By Declan Andrews, Staff Writer

Jan. 21, 2021

The Witches Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Esperanto Filmoj and ImageMovers, Family/Comedy, PG, 2020  

1 h 32 m 

A new adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl novel “The Witches” hit the new streaming service HBO MAX last October, but is the movie incentive enough for an HBO subscription?

In the past few years, we’ve witnessed an incredible increase in the number of remakes hitting the silver screen. Sometimes it even feels like that's all that's coming out. Disney being the media giant it is has a pseudo-monopoly on the market so any competing studio will have a lot of competition.

Luckily, HBO breaks into the market with a bang, bringing back one of the most iconic stories from many of our childhoods, from the same author that brought you "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", HBO presents a remake of the classic tale “The Witches.” 

If you were a fan of Roald Dahl and his fantastic stories in your childhood then this movie is for you. “The Witches” stays true to the book in almost every way imaginable, from the horrifying description of the witches to the incredible relationship displayed between the main protagonist and his grandmother.

It truly brings you back to your childhood with a brilliant mix of a whimsical and ludicrous plot contoured by horrifying depictions of witches and an atmosphere of danger and urgency.

And for those less clouded by nostalgia, the movie is still a fantastic adventure story equipped with all the bells and whistles you would hope to see in a modern movie, including astonishing visual effects and an amazingly diverse cast list (including Anne Hathaway and Octavia Spencer).  

The film prominently displays a black lead character and passively depicts African American culture throughout. This representation has been widely praised in reviews of the movie and is being considered to be a stepping stone for future representation in the industry. 

With this film, HBO has proven itself to be a real contender in the remake game and in the streaming industry as a whole. After this, I’m definitely interested to see what else they have to offer. But if “The Witches'' is any indication of what HBO is offering then I definitely would be interested in a monthly subscription.

Overall, the movie was great in every way. My only gripe is that I wish it had been longer so that I could enjoy the adventure a little more.