Review of The Craft (1996) by Jennifer X — 24 Oct 2011

If any film holds the pomp and circumstance of repressed 90's teenage girl, it's this contracted horror film, starring Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, and unknown Rachel True. This film carries with it the innovation that the 90's brought to teenage films, not just showing us the true colors of a generation with sex, drugs, and gratuitous violence, but also serious darkness.

Nobody takes teens seriously, but how can you not when they all have magical powers that are usually aimed at the very people who make fun of them? This film, though full of problems, actually works for any type of audience, because it clearly knows what it is, not trying to be gothic, or romantic, or in any way a true horror film.

It polygrips itself to the lonely teenage girl, especially the outcasts with problems ranging from suicide, physical scarring, being stuck in poverty, and racism. The girls start off as harmless enough, but their attitudes, and the way they're perceived by their classmates insinuate that they're already dangerous by social standards.

New transfer student Sarah (Tunney) falls in with them after being shunned by her classmates. The bulk of the film shows them casting spells, and the positive and negative outcomes that come from them.

Tunney, who is portrayed as a powerful witch with infallible powers, has the soft spokeness and purity that make her not only a believable good guy amongst the temptation of power, but actually make her likable through all the awful dialogue.

Balk grows in power as well, but turns it on people, murdering along the way. Balk is scary, in every way possible, the perfect villain for this setting: low yet bright eyes, hulking mouth, agape and full of venom, loud shrieking voice that pierces through you.

I shiver just at the thought. Campbell is a passive nobody with body issues, and I'm not positive what True is doing in this film, or hanging out with the coven. She seems better read, spoken, and acts better than everyone else, yet she needs to find revenge against a racist; and might I say the racism is unfounded and comes from nowhere.

It makes no sense, and yet she punishes without mercy. This film doesn't always work, because I'm not scared of them, and their actions make no sense whatsoever. Still, it's good to watch when it's Friday and you're sick of thinking intelligently.