It's that time of year again: Everyone's looking for the spookiest movies to watch in the lead-up to Halloween. Undoubtedly, there are already countless options available for audiences, whether one is looking for something bone-chillingly terrifying or a bit more subdued. Young streamer HBO Max is ready to supply a brand new entry to the latter category with The Witches, the newest adaptation of Roald Dahl's 1983 children's novel. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, this new iteration of The Witches remains largely similar to the source material (save for a major location change), which means it maintains some pretty dark elements. Colorful and faithful, The Witches will surely enchant and frighten young viewers, though their parents might wish for more padding within the story.
In the biggest alteration from Dahl's novel, The Witches is set in 1960s Alabama. Our young unnamed protagonist (Jahzir Kadeem Bruno) is sent to live with his grandmother (Octavia Spencer) after a car accident kills his parents. The Boy takes to life with his grandmother fairly well, but an interaction with a mysterious woman at the store opens the Boy's eyes to the existence of witches. The Grandmother whisks the Boy away to a seaside hotel to escape the witches, but this move proves to be a mistake when they arrive at the same time as the yearly witch conference hosted by the Grand High Witch (Anne Hathaway). The witches' goal: To turn every child in the world into a mouse so others will exterminate them. It isn't long before the Boy and his new friend Bruno (Codie-Lei Eastick) get caught up in the witches' nefarious plan.
When it comes to a film called The Witches, one expects a lot of the titular characters. Those who have read Dahl's novel (or have seen the 1990 film) will know these witches have some very specific physical attributes, and the film does not shy away from them, making for plenty of memorable visuals. Striking a particular cord is the way Hathaway's Grand High Witch has a smile that stretches far wider than any smile should; it calls to mind IT's Pennywise in a rather unsettling way. Less effective, however, is Hathaway's accent; it's hard to pin down exactly what it's supposed to be, and at times, it can even be unintelligible.
Credit where credit is due, though: Hathaway truly commits to the campiness of the Grand High Witch. Whether it's by shouting toward the rafters or dropping down to a menacing murmur, Hathaway gives a larger than life performance that's easily the most entertaining part of The Witches. Kids may very well find themselves cowering in fright when she's at her most intimidating, though the effect is certainly helped by her unnerving appearance. Beyond Hathaway, the always-excellent Spencer makes for a grandmother that's both kindhearted and unflinching in the face of absolute evil, and Chris Rock is an effective narrator who could've been used a bit more. The two child performers, Bruno and Eastick, are both charming and adorable, though poor Eastick is too often saddled with jokes about his appetite and body shape.
The Witches is a faithful adaptation, and that is its biggest shortcoming. By sticking very closely to the original plot, Zemeckis (along with his impressive co-writers Guillermo del Toro and Kenya Barris) has crafted a film that's rather light. The Boy, his grandmother, and his friends face few obstacles, save for the very real plight of being turned into a mouse. As a result, once the Grand High Witch and her full coven enter the picture, The Witches flies by. For children with short attention spans, this works in its favor, but seeing as this is already the second feature film adaptation of The Witches, the movie may have benefitted if a bit more plot was added in.
The Witches is certainly bolstered by its performances and visuals (which is to be expected of a Zemeckis production), and while its speedy story will win over young audiences, it could've reached new heights had Zemeckis, del Toro, and Barris dared to add a bit more padding. Even the biggest change - setting it in Alabama in the 60s - doesn't do much to affect the overall story. The Witches can charm fans of the source material, but it ultimately doesn't offer anything new.
The Witches begins streaming on HBO Max Thursday, October 22. It is 104 minutes long and rated PG for scary images/moments, languages and thematic elements.
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