Earwig and the Witch 2021

In 1990s England, a young witch named Earwig is left at the St. Morwald’s Home for Children by her mother. The matron in charge thinks her name isn’t suitable and changes it to Erica Wigg. Fast forward a few years, and Earwig has grown into a lively 10-year-old who thrives in her orphanage, relishing the freedom and control she holds over her fellow children, particularly her friend Custard. Despite the possibility of being adopted, she defiantly desires to stay where she is.

However, her life takes a sharp turn when a peculiar couple, Bella Yaga and Mandrake, adopt her despite her protests. Upon arriving at their home, Bella reveals her true identity as a witch and makes it clear to Earwig that she was merely chosen for “an extra pair of hands” to assist with household tasks. In exchange for helping, Earwig stipulates that Bella must teach her magic. Eagerly, she engages in preparing spell ingredients and tidying up the workroom, but as days pass without any magic lessons, Earwig’s patience wears thin.

Determined to gain an edge, Earwig discovers that Bella’s cat familiar, Tômasu, can speak. The two hatch a plan to create a spell that grants them immunity from magic, allowing them to escape the drudgery of their chores. In their nighttime experiments, they even concoct a spell to give Bella a literal “extra pair of hands,” hoping to free Earwig from her duties.

Their clever spell succeeds, provoking a furious response from Bella as the unexpected hands start causing havoc. To retaliate, she unleashes magical worms in Earwig’s room, but due to Earwig’s new resilience to magic, the worms pose no threat. The chaos escalates when Earwig pushes back against Mandrake, leading her to uncover the shocking secret that both he and Bella were once members of the band Earwig.

With newfound confidence and power, Earwig cleverly manipulates the household, bending others to her will. In a moment of joy, she even invites Custard over for Christmas. Just as he arrives, an unexpected visitor shakes things up—Earwig’s mother, also a former band member, makes a surprise appearance, adding another twist to her already tumultuous life.