When you think of Halloween, a number of spooky frights come to mind, skeletons, ghosts and of course, witches. They are quintessential to the soul of the holiday and they've evolved throughout time. From the wide-brimmed hat wearing, broomstick flying cacklers to the modern day spell-slinging, monstrous old hags like in the recent film Weapons, they've been embedded in the holiday's cultural lexicon for as long as it has existed. The Craft takes the witch archetype and flips in on its head, a amalgamation of Mean Girls and Jennifer's Body, this quirky and chic high-school fairytale follows a new student Sarah (Robin Tunney) grappling with recently discovered telekinetic abilities, who is drawn to a growing coven of young witches looking for a fourth. These aren't your typical witches though, dressed in high fashion and out to make their detractors pay, these are cool witches. Bonnie (Neve Campbell), Rochelle (Rachel True), and their de facto leader Nancy (Fairuza Balk) aim to combine their powers to achieve rituals and take out some anger on their high school enemies, and Sarah is the perfect fit. As their power grows, and their rituals find success, the girls grow power hungry and cracks begin to appear in their tight knit crew.
There are so many things to appreciate about this film for Halloween and horror fans alike, the atmosphere is spectacular. It treats magic as a reality, the girls are confident in their abilities and the presence of them is proudly displayed throughout the film. The style, the vibes, the clothes are all perfectly late 90's and they fit the October vibes so well. It is buoyed by some sturdy performances with all four of the Craft girls giving the best versions of themselves. Robin Tunney is great as the lead, perfectly playing the girl next door turned powerful witch. It also reunites Skeet Ulrich and Neve Campbell, a duo every Scream fan will adore. The highlight performance of the film comes by way of Fairuka Balk as Nancy. She descends effortlessly into jealousy filled madness throughout the film, ending in a third act crescendo that is truly terrifying. The juxtaposition between Sarah and Nancy is a tightrope walk throughout that builds a rhythmic tension that explodes.
I think this film corners a unique market that merges coming of age, supernatural, and horror with a glossy chic finish. There is a meshing of genres but the overarching theme seems to be this depiction of female rage. Each girl has their own issues they are grappling with, parents abusing alcohol, self esteem issues, racism and bullying at school, and the desire to be wanted. They play on issues that are real and shared by viewers and then they relieve the issues with the expression of pure rage and revenge. It's a cathartic watch in many ways. In a world, particularly in the 90s, where women were just expected to accept their lack of power, they grab it back in so many ways with no apologies. I think it has a real punch behind it in ways that alot of horror films of this era lack and its perfect for a spooky season watch.