As the nights cool down and the veil between the living and the dead grows thinner and thinner, what better time to look at some wickedly cool witch movies, and thank the Dark Lord for their existence? From a little girl who calls on Satan to banish a teacher from the earth, to a witchy woman who makes the mistake of falling for a mortal, to an adulterous preacher who leads his followers into the fray after he is banished from the town for his crimes, it’s all here, in this list, every wonderfully sacrilegious example of devout worshippers of dark spirits on film, in this list. Look no further, for I have gathered for you all that you could ask for as you drop your supplies into your sacred cauldron and look for worthy witch movie titles to watch this fall season. Read on, revisit some classics, and hopefully discover a few new gems, in this collection of enchanting films, which are listed in no particular order, below.
Viy
When a seminary student named Khoma is first seduced and then taunted by a ghastly witch, he retaliates, and in the process, strikes her nearly to death. Panicked, he flees back home, but is soon called upon to say blessings over the body of a rich merchant’s dying girl – the same dying girl whose wounds Khoma inflicted himself just a few hours before. He prays over the witch’s body, for the next three nights, locked in a chapel with her corpse, and each night is worse than the last. Every evening the witch’s body walks around the chapel blindly, reaching for Khoma and calling his name. Khoma’s physical body is protected by a sacred chalk circle, but spiritually, he’s coming apart at the seams. The witch inches a little closer with the coming of each nightfall, and Khoma knows he’s doomed, but this is one curse he can’t escape, for he has already has his penance set in stone, and it was all set into motion the day he dared lash out against one of Satan’s afflicted children.
Eyes of Fire
Body swallowing soil, disappearing ancient forest dwellers, and a scattered downpour of raining skulls – all of this and more permeates every scene of the stunning period piece horror film Eyes of Fire. Revolving around a group of settlers who take off into the woods after their preacher is accused of adultery, this puritanical nightmare, beautifully captured by director Avery Crounse, gently melds together a compelling blend of fantasy and reality that slowly reels its viewers in until they, too, are engulfed in this strange world. It’s daring and it’s haunting, and everything a movie about 1700s witches should be.
Belladonna of Sadness
Originally released in West Germany in June of 1973, then restored and re-released in 2016, this trippy little animated Japanese revenge flick features some truly gorgeous watercolor paintings, a psychedelic rock fused score, and a heartbreaking tale about a poor girl who is horribly scorned. Abused and ejected from her village, the girl, Jeanne, only has one option left: she must give in to Satan’s sweet seductions and embrace a life of free sex, boundless limitations, and Paganism. As she tumbles down her dark rabbit hole of temptation and black magicks, the girl, now known as Belladonna, finds that less and less of her soul remains intact, as the Dark Lord’s influence spreads, and the witch completely takes over.
Race with the Devil
When two young couples embark on a cross country journey together with nothing but an RV underfoot and a relaxing dream of exploring the nation in mind, they believe what any young people setting out on a destination vacation would: that they are in for the trip of a lifetime. Little do they know, their exciting little excursion into unfamiliar terrain might be the last time any one of them is seen alive. Complete with devil worshippers, human sacrifice, and a written warning from witches caught in the act, the 1975 Peter Fonda and Warren Oats gem Race with the Devil is as riveting and wholly intense as it is eerily insistent on condemning gossiping gawkers to their irrevocable fate. This one isn’t to be missed.
Poison for the Fairies
Two little ten-year-old girls attend school together in Mexico City during the 1960s. One is named Flavia, and she is the wealthy newcomer to the town. The other is Veronica, and she is a witch. At least, that’s what she tells her newfound friend Flavia before she threatens to curse her with the devil’s wrath if she tattles to anyone. Victoria talks about Satan a lot, and of spells, and sticks her tongue out at crosses, and gathers supplies to poison fairies, who she claims despise witches. At first, it all seems like fun and games, but as their friendship blossoms, and Flavia begins to realize how wicked Veronica truly is, she suddenly doesn’t want to play anymore – but Veronica isn’t willing to let go of the newest member of her juvenile little coven just yet. Not only is it cool to see a movie with such young actresses portraying wiccans, but this film does a terrific job of toying with the viewers’ perception of Veronica, leaving it up to debate whether or not she really is a witch well through the end of the feature.
Bell Book and Candle
Released the same year and only a few months later than Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, this charming little riff on the dangers of an enchantress falling in love with an everyday plain old human male sees Kim Novak and Jimmy Stewart paired up yet again in a romance that’s just as endearing as their time together onscreen before, although this time, their love is fueled by magic – literally. When talented witch Gillian Holroyd (Novak) sees something she wants, she takes it, but when she places a love spell on newly engaged bachelor Shepherd Henderson (Stewart), she’s shocked to learn that her lovesick spellbound puppy’s feelings are not unrequited. For the first time in her life, she’s fallen in love, and isn’t it just her luck, it happens to be with a mortal. She’s been meddling with dark forces her entire life, but now, Gil will find that there’s no potion that can fix a broken heart.
Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages
Originally intended as a documentary about the origin of witch hunts and superstitions of witches, Benjamin Christensen’s 1922 silent film Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages details the accounts of pointed fingers that led to events like the Salem Witch Trials through such disturbing dramatic reenactments (especially for the 1920s time period in which it was released) that it comes across as more of a German expressionist horror film than a historical retelling of true events. Aside from the delightfully blasphemous depictions of graphic nudity and ancient torture tactics, it’s just downright impressive how well made this movie is, considering the era that it came out in, and the restrictions that director Chirstensen had to overcome.
Black Sunday
One of director Mario Bava’s best, Black Sunday is a merciless and very honest depiction of the Salem Witch Trials, and a unique and heavily atmospheric take on a witch’s curse as it lives on through the centuries. Starring Barbara Steele as the wronged woman first executed and then brought back from the dead, this princess seeks vengeance on those who tortured her until her final breath, but she doesn’t mind leaving some bodies in her wake along the way. This witch comes back to life slowly, piece by piece, as each body she drains fills her bare bones more and more, until she is nearly human again. Once she is fully revitalized, will any living mortal be able to stop her path of destruction? It’s unlikely, but it sure is fun to watch them try.
I Married a Witch
Just as the TV sitcom Bewitched proved, a show that was actually partially inspired by this 1942 gem, when a witch falls in love with a mortal, the results can be pretty damn hilarious. Starring old Hollywood icon Veronica Lake, I Married a Witch follows the story of Jennifer the witch, and her warlock father Daniel, as they seek vengeance upon Wallace Wooley, a descendent of the man who burned them both at the stake back in 1672. Now, in the present day 1940s setting, Veronica hopes to bring misery and suffering to the newest member of the Wallace clan by placing Wally under a love spell, but what she didn’t plan on was falling in love with the man whom she had been conditioned to hate.
The Brotherhood of Satan
It was supposed to be a simple trip to grandmother’s house to celebrate their daughter’s birthday, but this family just stumbled through the wrong town, and they’ll pay dearly for their mistake. This group is accidentally drawn into a small town’s Satanic activity after their car breaks down and they are forced to reside in those houses, the ones where people keep mysteriously dying choking to death without any sign of an intruder, leading them to believe more and more than spiritual or supernatural forces may be at work. Could it be that they are at the mercy of the unholy practice of witchcraft? And what are they to make of it when all the town children go missing, including their very own daughter? Can they put a stop to the sorcery and save their kin, or are they doomed to succumb to the evil wrath of those magical beings who draw their powers from the Prince of Darkness? Only time will tell in this wicked little special feature, where the elderly are to be feared, and they children are only a pawn in their sick games.
The Witch
Cast out into the wilderness after the man of the house, William, calls the town’s clergy into question, this frazzled little family made up of New England settlers has no choice but to set up camp outside of the safety of the plantation’s walls, out yonder in dangerous territory, nearly where the witch of the wood supposedly resides. Once their crops start mysteriously dying and their children go missing, one by one the family begins pointing their fingers, first at each other, and then mainly at their teenage daughter Thomasin. A young woman entering adulthood while simultaneously discovering her own sexuality, Thomasin is the perfect scapegoat for her family’s ill will, even though she’s not the one causing their misfortune – or is she?
The Blood on Satan’s Claw
Linda Hayden’s ultra sultry portrayal of the dangerously charming Angel Blake is reason enough to see this movie, but there’s much more to love in the highly underrated and vastly underseen Blood on Satan’s Claw. Set in seventeenth century England, this film tells the story of a group of local village children who go against their preachers’ teachings, and flock to the warm embrace of Satan. Once they have converted to become a follower of the Dark Lord, they bear a mark; a a patch of fur somewhere on their bodies, that signifies their newfound alliance, otherwise known as the skin of Satan. Their devious antics are downright malevolent, but it is admittedly entertaining watching them play the innocent child card and get away with their crimes.
The Crucible
Abigail Williams has always been a naughty child, but when she falls for married man John Proctor and he refuses to leave his wife after their brief encounter, Abby will do anything to claim him as her own, even if that means resorting to sorcery. Based on the play by Arthur Miller, Nicholas Hyther’s The Crucible is made powerful by its two leads performances, Winona Ryder as the deranged and selfish little Abigail, and the always impressive Daniel Day Lewis as the guilt ridden man searching for his morality Mr. Proctor. This film is not only a well adapted version of Miller’s original commentary on black listing during the Red Scare, but also serves as a unique reversal of perspective on the usual witch tropes in film, and shows how some women (and people in general) could use the witch hunt of Salem to push their own personal agendas into the spotlight.
