Three high school girls are dabbling in witchcraft, but their efforts are getting them nowhere. But then the new girl arrives, who seems to have a natural power. Together, they will walk the path of the witch, but some will take the safe route and others will walk towards the darkness. What will be unleashed, and will they be able to control it?
Having been in high school in the 90s, I was quite aware of the Wiccan craze that was going around, especially among the girls. I don't recall if it came about before or after this film, but they definitely knew what they were doing in constructing the plot and characters. Apparently, Fairuza Balk was a devoted Wiccan and contributed to the authenticity -- I would love to know her thoughts on that now.
Aside from Fairuza Balk, we can look back and see the early careers of Neve Campbell and Robin Tunney... even Christine Taylor, the future wife of Ben Stiller. I had no idea at the time they would blossom into big stars. That, and the soundtrack was rather popular, as well.
Some have compared this film to "Carrie", which I think is a great injustice. Yes, the film is a story of girls coming of age (despite being written and directed by men) and having magical abilities. But it's not much more similar than that. Carrie is an outcast and scared, while the girls here are powerful and puberty really is not a crucial part of the story at all.
I think this film deserves a resurgence: a fine story, good acting and impressive effects for the time. I would recommend it to anyone, and especially if you were a teenager in the 1990s. You may find the themes familiar: it's like "Clueless" for those of us who weren't quite so glamorous.
