Fans Of ‘Practical Magic’ Should Add These 10 Witchy Favorites To Their Watchlist
‘Practical Magic’ has aged into something closer to a cult classic than the modest box office performer it was back in 1998, and its pull on audiences shows no sign of fading. When the film was released, it wasn’t exactly considered a classic, drawing harsh reviews from critics who found its tonal shifts jarring and failing to recoup its seventy five million dollar budget at the box office. Its popularity has grown so much since then that a sequel with both Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock returning is slated for release in 2026.
With the Owens sisters back in the cultural conversation, it feels like the right moment to revisit the wider world of witchy cinema that shares the same spirit of family, romance, and gentle supernatural mischief. The ten films below cover nearly seven decades of witchcraft on screen, from black and white comedy to animated coming of age stories, and each one offers a different angle on the same enduring appeal.
The Craft
This 1996 supernatural horror film follows a group of four outcast teenage girls at a fictional Los Angeles parochial high school who pursue witchcraft for their own gain but soon encounter negative repercussions. It was a surprise hit, earning millions in its opening weekend against a modest budget, and the film has since gained a devoted cult following. The mix of teenage angst and genuine consequence gives it a darker edge than ‘Practical Magic’, but the sisterhood at its center feels familiar.
The Witches of Eastwick
Three dissatisfied women living in the picturesque town of Eastwick, Rhode Island, form an informal coven, and the arrival of a mysterious man who starts courting them marks the beginning of a back and forth between him and the three women. The film was a box office success and received mixed to positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances especially from Jack Nicholson, though they criticized the story. It trades cottagecore charm for something more devilish, but the female camaraderie is unmistakable.
Hocus Pocus
This 1993 comedy follows a trio of witches who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy in Salem, Massachusetts, on Halloween night. The movie performed well in theaters where it grossed just over fifty three million dollars, and after its home video release it developed a lasting cult following. Anyone drawn to the seasonal, small town witchcraft of ‘Practical Magic’ will find a lot to enjoy here.
Chocolat
This film follows a free spirited woman who arrives with her young daughter in a tightly wound French village and opens a chocolate shop, and it received five nominations at the Academy Awards including Best Picture. There are no literal spells in ‘Chocolat’, but the story treats an outsider woman’s quiet influence over a suspicious community as its own kind of magic, echoing the Owens family’s relationship with their neighbors.
Bell, Book and Candle
Released in 1958, this film presents witchcraft as a totally modern, metropolitan concept rather than a medieval one, making it an important forbearer for ‘Practical Magic’ and a major influence behind the television series ‘Bewitched.’ It swaps small town New England for Manhattan, but the idea of a witch trying to live an ordinary life among non magical neighbors carries straight through to the Owens sisters decades later.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
During the Blitz in World War Two, a witch in training takes charge of three young orphans, and together with a professor they hop aboard a flying bed and travel to an enchanted land, with the film boasting Oscar nominated art direction and costume design. It leans more toward family adventure than romance, but the blend of everyday domesticity and fantastical spellcraft is very much in the same tradition.
The Love Witch
Samantha Robinson plays Elaine, a witch who uses her powers to find the perfect man but is consistently disappointed with the results, in a highly stylized and darkly comic film shot on thirty five millimeter and designed to look like classic pulp films of the 1960s. It is a stranger, more stylized watch than ‘Practical Magic’, but its interest in love spells gone wrong shares real DNA with the Owens curse.
The Lords of Salem
While ‘Practical Magic’ is deeply informed by the history of the Salem Witch Trials, this film takes a much darker tone in looking at that legacy, with the terror and violence of that period of history feeling all too immediate. It is the most horror forward pick on this list, best suited to viewers who want the historical witch trial backdrop without the romantic comedy softening.
Kiki’s Delivery Service
This Studio Ghibli film follows a young witch finding her purpose and destiny in a tender coming of age story, complete with a delightful black cat sidekick that contributes to its thematic relevance. The gentle, cottagecore atmosphere makes it one of the coziest entries here, closely aligned with the comforting tone that has kept ‘Practical Magic’ in rotation every autumn.
Teen Witch
This beloved cult classic from the 1980s follows a high school misfit named Louise Miller who discovers she possesses extraordinary supernatural powers on her sixteenth birthday, and with the help of her best friend she navigates crushes, cliques, and a magical transformation. It is lighter and more overtly comedic than ‘Practical Magic’, but the idea of ordinary teenage life colliding with inherited magic will feel instantly recognizable to Owens sisters fans.
With ‘Practical Magic 2’ on the way and Kidman and Bullock set to return as Sally and Gillian, which of these witchy predecessors do you think holds up best against the original, and which one are you most tempted to revisit before the sequel arrives.
