temptation.
Just in time for Lent.
My Opinion
I watch Chocolat every year in the run up to spring. Which aligns well with when the film is set.
Vianne is a mysterious, bohemian figure.
The village children whisper to one another that she’s an atheist. Little do they know, it’s much worse.
She’s actually a witch.
The original novel is a little more explicit about this than the film.
Vianne’s sumptuous chocolaterie is brimming with enchantment.
There are many hints that kitchen witchery is afoot!
Chocolat is a very Pagan film.
The sensory delight of food saturates each shot, as the whimsical inhabitants of the French village start to embrace the richness of pleasure.
Chocolat is about joy and taking time to indulge in life’s sweetness.
Quote
Ah, good morning. Can I interest you in some nipples of Venus?
3. The Craft
Keywords
Coven
Female friendship
Witchcraft
What’s it about?
A new student to a Catholic prep school finds herself drawn to three teenage misfits who practise witchcraft.
Magic and mayhem ensue as the girls learn that power also corrupts…
My Opinion
I’m sure 99.99999% of people reading this will have already watched The Craft. It’s a classic for a reason.
I watched it back in the early 2000s when I was going through my early teenage witch phase. I was too young to have watched it in the cinema.
You can be sure that once my friends and I watched it, our sleepeovers were full of light as a feather, stiff as a board.
The moral of The Craft is kind of standard.
POWER CORRUPTS!
But deeper than that, it’s a dark tale of oppression, female friendship and a dip in the waters of female empowerment.
Plus, lots of cool magic stuff.
What’s not to love?
Quote
True magic is neither black, nor white. It's both because nature is both. Loving and cruel, all at the same time.
4. Kiki’s Delivery Service
Keywords
Coming of age
Cosy
Witchy
What’s it about?
Kiki is a young trainee witch, who must leave her family on the night of a full moon to learn her craft.
Kiki ends up setting up a courier service, using her broomstick to deliver everything from pies to pets.
But Kiki soon discovers being an adult isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be.
My Opinion
Kiki’s Delivery Service is a film I watch when I’m craving comfort and cosiness.
Even though it came out in 1989, the films central message is oddly relevant to today.
Maybe more than its ever been.
Kiki’s Delivery Service is an ode to the trials of working a souless job, paying bills and the disillusionment that can arise from modern life as an adult.
It deftly illustrates modern burnout and its slow recovery through the metaphor of Kiki’s magic.
This film on the surface is about a witch trying to make her way in the world.
But if you look deeper, it’s teaching us how to deal with burnout.
Quote
Take long walks. Look at scenery. Doze off at noon. Don't even think about flying. And then, pretty soon, you'll be flying again.
5. The Love Witch
Keywords
Comedy/horror
Feminist
Witchcraft
What’s it about?
A young witch named Elaine uses her magic to devise spells and craft concoctions which will grant her what she desires.
A man who loves her.
But her willful desire to feel loved may send her over the edge and into a heady brew of passion, madness and death.
My Opinion
The Love Witch is a visual feast.
It’s a feminist, saitirical dark comedy examining themes of misogyny, female power and sexuality.
Anna Biller, wrote, edited, directed, scored and produced The Love Witch.
She’s veritable cornucopia of talent.
The film’s opulent occult set deigns and rich costumes deliver a darkly symbolic tale that’s as deeply political as it is humorous.
Quote
The day he left me was the day I died. But then I was reborn… as a witch.
6. Pan’s Labyrinth
Keywords
Faeries
Magical realism
Spanish civil war
What’s it about?
Set against the backdrop of the Spanish civil war, a little girl named Ofelia is forced to watch as her mother marries a despotic captain.
She soon finds herself drawn to Pan’s Labyrinth.
A magical world of mythical beings.
My Opinion
Pan’s Labyrinth is a mystical journey into the unknown.
It’s subtitled because it’s in Spanish. It’s also directed by the great Guillermo del Toro, so you just know it’s excellent.
The faerie otherworld creatures in this film oscillate between nightmarish, magical and horrifying.
It’s a winding dark fairy tale that will transport you to subterranean realms.
Quote
I've had so many names. Old names that only the wind and the trees can pronounce. I am the mountain, the forest and the earth. I am... I am a faun.
7. Practical Magic
Keywords
Cosy
Romance
Witchy
What’s it about?
Sisters Sally and Gillian Owens are born into a family of witches.
When Gillian’s villainous boyfriend dies unexpectedly, the Owens sisters attempt to resurrect him.
Things don’t quite go to plan…
Plus, midnight margaritas.
My Opinion
Practical Magic is cosiness personified.
Perfect for gloomy autumn days, snuggled up in a blanket on the sofa.
I got my husband to watch this film last year (the uncouth man had never watched it!).
He actually really enjoyed it, as a fellow autumn appreciator he valued the cosy vibes.
One of my favourite things about Practical Magic is the set design.
The house is a cottagecore dream! I also adore the aesthetics of Sally’s herbal shop.
If you’re as uncultured as my husband, and you haven’t watched this film yet…
You know know what you need to do!
Quote
Always throw spilt salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for luck, and fall in love whenever you can.
8. Spirited Away
Keywords
Adventure
Japanese
Spirit world
What’s it about?
After a mistaken detour, Chihiro and her parents stumble upon a seemingly abandoned amusement park.
Chihiro is horrified to find herself stuck in this otherworldly place after her parents are turned into pigs.
It turns out, the park is actually a resort for supernatural beings.
Chihiro quickly learns that she must work there to free herself and her parents.
My Opinion
Spirited Away was also created by the Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli (see Kiki’s Delivery Service above) and is directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
Honestly, all of the Ghibli films are worth watching.
Although, apparently Grave of the Fireflies is a recipe for low mood.
So maybe avoid that one…
Spirited Away is heavily influenced by the Shinto beliefs native to Japan.
Strange spirits abound in this evocative, uncanny world.
The film explores some complex themes such as; enviormentalism, the westernisation of Japan and traditional Japanese culture.
One of my favourite scenes, is when Chihiro bathes and cleans a polluted river spirit in the waters of the humid bath house.
It’s a powerful reminder of the damage humans are committing against the planet.
Quote
Once you do something, you never forget. Even if you can’t remember.
9. The Witch
Keywords
Horror
Folklore
Witchcraft
What’s it about?
In 1630 New England, a family of devout Christians attempt to farm on the edge of an impassible wilderness.
When their newborn son mysteriously vanishes and their crops fail, the family begins to suspect their eldest daughter of witchcraft.
My Opinion
I have a rule.
The rule is… no horror films.
Like, ever.
I’m extremely squeamish… like can’t even watch half of House of the Dragon because I’m hiding behind my hands in an anxious meltdown over potentially seeing some gore squeamish.
Yet I make an exception for The Witch.
It’s not particularly scary (thankfully), but it’s a bit gory in places (I just hide during those bits).
The exquisite direction and creeping sense of dread suffuse the film with slow burn horror.
The Witch is rich in eldritch folklore, and feels very often like a folktale in itself.
I definitely recommend it, even if you’re not a horror fan.
Quote
Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?