What is The Craft?

A Catholic school newcomer falls in with a clique of teen witches who wield their powers against all who dare to cross them — be they meddlesome parents, teachers, or rivals. The Craft is directed by Andrew Fleming and stars Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, and Rachel True.

I love witches. There’s just something authenticity cool about witches. So cool in fact, growing up I wanted to be one. I still would like to be if it were an option, but sadly it’s not. Instead, I live vicariously through the witches I see on the television screen. And the witches in The Craft are some of the best ones I have ever seen on screen. I love The Craft because I love the witches and I love the witches because I love how human they all are. What The Craft does a great job at is making the four leads relatable to the viewers. It would be one thing if the characters were underworldly and characters we’re supposed to fond over, but they’re not. They are normal teenage girls who want to be with us which like I said before is something that I can relate to. So throughout the movie, I am constantly rooting for them even if I recognize some of the terrible things that they’re doing in the process of trying to get what they want. They are flawed individuals and they’re what make The Craft such a captivating film to watch.

I can almost bet that I wouldn’t have liked The Craft if it was solely about the witches becoming witches. I wouldn’t have connected so deeply with characters if I hadn’t seen them their very human struggles. They are the heart of the film something that will never age with time unlike some other aspects of the film. I think The Craft is great, but it’s fair to say that that it’s a product of its time. I know that there’s a lot I would change about it if I were to make it today. Oh wait, it is being remade just not by me. I don’t know how good or bad the remake/reboot/sequel is going to be, but there’s definitely some room for improvement in fixing some mistakes of the original. None of the problems of The Craft ruin the movie at least for me it doesn’t, but it would be nice to see a version of the film that didn’t make some parts of the film tough to watch especially the last act of the film.

Despite the problems that The Craft may have, I maintained it is a great film for giving women leading roles and giving them the power instead of being damsels in distress. Not only that but also humanizing witches in the process. The Craft easily could have the leads be the evil witches as stereotypes have perpetuated over the decades, but The Craft makes the witches human. They are flawed and do terrible things, but they aren’t the evil witches you grew up reading about and that’s something I will always appreciate about The Craft. It didn’t take the easy way out when writing the characters. They aren’t stereotypes. They aren’t victims. They aren’t villains. They are flawed teenage girls who want to be witches. I’m glad someone saw a story that could be told from their viewpoints because what a viewpoint it is! I hope The Craft’s remake/reboot/sequel is able to correct the mistakes of the first one while also keeping the magic of the original (yes, pun completely intended).