Movies about Witches: Essential Films

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1939 - 202229 Films49h 1m3.7 Average

This watch list captures the breadth and cultural significance of witch cinema across decades. We've included foundational classics like The Wizard of Oz, influential horror milestones such as Suspiria and The Blair Witch Project, cultural phenomena like Hocus Pocus and The Craft, and modern folk horror achievements including The Witch and Hagazussa.

From atmospheric slow-burns to campy cult favorites, from witch hunters to powerful covens, these films represent the diverse ways cinema has explored witchcraft. The list encompasses Italian giallo horror, teen supernatural drama, romantic comedies with magical elements, and harrowing period pieces that examine historical persecution.

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1
The Wizard of Oz poster

The Wizard of Oz

19391h 42m4.5
AdventureFantasyFamily
Director: Victor Fleming
Cast: Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan

Young Dorothy is swept away to the magical land of Oz, where she befriends a scarecrow, tin man, and cowardly lion on a journey along the yellow brick road to meet the Wizard who can help her return home.

2
Black Sunday poster

Black Sunday

19601h 26m4.4
Horror
Original Title: La maschera del demonio
Director: Mario Bava
Cast: Barbara Steele, John Richardson, Andrea Checchi, Ivo Garrani, Arturo Dominici

A vengeful witch returns from the grave after centuries, seeking to possess the body of her beautiful descendant with the help of her fiendish servant.

3
Rosemary's Baby poster

Rosemary's Baby

19682h 18m4.7
DramaHorrorThriller
Director: Roman Polanski
Cast: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans

A young couple moves into a sinister New York apartment building with dark secrets, where Rosemary becomes increasingly paranoid about her elderly neighbors' obsessive interest in her pregnancy.

4
Witchfinder General poster

Witchfinder General

19681h 27m3.6
DramaHistoryHorror
Director: Michael Reeves
Cast: Vincent Price, Ian Ogilvy, Robert Russell, Nicky Henson, Hilary Dwyer

Set during England's brutal civil war in 1645, this horror film follows the notorious Matthew Hopkins, a ruthless witch hunter who exploits superstition and chaos to terrorize villages across the countryside. Based on the real historical figure, it depicts how Hopkins used the lawless times to profit from fear and persecution.

5
Suspiria poster

Suspiria

19771h 39m4.4
Horror
Director: Dario Argento
Cast: Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Flavio Bucci, Miguel Bosé, Barbara Magnolfi

An American ballet student discovers that her prestigious German dance academy harbors dark supernatural secrets when mysterious deaths begin occurring around the school.

6
The Witches of Eastwick poster

The Witches of Eastwick

19871h 58m3.6
ComedyFantasyHorror
Director: George Miller
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Veronica Cartwright

Three single women in a picturesque Rhode Island village find their wishes granted when a mysterious and flamboyant stranger arrives in town, but discover that getting what you want comes at a dangerous price.

7
Spellbinder poster

Spellbinder

19881h 39m3.1
HorrorDramaRomance
Director: Janet Greek
Cast: Tim Daly, Kelly Preston, Rick Rossovich, Audra Lindley, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

A Los Angeles attorney becomes romantically involved with a mysterious woman he rescues from an abusive situation, only to find himself drawn into a dangerous web of supernatural intrigue and occult forces.

8
The Witches poster

The Witches

19901h 31m4
FantasyFamilyHorror
Director: Nicolas Roeg
Cast: Jasen Fisher, Mai Zetterling, Anjelica Huston, Charlie Potter, Rowan Atkinson

A young boy and his grandmother discover their vacation hotel is hosting a secret witch convention, where the Grand High Witch plans to turn all children into mice.

9
Hocus Pocus poster

Hocus Pocus

19931h 36m4.1
FantasyComedyFamily
Director: Kenny Ortega
Cast: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch

Three sister witches are accidentally resurrected in Salem on Halloween night after 300 years, and it's up to three kids and a magical cat to stop their reign of terror.

10
The Craft poster

The Craft

19961h 41m3.9
HorrorDramaFantasy
Director: Andrew Fleming
Cast: Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, Rachel True, Skeet Ulrich

A newcomer at a Catholic school joins a group of teenage witches who use their supernatural powers to deal with anyone who crosses them, including teachers, rivals, and parents.

11
Practical Magic poster

Practical Magic

19981h 44m3.8
RomanceComedyFantasy
Director: Griffin Dunne
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest, Goran Višnjić

Two sisters from a magical family must confront their witchcraft heritage when a dangerous situation forces them to use their powers. As they delve deeper into magic, they face unexpected consequences that threaten their lives and family legacy.

12
The Blair Witch Project poster

The Blair Witch Project

19991h 21m3.5
HorrorMystery
Director: Daniel Myrick
Cast: Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael C. Williams, Bob Griffin, Jim King

Three student filmmakers venture into the Maryland woods to make a documentary about the local Blair Witch legend, but they soon become lost and terrorized by an unseen presence.

13
Sleepy Hollow poster

Sleepy Hollow

19991h 45m4.2
FantasyThrillerMysteryHorror
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, Casper Van Dien

A skeptical detective is sent to investigate a series of mysterious decapitations in the eerie village of Sleepy Hollow, where locals blame the legendary Headless Horseman for the gruesome murders.

14
The Covenant poster

The Covenant

20061h 37m2.9
FantasyHorrorAdventureAction
Director: Renny Harlin
Cast: Chace Crawford, Taylor Kitsch, Toby Hemingway, Sebastian Stan, Steven Strait

Four young men with supernatural abilities must face an ancient fifth power that was believed to be extinct, while also dealing with internal conflicts that threaten to destroy their brotherhood.

15
Stardust poster

Stardust

20072h 7m4.3
AdventureFantasyRomanceFamily
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Cast: Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mark Strong, Jason Flemyng

A young man ventures into a magical realm to retrieve a fallen star for his beloved, embarking on an enchanting journey that will reveal his true destiny.

16
Sennentuntschi: Curse of the Alps poster

Sennentuntschi: Curse of the Alps

20101h 50m3.5
ThrillerHorrorMystery
Original Title: Sennentuntschi
Director: Michael Steiner
Cast: Roxane Mesquida, Nicholas Ofczarek, Andrea Zogg, Carlos Leal, Joel Basman

In a remote 1975 Swiss Alpine village, a mysterious woman's arrival triggers the unraveling of dark secrets involving the local herdsmen. As the village policeman investigates her origins, a nightmare of religious fanaticism, abuse, and murder threatens to destroy the entire community.

17
Season of the Witch poster

Season of the Witch

20111h 35m2.8
AdventureFantasyAction
Director: Dominic Sena
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Ulrich Thomsen, Christopher Lee, Fernanda Dorogi

Two 14th century Crusaders are tasked by the Church to transport a suspected witch to a remote abbey, where monks hope to perform a ritual that will end the devastating Black Plague ravaging their homeland.

18
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters poster

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

20131h 28m3.3
FantasyHorrorAction
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Famke Janssen, Pihla Viitala, Derek Mears

After surviving their childhood encounter with a witch, Hansel and Gretel have grown up to become professional witch hunters. The siblings must face their most dangerous challenge yet when they uncover dark secrets about their own past.

19
Into the Woods poster

Into the Woods

20142h 5m3
FantasyComedy
Director: Rob Marshall
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep, Lilla Crawford, James Corden, Emily Blunt

A baker and his wife venture into an enchanted forest to break a witch's curse, encountering classic fairy tale characters along the way in this musical adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's beloved Broadway show.

20
The Last Witch Hunter poster

The Last Witch Hunter

20151h 46m3.2
ActionAdventureFantasy
Director: Breck Eisner
Cast: Vin Diesel, Elijah Wood, Rose Leslie, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Julie Engelbrecht

An immortal witch hunter named Kaulder, cursed with eternal life after slaying the powerful Witch Queen centuries ago, continues his mission to track down dangerous witches in the modern world. As the last of his kind, he battles supernatural creatures while yearning for the family he lost to his curse.

21
The Witch poster

The Witch

20161h 32m4
HorrorFantasyDrama
Director: Robert Eggers
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger

In 1630, a Puritan family living on the edge of a dark forest faces mounting paranoia and supernatural terror that tests their faith and tears them apart.

22
The Autopsy of Jane Doe poster

The Autopsy of Jane Doe

20161h 26m3.9
HorrorMystery
Director: André Øvredal
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Brian Cox, Ophelia Lovibond, Olwen Catherine Kelly, Michael McElhatton

A father and son coroner team discovers increasingly disturbing and supernatural clues while performing an autopsy on an unidentified woman with no apparent cause of death.

23
Pyewacket poster

Pyewacket

20171h 28m3.2
HorrorThriller
Director: Adam MacDonald
Cast: Laurie Holden, Nicole Muñoz, Chloe Rose, Eric Osborne, James McGowan

A rebellious teenage girl performs an occult ritual in the woods to summon a witch, but soon discovers she has awakened something far more dangerous than she bargained for.

24
Hagazussa poster

Hagazussa

20181h 42m3
HorrorDramaFantasy
Director: Lukas Feigelfeld
Cast: Aleksandra Cwen, Claudia Martini, Tanja Petrovsky, Haymon Maria Buttinger, Celina Peter

In 15th century Austria, a young goatherd living in isolation on a mountain begins to experience disturbing supernatural occurrences in the surrounding dark woods.

25
Suspiria poster

Suspiria

20182h 32m4
HorrorMysteryDrama
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth, Angela Winkler, Ingrid Caven

A young American dancer joins a prestigious Berlin dance academy, unaware that a dark supernatural force lurks within the company that threatens to consume all who enter its orbit.

26
The Witch in the Window poster

The Witch in the Window

20181h 16m3.3
HorrorDrama
Director: Andy Mitton
Cast: Arija Bareikis, Greg Naughton, Charlie Tacker, Alex Draper, Carol Stanzione

A father and son renovating an old Vermont farmhouse discover they're not alone when the malicious spirit of a former owner begins to grow stronger with each repair they make.

27
The Wretched poster

The Wretched

20191h 35m3.3
HorrorMysteryThriller
Director: Drew T. Pierce
Cast: John-Paul Howard, Piper Curda, Jamison Jones, Azie Tesfai, Kevin Bigley

A troubled teenager dealing with his parents' divorce discovers that his next-door neighbor has been possessed by an ancient witch with a deadly appetite for children.

28
Gretel & Hansel poster

Gretel & Hansel

20201h 27m3.2
HorrorFantasyMystery
Director: Osgood Perkins
Cast: Sophia Lillis, Samuel Leakey, Alice Krige, Jessica De Gouw, Charles Babalola

A young girl and her little brother venture into a dark forest searching for food and work, but discover a terrifying evil lurking within. This atmospheric horror reimagining of the classic fairy tale follows the siblings as they encounter dangers far worse than starvation.

29
You Won't Be Alone poster

You Won't Be Alone

20221h 48m3.7
HorrorDrama
Director: Goran Stolevski
Cast: Sara Klimoska, Anamaria Marinca, Alice Englert, Félix Maritaud, Carloto Cotta

In 19th century Macedonia, a young feral witch discovers the ability to inhabit different human forms, embarking on a curious exploration of what it means to experience life through others' bodies.