Film Review of The Craft with Neve Campbell
Robin Tunney, Rachel True in Teenage Witchcraft Movie
Aug 18, 2008
Boasting the tag line "its 'Carrie' meets 'Clueless,'" the 1996 film "The Craft" takes a group of familiar faces from the big and little screens and puts them together in a Catholic school filled with the typical angst, bullies, and peer pressure. Only this time, they have magic on their side.
The Plot of The Craft Starring Robin Tunney
Robin Tunney ("Prison Break," "Empire Records") stars as Sarah Bailey, an average high schooler who moves to a new town, and must deal with all the issues of being the "new girl." She turns down a popular boy at school and learns the next day he has lied about their date. When a fellow classmate sees her balance a pencil on end using only her mind, she gains friends in local witches Fairuza Balk ("The Waterboy"), Rachel True ("Half & Half") and Neve Campbell ("Party of Five"). As a complete coven, able to call on the power of all four elements, the girls begin to change their lives for the better, until a rivalry between the good-hearted Tunney and reckless Balk tears the group apart, and the two compete for ultimate power.
Why See It?
Though over ten years old, "The Craft" still holds up as a decent high school film and definitely ranks with the "cool bad girl" movies of the past few decades, showing just what would happen if girls in high school could add magic to their never-ending taunting of one another. Tunney, as always, does a great job of bringing the fear, excitement, and realism of her character to life. Also, unlike other high school movies, the film doesn't squander time on details surrounding their time trying to establish the setting; the audience knows what high school is like. Director Andrew Fleming ("Nancy Drew," the upcoming "Hamlet 2") is this able to stick to the plot, moving the story along at a steady pace. And don't fear the 'R' rating. The film has some adult themes and foul language, but probably tipped into its rating due to the latter.
The Down Side
Honestly, not much, though if searching for authentic witch or Wiccan cinema, "The Craft" is not the best place to go. The film also has plenty of camp, but it works to soften what might otherwise be disturbing imagery (like high school girls holding daggers to each other during rituals).
The Last Word
"The Craft" is a funny, enjoyable film that stands out as one of the best "witch" movies of all time (happily ignoring the "witches = brooms" stigma), and definitely works as a great "dare to be different" film for young adults.
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