The Witches (1990)

Director: Nicolas Roeg

Starring: Anjelica Huston, Mai Zetterling, Jasen Fisher

A young boy stumbles onto a witch convention and must stop them, even after he has been turned into a mouse.

The film starts with 8-year old Luke’s Grandmother, Helga, telling him about witches. This gives us a good background on witches, and set the scene for what was to follow.

After Luke’s parents die in a car crash, Helga becomes his legal guardian, and move to England. When Helga becomes ill, her doctor recommends a seaside holiday. So, Helga and Luke book in at the Hotel Excelsior. A Group of women gather at the hotel for a convention, but they are revealed to be witches. Luke witnesses this, and overhears them planning to eliminate every child in England. The main antagonist is the Grand High Witch (Angelica Huston).

Upon being discovered by they witches, Luke is turned into a mouse. Now, he must try to stop the witches, but this is no easy task when you’re a mouse! To make matters worse, the hotel manager Mr Stringer (Rowan Atkinson), believes there to be a mouse infestation in the hotel…

This is a fun movie the whole family can enjoy. The film is lighthearted and the witches are funny, so they shouldn’t give kids nightmares. It’s very entertaining, with some good effects as well.

Anjelica Huston won awards for Best Actress, and the film also received nominations for Best Supporting Actress, Best Performance by a Younger Actor, Best Music, Best Make-Up, and Best Film.

Would I watch it again? Yes.