1993 / 96m - USA
Fantasy
2.0*/5.0*
Hocus Pocus poster

Watches

September 19, 2020

2.0*/5.0*

A fantasy film for younger audiences, not too surprising when it's Kenny Ortega directing the film. Hocus Pocus is one of those classics from my own childhood that I never saw. Probably because I was getting into more "serious" horror around that time, so some kiddy witch flick wasn't really on my radar.

Hocus Pocus has retained some of its original charm, but it's clearly aimed at younger audiences. The acting is incredibly over the top, the "horror" elements are very light and comical and the musical elements make it a typical Disney/Ortega film. Skipping it was probably the best choice back then.

While I look at these films in a slightly different light now, I'm still not a fan. The film looks a bit too cheap, the kids are insufferable and the plot is way too predictable. It's clear I wasn't ever part of the target audience of this film, but they didn't put in much effort to appeal to people beyond that.