ReviewThe Craft: Legacy movie review – Blumhouse’s witchcraft reboot is woke enough but could be scarier

Blumhouse’s reboot of the 1990s teen witch story is meant to be a darker version with fewer laughs

There is little new in this retelling, but Cailee Spaeny really shines in the lead role of the new girl in town

2-MIN READ2-MIN

(From left) Lovie Simone, Gideon Adlon, Cailee Spaeny and Zoey Luna in a still from The Craft: Legacy (category to be confirmed), directed by Zoe Lister-Jones.

Published: 7:15pm, 30 Oct 2020Updated: 2:14am, 31 Oct 2020

3/5 stars

Over the past decade, indie film production company Blumhouse has made its name producing low-budget, hugely profitable horror movies such as Insidious and The Purge . It was only a matter of time before it latched on to existing franchises. Two years ago, it was Halloween ; last year it was Black Christmas; and now? The Craft.

Made in 1996, The Craft told the story of a coven of teen witches and starred Neve Campbell, Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk and Rachel True. Over time, it has gained cult status. Whether that will happen to The Craft: Legacy is hard to say, given it basically retreads the same story with an occasional nod to its forebear.

Here, Lilly (Cailee Spaeny) arrives in a new town with her mother (Michelle Monaghan), who has a new man (David Duchovny) in her life. He already has three sons – but despite this ready-made family, Lilly’s early days are anything but easy. In class, she unexpectedly starts her period, which draws her peers’ mockery but also brings her close to three sympathetic girls.

Seemingly Tabby (Lovie Simone), Frankie (Gideon Adlon), and Lourdes (Zoey Luna) are all would-be witches, representing fire, air and earth. They want Lilly to be the fourth member of their coven – water – to complete the circle.

When she agrees, they decide to flex their powers and teach school bully Timmy (Nicholas Galitzine) a mild lesson, in one of the film’s more amusing elements. He turns completely woke, even calling himself “cis-gender” in class.