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The Craft (1996)

A review by Damian Cannon.
Copyright © Movie Reviews UK 1997
A pseudo-mystical teenage tale that soon reveals its Hollywood roots, The Craft fails to imaginatively expand on some good ideas. When Sarah (Robin Tunney) is forced to move to Los Angeles, due to relocation by her father and stepmother, she's faced with the horrors of a new school. As expected, St. Benedict's Academy contains the usual array of misfits, none of whom make her at all welcome. However, when Sarah becomes bored during French and idly wills a pencil to stand on its point (without using her hands), Bonnie (Neve Campbell) notices. So bizarre is the feat, Bonnie rushes to tell her best friends Nancy (Fairuza Balk) and Rochelle (Rachel True). However, before they can approach Sarah she is waylaid by Chris (Skeet Ulrich), a typical jock who warns her that the three girls dressed all in black are popularly known as "the bitches of Eastwick". In fact they might even be witches so Sarah should avoid them (especially as he might be available instead)!

The trio are not to be denied though, now that Bonnie has convinced them that Sarah is the missing link in their coven (without her, their chanting doesn't actually achieve anything). Hence, they just happen to stroll by while Sarah is watching the football and manage to convince her that she should tag along while they visit a local shop dedicated to the art of magic (while simultaneously putting down Chris). The establishment presents an unusual sight, all flickering candles and arcane tomes, but it's only when the four have left that their combined power becomes apparent. On the street, Sarah bumps into a snake-carrying, wild-eyed vagrant (who's familiar because he turned up at her house), which leads to a chase and his demise under the wheels of a car. The strange thing is that they all wished for that particular accident at the same time, obviously causing it to happen.

Bound together by this secret and a shared destiny, the foursome start hanging out and practising magical rites in the woods. Drawing on the power of nature, Sarah wishes that Chris really liked her (rather than just spread derogatory rumours), Bonnie asks to be as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside and Rochelle wants to be able to love those who hate her for her colour. Nancy is more ambitious and decides to absorb all of the powers of Manon, the deity-figure who is all around. Almost immediately their spells take effect, with Chris becoming infatuated by Sarah, Bonnie's scars healing and Rochelle gaining revenge upon the school racist. The problem is Nancy, who's situation appears to be unchanged. However, this may only be because she asked for so much, giving her more power than her friends combined.

Packed full of adolescent angst, The Craft arms itself with a bunch of stereotypes and sets out to rehash the usual good vs evil storyline with a magical twist. The central characters are standard outcasts - Nancy is a white-trash victim, Bonnie a physically damaged individual and Rochelle the subject of unthinking racism. They slouch around in jet-black clothes and heavy eyeliner, dream of getting back at their classmates, yet get nowhere until Sarah appears. Being a "natural witch", she can empower them, find herself and still teach a few moral lessons (since natural is equivalent to environmentally friendly, Sarah can hardly be anything but good). The point is that these roles are only defined in terms of what is wrong with them, with how other people react to them, leaving no room for internal motivation or character development. The Craft doesn't waste time dealing with realistic people, just pop-video witches.

Handicapped by this lack of depth, the cast actually do a reasonable job of portraying teenage trauma (even if the dialogue that they mouth is barely adequate). Balk is by far the most intense performer, diving into a pool of paranoia and power-madness with gusto while still keeping the desperation of her childhood as a touchstone. The rest are just unmemorable and unresourceful, choosing to pick on each other when their supernatural powers allow them to do almost anything. The reason for this is, of course, that The Craft is really a moral tale, which explains the dumb magical constraints (how you always get back triple whatever you cast). All this does is make their spells self-serving and cuddly, with good magic being cast in the sure knowledge of handsome benefits.

With a movie like The Craft, the most gripping aspect is wondering just what it's trying to be (and thus, why it got made). It's far too serious to be a comedy or a satire, yet there are some humourous moments. On the other hand, the predictable and overblown Hollywood ending, where nothing makes sense, destroys any possible message. Even worse, despite some fine special effects, the film is never particularly horrific or shocking (the overly-trendy music detracts from any spooky atmosphere). All this leaves behind is a formulaic piece where everything turns out peachy in the end, with impressive effects being latched onto a weak story and stock characters. Not too surprisingly, this doesn't make for a memorable viewing experience.

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