User reviews

This is a very entertaining blend of supernatural thriller and teen movie. Sarah (played by Robin Tunney) is the new girl at a Catholic shool in Los Angeles where she meets a group of girls (Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell and Rachel True) who dabble in witchcraft. When Sarah joins the group they discover that they have genuine power and start using it to sort out their personal problems, until the group's leader Nacy (Balk) starts taking it too far.

The film is well-made and several shades darker than the average teen movie. The cast are all very good, especially Fairuza Balk who easily steals the film with her part.

The film's portrayal of witchcraft is a bit more interesting than the standard Hollywood portrayal, and it certainly doesn't represent it as essentially "evil", which makes a nice change. However, as always, this is Hollywood so many liberties will have been taken with genuine wiccan practices.

The film is worth a look, however. The only thing that lets it down is the overblown climax.

This movie was better than I expected. It's about a girl who moves and meets three girls at her new school, who seem to be practicing witchcraft... The movie certainly appealed to me, the acting was not bad, certainly Robin Tunney (who plays Veronica in "Prison Break") did a good job, but also Neve Campbell and Rachel True are acting alright. The only person of who I didn't like the acting, was Fairuza Balk. Her voice is (in this movie) not exactly the nicest voice to listen to. But she dóés have some good moments in this movie. Director Andrew Fleming, who's budget for The Craft wasn't so big, did a good job. The movie is -at least in the first half- a good combination between a thriller and a comedy, in the end, all the comedy disappears, the atmosphere darkens and we get a fairly exciting thriller. Some of the special effects are very good. The music was o.k., but (except for a few scenes) nothing more. If you have the chance to watch this, try it! The movie will certainly not appeal to everyone, the movie is more for teenagers and people in their early twenties, I think. Many older people won't appreciate this film so much. But everyone should give The Craft a try!

This film is nothing really special, and it telegraphs what is going to happen from miles away. The story is about four teen girls in a Catholic high school who are outcasts for different reasons - one lives in poverty with a semi-abusive stepfather, another has a scarred arm and back, another is the victim of boiler plate racism, and the fourth - well, I could never really figure out her problem other than she was the new girl in school.

They are all beautiful, but all are bullied by girls and gals who - IMHO - weren't as good looking as they were. So they dabble in witchcraft to get out of their bad situations. Only two actually wish bad things to happen to their tormentors. The other two just want their bad circumstances to be gone, and in one situation that results in unexpected and unwished for death. But, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and soon the leader of our gang of four is drunk with power.

Am I a bad person because I liked seeing the cool guy make a fool of himself in front of his friends over the girl he trash talked? Well, so be it. The film is mainly good for its special effects and for a look back at the teen stars of the 90s. Fairuza Balk is very good at playing a very bad girl. She has the exotic yet scary facial features for the role, but she couldn't have done anything with it without talent.

Three high school girls are dabbling in witchcraft, but their efforts are getting them nowhere. But then the new girl arrives, who seems to have a natural power. Together, they will walk the path of the witch, but some will take the safe route and others will walk towards the darkness. What will be unleashed, and will they be able to control it?

Having been in high school in the 90s, I was quite aware of the Wiccan craze that was going around, especially among the girls. I don't recall if it came about before or after this film, but they definitely knew what they were doing in constructing the plot and characters. Apparently, Fairuza Balk was a devoted Wiccan and contributed to the authenticity -- I would love to know her thoughts on that now.

Aside from Fairuza Balk, we can look back and see the early careers of Neve Campbell and Robin Tunney... even Christine Taylor, the future wife of Ben Stiller. I had no idea at the time they would blossom into big stars. That, and the soundtrack was rather popular, as well.

Some have compared this film to "Carrie", which I think is a great injustice. Yes, the film is a story of girls coming of age (despite being written and directed by men) and having magical abilities. But it's not much more similar than that. Carrie is an outcast and scared, while the girls here are powerful and puberty really is not a crucial part of the story at all.

I think this film deserves a resurgence: a fine story, good acting and impressive effects for the time. I would recommend it to anyone, and especially if you were a teenager in the 1990s. You may find the themes familiar: it's like "Clueless" for those of us who weren't quite so glamorous.

Despite the movie being as mid-90s as it is, the craft still surprisingly holds up really well today. Of course the main reason being just how well written and relatable our 4 lead characters are. They all come from backgrounds and struggles we all can relate to one way or another. Rather it being broken families, body self-consciousness, or even being bullied for racism. They have incredible chemistry together & can't deny you want to be part of this group. The Witchcraft element is played out very believable & we cheer to see our leads get their happiness. But as we all know sometimes great power can fall in the wrong hands. Cannot think of a better cast from that time period to play these roles. Robin Tunney, a pre-scream Neve Campbell, Rachel True, and of course Fairuza Balk's now iconic performance as the raunchy, sinister, & gorgeous Nancy Downs.

My only issue with the film is a couple of weak moments with character choices. First is the whole love spell storyline with Sarah and this bully named Chris. It doesn't seem clear if she actually really liked him or just wanted to play him for what he did. Also later in the film it doesn't make sense why two of the girls side with Nancy to attack Sarah. They even try to apologize at the end like nearly killing her was just a joke or something.

Despite those flaws the craft is an excellent time. Give it a watch and join the cult weirdo.

Fairuza Balk--as the leader of a group of teen witches--is such a commanding presence, it makes no sense for the filmmakers to try and pass her off as a high school misfit. She would have the kids at her beck and call, whether they liked it or not. Alas, her character is given supernatural powers and naturally she goes over-the-edge. I wanted to see this movie go in a different direction: watching this girl overcome her odds WITHOUT the witch-y powers. This is a formula thriller with no interest in character content or a plot that makes any sense. Its aim is to introduce several characters and quickly have them turn on each other, thus setting the stage for a special effects-induced showdown. Rather a waste, especially since the cast is so strong and the technical aspects so gripping. You come away from "The Craft" without much to chew on, except what went wrong and what possibilities were missed. ** from ****

Not a really new story about Witch Craft among girl friends but enough twists and surprizes and effects to rise above most. Very well done by all Especially Robin and Fairuza. Very Good effects. Good vs. Evil conflict really kept you in the movie. Great to see in a theater or on a big screen.

With a witchcraft theme and soundtrack that inspired the "Charmed" TV series, most notably with The Smiths cover of "How Soon Is Now?", this 90's teen flick is a bit of a guilty pleasure in essence.

Fairuza Balk played a convincing unhinged witch character and apparently she owned an occult store until 2001? Bit of nostalgia on my behalf, as I had a bit of crush on Neve Campbell at the time.

Still a better story than Twilight.

The great thing about The Craft is that it reminds me of those 80's horror movies I used to watch as a kid. It's got suspense and thrills, which so few horror films have had in recent years. I would recommend it to anyone. I can't find a thing wrong with this movie, rent it now, trust me you won't regret it

In Los Angeles, the teenager Sarah Bailey (Robin Tunney) has just arrived from San Francisco with her father Mr. Bailey (Cliff De Young) and her stepmother to live in an old house. When she goes to the Catholic high school, she is not well received by her schoolmates and has a crush on the football player Chris Hooker (Skeet Ulrich). He lures her and tells lies and gossips about their relationship. Soon the outcast Nancy Downs (Fairuza Balk), Bonnie Rachel (Neve Campbell) and Rochelle (Rachel True), who are known as witches, invite Sarah to join them. Nancy lives with her drunken mother and her boyfriend and hates him. Bonnie has awful burning scars on her back and has complex. Rochelle hates the racist Laura Lizzie (Christine Taylor), who despises her color and her hair. Sarah does not know that she is a powerful witch and when they form their coven, they become powerful and cast spells on their enemies. When Sarah feels that something is wrong with her friends, she meets the clairvoyant Lirio (Assumpta Serna) that tells that the spells may return three times stronger.

"The Craft" has not aged and is still good, despite twenty-five years after its release. The storyline and the screenplay are great and is fantastic to see Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell and Rachel True younger and very beautiful. The special effects are still good and it was wonderful to see this film again. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil):"Jovem Bruxas" ("Young Witches")

Movie not particularly brilliant but that manages to make you spend a couple of hours pleasantly.

This movie has several similarities to the " Charmed " series and I wonder if it somehow didn't influence it having been released 2 years earlier. It is also true that we are talking about a group of young witches there are not many possible variations on the theme.

An enjoyable piece of hokum - not exactly scary, or sexy, nor that memorable but enough of all three to make this potent and fun laced with wit to make it better than many 'High School misfits doing bad things' flicks.

The four 'witches' are individual enough to be moderately interesting and make tangible wannabe spell-makers. Fairuza Balk, as Nancy, whose moody pouting punky rebelliousness is particularly indignant and so, very watchable.

They find that whilst their spells sort out their immediate gratifications (revenge on boys, then each other) the downsides that come about get bad. Especially when things get way out of hand. Very bad.

Some neat effects and a great creepy and slimy creature finale leaves one satisfied, rather than spellbound.

I'm not sure why people hate this movie so much because its one of my faves of the 90's horror genre. I won't include much more but i think its super sick!!!!

God, it's bad. It's really bad. There were a few -like 3- good scenes, but overall, it's boring. Pointless. Stupid. And I'm saying this as a big fan of 80-90's horrors.

The craft is a much better than average teenage Wiccan thriller. It contains very good performances by all the actors, including Neve Campbell. The film has excellent special effects. And the plot summary is well constructed and a lot better than I expected. The main thing about this movie is that it is very entertaining and fun to watch. I love all the things that happen in the movie and especially the ending. The ending is very well constructed but I will not give it away you'll have to go see for yourself. A lot of teenage movies really don't have good acting performances but this is a big exception. I was extremely impressed and pleased with the casting and the execution by the Actors. All of the characters are so deep and well written too. the execution of the plot is so great in this film. And the movie also teaches a great lesson and drives a positive message for teenage audiences. Don't abuse your gifts, use them for good. 10/10 for The Craft. A really fun ride.

For an enjoyable night in, rent this movie about the strange foursome you find in every high school the world over. Takes a good look at how friendships are formed, and go wrong. Delves in to the danger of getting what you wish for and then wishing you hadn't. Moral of the story is to do as you would be done by, and keep looking over your shoulder to make sure your friends have the same philosophy.

It begins with troubled 17-year-old Sarah Bailey (Robin Tunney), a teenage girl who has previously attempted suicide , has just moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles with her father (Cliff De Young) and stepmother . She starts her senior year in a new school , as Sarah enrolls in a local Catholic high-school, St. Benedict's Academy , but has trouble fitting in. She witnesses her classmate Bonnie (Neve Campbell) telekinetically causing a pencil to rotate while standing on its tip . During lunch, Sarah is hit on by Chris (Skeet Ulrich) , the school's football star. She asks about Bonnie and her two friends Nancy (Fairuza Balk) and Rochelle (Rachel True). The three young girls have an edgy, weird and rebellious reputation at the school . Sarah takes up with the three rebel girls who like to dabble in witchery . These black magic women begin slinging spells at their uppity classmates , but they are in need of a fourth to complete their enpowered circle . The school is a hothouse full of resentment, hurt and conflict and the girls' experiments in spellcraft are regarded as deliciously dangerous excursions into adolescent self-discovery. To carry out the witchery they read the text of the book "Invocation of the Spirit" in the magic shop , it comes from "The Book of Ceremonial Magic" by Arthur Edward Waite, a well-known occultist. Welcome to the Witching Hour !.

A tale of supernatural L. A. high school jinks featuring three members of a teenage coven , then a newcomer arrives in the Catholic prep high school and they all soon conjure up various spells and curses against those who anger them. Works best when concentrating on the girls and their problems , but degenerates into special effects toward the end . There are some nice set-pieces , including a magical release of butterflies and a disturbing dream sequence , but the end opts disappointingly for standard horror house effects . With special mention for some scenes involved using over 3,000 snakes, including pythons, boas, water snakes, rat snakes, garter snakes, a 10-foot Amazon constrictor, and even rare albino snakes . There's a lot of rookie actress to be followed notorious cinematic careers , such as : Robin Tunney , Fairuza Balk , Neve Campbell , Rachel True, Christine Taylor . All of the very young actresses were in their twenties at the time of filming , even Rachel True was almost 30 years old. Holly Marie Combs had been cast for Bonnie/Neve Campbell role , but due to another cinematographic commitment she was replaced , but Holly would eventually star in Charmed (1998), the successful and extended TV series also about witches that bears remarkable resemblance to The Craft (1996) . And adding some young actors as Skeet Ulrich , Breckin Meyer and veteran ones as Cliff De Young , Assumpta Serna and Helen Shaver.

It displays a thrilling and suspenseful musical score by composer Graeme Revell . As well as colorful and evocative cinematography by Alexander Gruszynski . The motion picture was professionally directed by Andrew Fleming , though overlong and it has some flaws and gaps . Fleming is a fine craftsman known for The Craft (1996), Barefoot (2014) , Hamlet 2 (2008) and his first film was another decent terror film titled Bad Dreams (1988) . Rating : 5.5/10 , acceptable and passable. The pic will appeal to Robin Tunney , Fairuza Balk , Neve Campbell fans.