The Craft (1996)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Justin Y

  
  Andrew Fleming's <i>The Craft</i> brings the sexy to witchcraft.</p><p>The film's dark fantasy concept keeps it afloat, which sort of makes up for the lack of depth in the plot. While also showcasing some amusing segments throughout, for nearly 100… More
  Andrew Fleming's <i>The Craft</i> brings the sexy to witchcraft.</p><p>The film's dark fantasy concept keeps it afloat, which sort of makes up for the lack of depth in the plot. While also showcasing some amusing segments throughout, for nearly 100 minutes of screen time the story does drag at certain places. There are a few details left in the dark that leaves some minor plot holes, but all in all this picture is far from mind-boggling or boring.</p><p>The use of witchcraft isn't intense and brutal as it may sound. In other words, the violence, bloodshed, and all other creepy material affiliated to spell-casting and invoking spirits is barely enough to push this film to a restricted rating.</p><p>The four leading ladies put on fine performances and the variety in their characters help out the story. Fairuza Balk shines when she is full of energy. Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell, and Rachel True also make delicious witches.</p><p><i>The Craft</i> does lack in certain places; however, it ultimately lives up to expectations.</p>

• Jennifer X

  
  How I do enjoy teen girl movies about witchcraft! This doesn't even make an effort to be intelligent, yet its plot is a sight more fresh than any mainstream gothfest I've seen in a while. It helps that Fairuza Balk scares the crap out of me.

• Spencer S

  
  If any film holds the pomp and circumstance of repressed 90's teenage girl, it's this contracted horror film, starring Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, and unknown Rachel True. This film carries with it the innovation that the 90's brought to teenage films,… More
  If any film holds the pomp and circumstance of repressed 90's teenage girl, it's this contracted horror film, starring Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, and unknown Rachel True. This film carries with it the innovation that the 90's brought to teenage films, not just showing us the true colors of a generation with sex, drugs, and gratuitous violence, but also serious darkness. Nobody takes teens seriously, but how can you not when they all have magical powers that are usually aimed at the very people who make fun of them? This film, though full of problems, actually works for any type of audience, because it clearly knows what it is, not trying to be gothic, or romantic, or in any way a true horror film. It polygrips itself to the lonely teenage girl, especially the outcasts with problems ranging from suicide, physical scarring, being stuck in poverty, and racism. The girls start off as harmless enough, but their attitudes, and the way they're perceived by their classmates insinuate that they're already dangerous by social standards. New transfer student Sarah (Tunney) falls in with them after being shunned by her classmates. The bulk of the film shows them casting spells, and the positive and negative outcomes that come from them. Tunney, who is portrayed as a powerful witch with infallible powers, has the soft spokeness and purity that make her not only a believable good guy amongst the temptation of power, but actually make her likable through all the awful dialogue. Balk grows in power as well, but turns it on people, murdering along the way. Balk is scary, in every way possible, the perfect villain for this setting: low yet bright eyes, hulking mouth, agape and full of venom, loud shrieking voice that pierces through you. I shiver just at the thought. Campbell is a passive nobody with body issues, and I'm not positive what True is doing in this film, or hanging out with the coven. She seems better read, spoken, and acts better than everyone else, yet she needs to find revenge against a racist; and might I say the racism is unfounded and comes from nowhere. It makes no sense, and yet she punishes without mercy. This film doesn't always work, because I'm not scared of them, and their actions make no sense whatsoever. Still, it's good to watch when it's Friday and you're sick of thinking intelligently.

• Melvin W

  
  Nancy: You know, in the old days, if a witch betrayed her coven, they would kill her. "Welcome to the witching hour." The Craft is another teen horror movie. It involves a trio of witches who take in a newcomer to their school as their fourth. Now they can become more… More
  Nancy: You know, in the old days, if a witch betrayed her coven, they would kill her. "Welcome to the witching hour." The Craft is another teen horror movie. It involves a trio of witches who take in a newcomer to their school as their fourth. Now they can become more powerful and shit can really start going down. I didn't like it and I can't really say that I really even care. The acting from Neve Campbell, Robin Tunney and Fairuza Balk is awful and at times painful to watch. I actually did enjoy Rachel True, but she was the only thing about this movie that I liked. The movie is full of talk of spells and theres little meetings where they sit in a circle and mumble. There's a scene where they do light as a feather, stiff as a board. The girls aren't really believable as witches; I mean what witch giggles after performing spells and shit. Hehehehe. It's truly a bad attempt at making a teen horror film. By the end, I was just glad it was over.

• Jeff "

  
  The Craft is in my opinion an overlooked teen horror film. A well crafted supernatural film dealing with witchcraft, The Craft is the type of film that either sex can enjoy. The film is directed with flair by Andrew Fleming., and his script co written with Peter Filardi is a good one.… More
  The Craft is in my opinion an overlooked teen horror film. A well crafted supernatural film dealing with witchcraft, The Craft is the type of film that either sex can enjoy. The film is directed with flair by Andrew Fleming., and his script co written with Peter Filardi is a good one. The Craft is one of the better films dealing with the supernatural and witchcraft in general, as I found Hocus Pocus to be irritating, this film isn't.Andrew Fleming's film is a mix of Horror, thrills, suspense and comedy that should appeal to anyone looking for a good occult oriented film. The cast is well chosen, but the best performance of all is Fairuza Balk, this along with American History X are her best films. She gives a unique, devilish performance and is the best of three other girls playing the witches. Not a flawless film of course, some parts of the film are somewhat cheesy, but for the most part, The Craft is a well crafted film that has a lot more good things going for it than bad. However the film feels like theres something missing and that there was room left for improvement. However this film is very entertaining, and like I said its an overlooked film, but if you manage to catch this film on TV or at the local video store, give it a viewing. Much better than most teen Horror films that came in the later half of the 90's.

• Chris W

  
  Good effects, decent performances, and a great atmosphere highlight this slick little horror tale about a contemorary coven of witches. If I'm not mistaken, this is probably the movie that brought the goth/Hot Topic scene into the mainstream. That's not a complete bad… More
  Good effects, decent performances, and a great atmosphere highlight this slick little horror tale about a contemorary coven of witches. If I'm not mistaken, this is probably the movie that brought the goth/Hot Topic scene into the mainstream. That's not a complete bad thing, and this movie didn't spawn millions of clones like slasher films tend to do. It's fun and stylish, and all togther pretty decent, but it probably works best as a cult classic.

• Wahida K

  
  The Craft is one the best teenie Occult Movies out there. I m glad there was no sequel. This will stay Original

• Anthony L

  
  Cult Goth chick flick! It?s ok but not brilliant

• Dean M

  
  A promising marvelous idea and good leading performances are frittered away in a standard special-effects marathon.

• Emily A

  
  The first time I saw this movie was at a slumber party in grade six and it scared the hell outta me. This is of course, hands down, Fairuza Balk's finest performance, but everyone else is great in this as well. There's something delicious about teenage girls using magic to… More
  The first time I saw this movie was at a slumber party in grade six and it scared the hell outta me. This is of course, hands down, Fairuza Balk's finest performance, but everyone else is great in this as well. There's something delicious about teenage girls using magic to raise the stakes of high school michigoss.

• Curtis L

  
  I love Fairuza Balk, and she is extra creepy in this film. Pretty neat witch movie.

• Keysha H

  
  Be honest..you know you watched this in school. And at your sleepover you got in a circle and tried to lift some girl with your index finger..admit it!

• moon r

  
  ooooohhh! spooky! it's girl witches! aaahhhhhh! never seen that before....NOT!

• Rachel F

  
  This is a great movie. It has a good, albeit twisted, storyline. It's worth watching.

• Sophie B

  
  great story and ok acting, but the graphics and effects could have been better. otherwise a good story.

• Candy R

  
  Teen flcik about witches in school.

• Lafe F

  
  Teenage witches! It's a lot of fun when they battle with their magic powers to lay curses on each other. I remember The Smiths' "How Soon Is Now" music in the trailer. It's a fun display of the girls' wickedness on each other, and good to see some of them… More
  Teenage witches! It's a lot of fun when they battle with their magic powers to lay curses on each other. I remember The Smiths' "How Soon Is Now" music in the trailer. It's a fun display of the girls' wickedness on each other, and good to see some of them getting what they deserve. To balance things out, one of the girl-witches is good.

• Dean !

  
  A pretty good film as some teenage girls discover they have some cool hidden powers.

• Dr Blood  

  
  Some great ideas but poorly realised. The only saving grace of this film is Fairuza Balk's performance as an evil little witch.

• xGary X

  
  A rather lightweight copycat of Heathers involving high school and magic in a very Buffy The Vampire Slayer kind of way. It takes itself far too seriously, and is probably only of interest to teenage goth wannabes.

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