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Hocus Pocus

Hocus Pocus

Fantasy · Comedy · Family · 1993

After 300 years of slumber, three sister witches are accidentally resurrected in Salem on Halloween night, and it is up to three kids and their newfound feline friend to put an end to the witches' reign of terror once and for all.

Movie details

Hocus Pocus

“It's just a bunch of Hocus Pocus.”

1993 Fantasy · Comedy · Family 1h 36m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.0 / 10

Community rating

After 300 years of slumber, three sister witches are accidentally resurrected in Salem on Halloween night, and it is up to three kids and their newfound feline friend to put an end to the witches' reign of terror once and for all.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Hocus Pocus?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Ella Enchanted

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A boy with an active imagination faces his fears on an unforgettable journey through the night with his new friend: a giant, smiling creature named Dark.

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Christopher Robin

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Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge

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The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

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One year after their incredible adventures in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Peter, Edmund, Lucy and Susan Pevensie return to Narnia to aid a young prince whose life has been threatened by the evil King Miraz. Now, with the help of a colorful cast of new characters, including Trufflehunter the badger and Nikabrik the dwarf, the Pevensie clan embarks on an incredible quest to ensure that Narnia is returned to its rightful heir.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Kenny Ortega

Written by

Neil Cuthbert · David Kirschner · Mick Garris

Omri Katz

Omri Katz

Max Dennison

Thora Birch

Thora Birch

Dani Dennison

Vinessa Shaw

Vinessa Shaw

Allison

Bette Midler

Bette Midler

Winifred Sanderson

Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Sanderson

Kathy Najimy

Kathy Najimy

Mary Sanderson

Tobias Jelinek

Tobias Jelinek

Jay

Court is in session

Put Hocus Pocus on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.