The Witches [2020]

Even Octavia Spencer couldn’t save The Witches from being another useless and easily forgettable adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1983 novel.

To be honest, I couldn’t even tell what director Robert Zemeckis was getting at. It is not scary, not silly, not topical. And least of all entertaining. Thing is that the movie should have worked. However, there’s a lack of overall magic, either of the twisted or charming type.

What’s even surprising is that the movie hosts a powerful trio. Sadly, for some reason, Anne Hathaway‘s Grand High Witch was boring and flat. On the other hand, Octavia Spencer playing Grandma was great, but it’s obvious that she was weighed down by a poor script and direction. Third and not least is Mr Stanley Tucci. His character’s main issue is being a supporting role instead of letting Tucci do what he does best: Steal the show.

If anything, this movie is yet another example of how a film can end up being so much less than the sum of its parts. It is an underwhelming adaptation that looks outstanding yet feels unnecessary except to generate content for the streaming platforms.

Should you watch it?

It is, broadly speaking, an enjoyable movie. “Broadly” is the keyword here. I really cringed at the first half of the movie. However, the second half was OKAY.

Where can I watch it?

The Witches is now streaming on HBO Max in USA and Crave in Canada.