20 best film witches of all time

The Grand High Witch (The Witches)

Sometimes, we speak about movie witches as if menace and humor are distinct. In the world of Roald Dahl, however, those two concepts are often deeply intertwined. Take the 1964 novel version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, where kids are confronted with the cruelty of a world and a candy factory free of pesky OSHA regulations.

With that in mind, The Witches should come as no surprise. The novel was first published in 1983, but you may also know it from the 1990 film adaptation. In the novel, a young boy is orphaned and goes to live with his sweet, if slightly weird, grandmother. In the film, the two are given names — Luke and Helga.

Whatever version you’re engaging with, grandma Helga is a fantastic storyteller. She really gets rolling when she talks about witches, however. Helga maintains that witches are real and very, very dangerous. These witches are possessed by a genocidal rage towards children. Apparently, all kids smell so bad to the witches that the only reasonable option is to do away with the little tykes entirely.

Witches are also incredibly good at concealing their true appearances, which makes for one of the most spectacular scenes in the film. But, first, we need to back up a bit. Luke and Helga go to a seaside resort to relax. Said resort also happens to be hosting the annual conference for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Except, wouldn’t you know it, the RSPCC is merely a front for all of those kid-hating witches.

During one of the closed-door meetings, the Grand High Witch (Anjelica Huston) announces that all of the witches can take off their disguises. Witches, it turns out, are completely bald and have some serious skin conditions. The Grand High Witch, in particular, turns out to be very … well, let’s say, “striking”. She starts off as a very glamorous woman — it is Anjelica Huston, after all — and ends up looking like a shar-pei with blue cream eyeshadow. The reveal is equal parts shocking and delightful for its cartoonish-ness.