Blessed be, it’s witching season!

With our Northern Hemisphere witchy friends nearing Samhain, or Halloween as most people know it, I thought it was time to share my all time go-to favourites witch movies and tv shows. Now, you’ll notice that some classics have been left off this list. Don’t fret – as someone who identifies as a bit witchy, this list is my personal favourite of movies and tv shows that I feel depicts witches and witchcraft as a strong, empowering extension of womanhood (not just the premise of a horror movie), is entertaining and magical to watch or just has some killer witch aesthetic (hello, the Craft!).

1. Practical Magic (1998)

Who else remembers the iconic midnight margarita scene? You put a lime in the coconut, you drank em bot up.

Based on the novel Practical Magic written by Alice Hoffman, the story follows the Owen sisters Gillian and Sally who lost their parents in a tragic accident when they were younger and were brought up by their eclectic and super witchy aunts, Aunt Frances and Aunt Jet. Unfortunately, the women of the Owen family have all been cursed by a witch centuries ago and all the men they fall in love with all wind up having untimely deaths (ugh, never piss off a witch y’all). Now the Owen sisters must come together to break this curse and live happily ever after. Oh, and one may have buried her ex abusive boyfriend who is causing a bit of drama – but no spoilers!

I’m a HUGE Sandra Bullock fan, so this movie holds an extra special place in my fangirl heart.

2. Hocus Pocus (1993)

Ah, the Sanderson Sisters. The most iconic and OG witchy trio to grace our screens.

Set in modern day Salem, Massachusetts (yep, that Salem), 300-year old witchy sisters – Winifred, Sarah and Mary Sanderson – are resurrected on Halloween night after the cursed Candle of Black Flame is lit. Naturally, the ladies were a little bit upset at having been cursed for a few centuries and start to exact revenge on the town. Again, don’t make witches angry y’all!

This is one of my all time favourite witch movies! It’s a Disney film, so naturally it’s not going to be scary and everyone (well sort of) live happily ever after. What this flick does have is a stellar witch vibe, a memorable rendition of ‘I put a spell on you’ (which to this day is my fave!) and Bette Midler (hello!).

3. The Craft (1996)

The fashion, dark lipstick and badassary that is the Craft puts this at my third favourite witchy film – though I’ll admit when I was younger a few scenes did freak me out (ok, they still do).

The Craft is classified as a horror movie but it’s not blood and gore like other witch themed horror movies. The story follows four teenage witches as they use their craft for personal gain – any witch knows this is an absolute no no. It’s not long before they start to have negative experiences as witch karma starts to punish them for taking advantage of their powers.

This is the first film I watched where the witch aesthetic was grungy, modern and cool. I’ve always been a bit of a rocker so I absolutely vibed the aesthetic in the movie.

4. The Discovery of Witches TV Series (1 Season with 2 & 3 in the works!)

There’s nothing I love more than a book series turned into a TV series (hello Outlander!).

The TV series is based on the Deborah Harkness All Souls trilogy and follows the story of a Diana Bishop, a gorgeous and very intelligent historian who also just so happens to be a descendant of the very powerful Bishop witches (witchy fact: Bridget Bishop was the very first person executed during the Salem witch trials in 1692 so it’s not surprising that in a lot of TV shows or movies that have witches in it also have at least one female with the surname Bishop).

While in the Oxford library doing some research (because don’t forget she is a badass historian!), Diana unwittingly calls up a powerful book that puts magical wheels in motion and changes the course of her life.

I absolutely fell in love with the books and the romance between Matthew and Diana – give me a brooding tall, dark and handsome vampire (sorry Twilight fans, no glitterati vampires here) and a gorgeous, intelligent and strong af witchy woman in a passionate love affair any👏day👏of👏the👏week!

Season two and three are apparently in the works and my witchy self can’t wait!

5. Witches of East End TV Series (2 Seasons)

Another TV series based on a book series, the Witches of East End follows the lives of the Beauchamp witches – a mother, two daughters and aunt who must overcome the evil in the world together.

The show doesn’t follow the book as closely as other TV shows, with one major difference in the TV series is that Beauchamp daughters Freya and Ingrid aren’t initially aware of their witchy powers and the first season follows them as they start to uncover their magical past lives.

This series is great for an easy after work watch fest with a tasty glass of red wine.

5. Charmed TV Series (8 Seasons)

Ah Charmed, every 90’s and early noughties teenage girls witchy awakening TV series. I absolutely LOVE everything about this show (and I’m talking about the original Charmed and not the reboot).

The shows follows the lives of the Halliwell sisters, Phoebe, Piper and Pru (and in the later seasons there is another sister that pops up, but that’s enough spoiler alerts) as they fight against the powers of evil. We watch as they fall in and out of love (I will forever be attached to Piper and Leo’s love story), as they grow into independent and strong women and use the power of sisterhood (and womanhood) to overcome the demons of this world using the iconic the power of three will set you free (basically, they were stronger as a team than as they were separately and I don’t know what better symbolises womanhood and feminism – we’re stronger when we stick together. But I digress).

So if you want to take a walk down memory lane, I’m pretty sure Stan has the complete series available for Aussie viewers.

5. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Season 1 -2)

I grew up watching Sabrina, the Teenage Witch – and I’m not going to lie, I much prefer this darker take on this childhood TV show and comic book series. The fashion aesthetic is to👏 die 👏for👏 (I wish I could pull it off) and the dark humour is something I also thoroughly enjoy.

The show follows Sabrina Spellman, a half-human half-witch teenager who just also happens to be the spawn of Satan (no biggie) who lives with her Aunties, Zelda and Hilda and cousin Ambrose. Being the child of Satan and a half magical being, she must decide which path she will follow – be a human or be a witch – whilst also fighting off the evil forces that try to doom humanity and continue to get good grades at school.

The target audience is definitely your tween – young adult, but I’m not embarrassed to say as a 34 year old I thoroughly enjoyed the series – it’s easy viewing, the fashion is awesome, the makeup and dark lips (if only!) and there’s even some decor inspo in there (gosh, this is how I know I’m really old!). Sadly, the series was canned by Netflix in July 2020 but apparently the last few episodes will be released December 2020.

What witchy shows and movies do you watch around Samhain or Halloween?

Much love,
Lara X

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