Harry's Movie Review

Robert Zemeckis adapts Roald Dahl's The Witches as a late-1960s adventure about a young orphan who stumbles into genuine danger at a seaside resort. The film understands what makes Dahl appealing: the witches are actual threats, not cartoons, and the boy has to use his wits to survive. It respects the source material enough to keep the stakes real.

Octavia Spencer's grandmother is the anchor here. She moves through the film with a quiet assurance that makes you believe she can handle anything, including a coven of witches. Stanley Tucci finds the right register as a sinister hotel manager, playing it straight rather than winking at the camera. Anne Hathaway commits fully to the Grand High Witch, though the prosthetics and makeup choices sometimes work against her rather than with her. Jahzir Bruno as the boy holds his own against the more established names, which matters because the whole film depends on believing his vulnerability.

Zemeckis keeps the pacing moving without rushing through character moments. The film knows when to linger and when to cut away. There is a real sense of creeping dread as the witches' plan unfolds, though some viewers may find the tonal shifts between humor and menace a bit uneven. The 104 minutes feel earned rather than padded.

What stayed with me was how much the film trusts its young audience. No sappy resolution, no manipulation. Just a story about a boy who has to be brave because the situation demands it. That approach feels rarer in family films than it should be.