Whether old or young, ugly or beautiful, even male or female, there’s just something about witches that terrifies us to the core. Perhaps it’s their reputation for throwing human body parts into bubbling cauldrons; maybe it’s their alleged pacts with Satan. While plenty of “good witches” have graced the silver screens, we’ll always have a special place in our dark hearts for the evil ones.
So get out your broomstick and black hat, and settle in for a night of terror with these nine bone-chilling witch movies.
1. The Witches (1990)
- Photo Credit: Still from The Witches via Lorimar Film Entertainment
The Witches is one of those movies you probably saw as a kid, despite the fact that it’s totally not suitable for children. In this highly creepy adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl novel, a young boy and his grandmother must stop an evil hoard of witches from turning all the world’s children into mice. This might seem like a silly plot line, but these witches are not playing around. They’re bald, toeless, purpled-eyed, and completely menacing. One look at the Grand High Witch—played by Angelica Huston—without her human mask on (see above) and you won’t be able to sleep for weeks.
2. Håxan (1922)
- Photo Credit: Still from Håxan via Aljosha Production Company
This Scandinavian silent film from the 1920s purported to be a documentary on the superstition and paranoia that led to accusations of witchcraft. The abundance of “dramatic reenactment” scenes, though, complete with demons, witches, and even Satan himself—played by the film’s director—makes for a horrifying watch. What’s more: Håxan’s depictions of sexual perversions, including torture and nudity, were considered so graphic at the time that the movie was actually banned in the U.S.
3. The Devils (1971)
- Photo Credit: Still from The Devils via Russo Productions
Another film that was heavily banned for its depraved and violent sexual content, The Devils is a fictionalized account of the Loudon possessions in 17th century France. In the film, Oliver Reed plays Urbain Grandier, a Catholic priest who was burned at the stake in 1634 after being accused of witchcraft, following a series of reported possessions at a convent. In true 1970s fashion, the whole film is essentially a giant, psychedelic orgy: only this time it involves priests and hysterical nuns.
4. Black Sunday (1960)
- Photo Credit: Still from Black Sunday via Galatea Film
An important film insomuch as it greatly influenced the development of the genre, Black Sunday is an Italian gothic horror film about a witch who, before being burned at the stake by her own brother, swears revenge in the form on a curse on her brother’s descendants. The film launched the career of director Mario Bava, considered to be the father of the giallo film movement in Italy—the precursor to the modern American slasher films of the 1980s and 1990s.
Related: 11 Really Scary Movies That You Shouldn’t Watch Alone
5. Witchfinder General a.k.a The Conqueror Worm (1968)
- Photo Credit: Still from The Conqueror Worm via Tigon British Film Productions
The cult film Witchfinder General was released in the U.S. under the misnomer The Conqueror Worm for commercial reasons—it has almost nothing to do with Poe’s poem. The film depicts the heavily-fictionalized exploits of 17th century lawyer Matthew Hopkins, a major witch-hunter during the English Civil War. If for nothing else, see it for Vincent Price: he stars as the eponymous “Witch finder.”
6. Suspiria (1977)
- Photo Credit: Still from Suspiria via Seda Spettacoli
Perhaps the most famous example of the Italian giallo horror genre, Suspiria tells the story of an American ballet dancer, who arrives to study at a prestigious German ballet academy, only to find it’s a front for a witch coven. Campy, gory, and, at times, truly terrifying, Suspiria has been recognized as one of the most important films in horror history by myriad critics and publications.
7. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
- Photo Credit: Still from Rosemary’s Baby via William Castle Productions
Never marry an actor. Seriously. He’ll probably do something completely shady to advance his career, like pimp out your uterus to the Satanist coven who lives in your building in exchange for fame and wealth. Rosemary learns this the hard way in this classic work of psychological horror, which could just as easily be called What to Expect When You’re Expecting the Spawn of Satan. Disclaimer: it involves a lot of raw meat consumption.
8. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
- Photo Credit: Still from The Blair Witch Project via Haxan Films
Despite it’s recently-released sequel’s lukewarm success and reception, The Blair Witch Project is one of the most important horror films ever made. The low-budget, super-high-grossing film put the “found-footage” genre on the map, as it recounts the ill-fated exploits of three friends trying to make a documentary about an infamous witch who supposedly haunts the woods in Burkittsville, Maryland. Though the movie’s style has been widely copied since its 1999 release—and despite the fact that you might need a couple of Dramamine to make it through the signature “shaky-cam” filming style—we dare you to watch this right before a camping trip.
Related: Everything We Know So Far About the Mysterious New Blair Witch Movie
9. The Witch (2016)
- Photo Credit: Still from The Witch via A24
One of the most hyped movies of 2016, The Witch is, quite simply, terrifying. Advertised as “A New England Folktale,” the film tells the story of a family banished from their Puritan plantation town in the 17th century. As they struggle to make it on their own in the wilderness, horrifying, witch-y things start happening—and all seem to be connected to the family’s eldest daughter, Thomasin. So: is this family just a bunch of raving religious lunatics? Or is Thomasin really consorting with the Devil? Find out, if you’re brave enough to watch.
Feature Still from "The Witch" via Parts and Labor
