Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

The Craft (1996)

When the new girl in town displays some witchy powers, the three friends realize that she can be the fourth in their coven.  Why it isn’t thirteen, I don’t know, but perhaps that would have complicated the story too much for this simple tale of high school girls getting into big trouble.

Two characters got short shrift, and I wanted to see more of them.  First, there is the man with the snake who wants to talk to Sarah.  Then there is the shop owner who wants to protect her from the three girls who have lured her into practicing “the craft”.

Aside from the witchy powers that the girls display, this is basically a story of teen girls getting into big trouble.  Sarah has just moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles, where her father has enrolled her in a Catholic prep school.  She finds the other students rude and unapproachable, until one of the football players asks her out on a date.  Chris Hooker is a real jerk.  After the girls begin teaching her the craft, Sarah uses a spell on him, which she soon regrets. 

The three witches – Nancy, Bonnie and Rochelle – recognize her powers.  Since their spells haven’t been working, they need Sarah, who has natural powers.

These four outsiders begin to work their magic, which usually harms or even kills someone.

Nancy is particularly dangerous.  Nancy is the illegitimate child of a woman who drinks and smokes, and who lives in a trailer with her husband.  The husband, Nancy’s step-father, is abusive.  These circumstances are supposed to explain Nancy’s Goth clothing and spiteful attitude.

Sarah eventually turns way from her three girlfriends and from the craft, but they are unwilling to let her go. 

There’s plenty of action and lots of magic, but mostly it is the story of high school kids being mean to each other. 

The Craft is good for one viewing, but the story fails to achieve what it promises.  They tried to promote it as something like Carrie combined with Clueless, and maybe it is, but it isn’t as good as either of those two movies.  

Some of the outdoor scenes are spectacular, especially when the four girls gather on the beach to summon spirits. 

It’s an okay movie, but it could have been much better if some of the characters had been more fully developed.  In fact, Sarah is not shown interacting with others enough to flesh out her character, even though she is the central figure in the story.  
 
Even though it is fun to watch the special effects, watching this movie is like eating non-fat, sugar-free, zero-calorie dessert; it simly is not fulfilling.  
 
Cast:

Robin Tunney as Sarah Bailey

Fairuza Balk as Nancy Downs
Neve Campbell as Bonnie

Rachel True as Rochelle

Skeet Ulrich as Chris Hooker

Technical info from IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115963/ 

Runtime:   101 min
Sound Mix:   SDDS  | Dolby  | Dolby Digital
Color
Aspect Ratio:  1.85 : 1

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Thank you so much for reading my review!

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Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older