Anna Biller's The Love Witch is a unique cinematic experience, a meticulously crafted homage to 1960s Technicolor melodramas and horror films. It centers on Elaine, a beautiful young witch who uses spells and potions to make men fall in love with her, with often disastrous and deadly results.

The film is visually stunning, with vibrant colors, elaborate sets, and costumes that perfectly capture the style of classic Hollywood. It explores themes of female fantasy, male insecurity, and the dark side of romantic obsession through a lens of dark comedy and feminist commentary. While not overtly 'demonic' in the traditional sense, Elaine's casual use of powerful magic and disregard for the consequences gives her a chilling, self-serving darkness.

Starring Vin Diesel as an immortal witch hunter named Kaulder, this action-fantasy film delves into a hidden world where witches live among us and pose a constant threat. Kaulder, cursed with immortality by the Witch Queen centuries ago, is the only one capable of keeping the balance.

The film features large-scale action sequences and impressive visual effects bringing various types of witches and their powers to life. It builds a mythology around witch covens and their connection to a powerful, ancient evil. While focusing heavily on the action hero, it provides glimpses into a secret war against dark magic and those who wield it for destructive purposes.

This found-footage phenomenon revolutionized horror with its raw, unsettling realism. The film follows three student filmmakers who venture into the woods of Maryland to document the legend of the Blair Witch, only to become hopelessly lost and terrorized by an unseen entity.

The horror here is psychological, relying on suggestion, sound, and the characters' escalating fear and disorientation. The witch herself is never explicitly shown, becoming a pervasive, terrifying force through sounds, stick figures, and the sheer dread she inspires. It's a masterclass in building suspense and playing on primal fears of being lost and hunted in the wilderness, proving that what you don't see can be far scarier than what you do.

A beloved Halloween staple, Hocus Pocus brings back the Sanderson sisters, three ancient witches accidentally resurrected in Salem, Massachusetts, on Halloween night. Played with scene-stealing glee by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, these witches are determined to regain their youth by consuming the souls of children.

The film is a fun, family-friendly adventure with a spooky twist. While the witches are undeniably evil in their goals, their antics and comedic timing make them incredibly entertaining villains. It's packed with catchy songs, goofy humor, and nostalgic Halloween charm. A perfect watch for getting into the holiday spirit, proving that even ancient evil can be hilariously inept.

Based on the classic Roald Dahl novel, this adaptation produced by Jim Henson is a delightfully creepy children's fantasy film. It follows a young boy who stumbles upon a convention of witches while on holiday, only to discover their sinister plot to turn all the children in England into mice.

Anjelica Huston gives an iconic performance as the Grand High Witch, a truly terrifying villain brought to life with incredible practical effects by the Jim Henson Creature Shop. The film balances genuine scares with moments of humor and wonder, creating a unique tone that is both frightening and enchanting. It's a testament to the power of practical effects and a faithful, albeit darker, adaptation of Dahl's work.

A quintessential '90s cult classic, The Craft explores teenage angst and the allure of power through witchcraft. When a new student arrives at a Catholic prep school, she falls in with three outcast girls who are dabbling in the dark arts. Together, they form a coven and begin to use magic to solve their problems and exact revenge.

The film touches on themes of bullying, self-acceptance, and the corrupting influence of power. While it starts with relatively innocent spells, the girls soon delve into darker, more dangerous magic, leading to escalating conflict and terrifying consequences. It's a fun, gothic-tinged ride that remains popular for its exploration of female friendship and the darker side of wishing things were different.

This darkly comedic fantasy horror brings together a powerhouse cast – Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer, Susan Sarandon, and Jack Nicholson – in a tale of three small-town women who inadvertently summon the devil himself. As their powers grow, they engage in a battle of wits and wills with the charmingly wicked Daryl Van Horne.

The film cleverly blends supernatural elements with themes of female empowerment and societal repression. Nicholson is absolutely magnetic as the devilish figure, while the three leads have fantastic chemistry as they navigate their newfound abilities and the chaos he brings. It's a fun, stylish, and surprisingly edgy film about what happens when you get exactly what you wished for, especially when your wish involves a deal with the ultimate trickster.

Dario Argento's giallo masterpiece is a sensory overload of color, sound, and pure dread. Set in a prestigious German dance academy, the film follows an American student who discovers the school is a front for a coven of powerful, ancient witches.

The film is renowned for its stunning, hyper-stylized cinematography, using bold primary colors (especially blood-red) to create a dreamlike, nightmarish quality. The iconic score by Goblin is just as crucial, a pulsing, unnerving soundscape that ratchets up the tension. It's a film where atmosphere and visceral horror take precedence over plot, creating a truly unique and terrifying experience about hidden, ancient evils lurking beneath a veneer of respectability.

Rob Zombie takes us on a nightmarish trip to Salem, Massachusetts, where a radio DJ (played by the always captivating Sheri Moon Zombie) receives a mysterious record that awakens a coven of ancient, malevolent witches. This film is a deep dive into occult horror, drenched in Zombie's signature gritty, surreal aesthetic.

It's less concerned with narrative logic and more with creating a disturbing, hallucinatory atmosphere filled with unsettling imagery and grotesque characters. The film draws heavily on historical witch trial paranoia and urban legends, twisting them into a modern tale of generational curses and demonic influence. It's a divisive film, but for those who appreciate atmospheric, art-house horror with a strong focus on the terrifying power of ancient evil, it's a must-see.

Robert Eggers' directorial debut is a chilling descent into 17th-century New England paranoia. This isn't your typical jump-scare horror; it's a slow-burn folk tale steeped in historical dread and religious fervor. The film meticulously recreates the language and atmosphere of the era, making the family's isolation and fear palpable.

Anya Taylor-Joy gives a breakout performance as Thomasin, navigating accusations and terrifying events that blur the lines between psychological breakdown and genuine supernatural evil. The score, utilizing dissonant sounds and choral chants, ratchets up the tension relentlessly. It's a film that asks whether the true monster is the entity in the woods or the fear and judgment within the community itself. A truly unsettling and powerful experience.