Looking for a new Halloween [1] movie to stream with the kiddos? You're in luck, because a remake of The Witches is premiering on HBO Max [2], and it might be better than the 1990 version. Based on the classic Roald Dahl book, The Witches stars Anne Hathaway [3] as the Grand High Witch, a mean-spirited mystical woman who absolutely despises children.
The story follows a boy named Charlie (Jahzir Bruno) who goes to live with his grandmother (Octavia Spencer) following his parents' deaths. After being confronted by a witch in the grocery store, Charlie and his grandmother go on a trip — which takes them to a fancy hotel — to escape the evil witches. Unfortunately, once they arrive at their destination, they quickly learn there are a lot more witches in existence than they thought!
A fun new tribute to the 1983 novel, The Witches illustrates how kids can work together to solve problems big and small. However, while the movie is rated PG and destined to be a surefire hit in your home, there are some scary parts that parents should be aware of before streaming the flick on Oct. 22. Keep reading to learn more.
The opening scene details the car crash that kills Charlie's parents.
The opening scene of The Witches shows how Charlie lost both of his parents in a car accident because they weren't wearing their seat belts. Although there aren't any dramatic scenes that depict the car accident in detail, it may be triggering for little ones who have been in a car accident before. It also may prompt a family discussion about car safety and the importance of wearing a seat belt.
You see mice and rats throughout the film.
Parents who have squeamish little ones should be aware that just like in the book and original film, Charlie gets turned into a mouse. While Charlie and his newfound friends are actually very cute, the mean-looking rats that crop up toward the end of the film are not, so keep an eye out for those!
The witches are pretty scary.
If you were terrified of the 1990 rendition of the The Witches, buckle up, because the women in this coven can be terrifying, too.
Anne Hathaway [5] makes a pretty dang convincing witch and has some interesting features that go along with it. She has missing fingers and cloven hooves, her mouth expands to double its size, and in a few scenes, she quite literally bares her sharp teeth. Sometimes the special effects are just too good! Like in the 1990 version, all of the witches have bald heads sporting painful-looking red patches, except this time, it's much more amplified for an extra scare factor.
One scene to look out for in particular is the witches' meeting beginning at the 38-minute mark: we get a look at the Grand High Witch's true intentions — to turn every child into a mouse using a sinister-looking potion — and it may be scary for young viewers.
While the meeting scene starts out pleasant enough, the situation escalates very quickly — think screaming, hissing, and monster imagery — once the Grand High Witch starts to describe her master plan, so feel free to fast forward if it's too much!