Hocus Pocus 1984

In Salem, 1653, a spirited young girl named Winifred Sanderson, portrayed by Taylor Paige Henderson, storms through her community, instilling fear in the townspeople with her mischievous antics. She eventually makes her way back to her home where her sisters, Sarah and Mary, played by Juju Journey Brener and Nina Kitchen, are waiting. Winifred complains about being told she’s aging and is being pressured to marry a local man named John Pritchett, which she outright refuses, expressing her love instead for Billy Butcherson, a figure from her past.

Her sisters gift her a spider to cheer her up, but soon they face an angry crowd led by Reverend Traske. Winifred once again rejects John and claims she is in love with Billy. The angry crowd banishes the Sanderson sisters from Salem, condemning them to be passed onto other families to be “turned right.” During the chaos, their pet spider escapes, scaring the townspeople and giving Winifred a chance to reunite with her sisters.

The sisters flee into the woods, where they are discovered by Mother Witch, played by Hannah Waddingham. She sings a sinister tune, attracting children to her lair. Surprisingly, instead of devouring them, Mother Witch recognizes Winifred’s raw magical potential and grants her a spellbook, allowing her to practice powerful magic. She warns Winifred against using the dangerous spell known as Magicae Maxima, which could grant her ultimate power. She also reveals that absorbing the essence of children can keep witches young and beautiful forever. The sisters, using their new magic, return to Salem and set Traske’s house on fire as a symbol of their return.

Fast forward to present day Salem, where teenager Becca, played by Whitney Peak, celebrates her 16th birthday. She arrives at school excited to spend the day with her best friend Izzy and their estranged friend Cassie, played by Lilia Buckingham. Cassie, however, ditches them for her jock boyfriend Mike, which makes Izzy and Becca feel left out. The girls plan to spend their Halloween night watching scary movies and doing a witchy ritual.

Amidst the school day, Mike inadvertently reveals that Cassie is throwing a Halloween party at her house. To tease him, Becca uses a small spell, knowing her fascination with witchcraft, which lands her and Izzy in trouble with the principal. Later that day, they pass by a billboard showcasing Cassie’s family—descended from Reverend Traske—highlighting the town’s connection to old Salem legends.

Their curiosity leads them to a mysterious magic shop, formerly the Sanderson sisters’ cottage. The shop owner, Gilbert, played by Sam Richardson, shares the legend of the revived Sanderson sisters and gives Becca a special candle for their ritual, along with a mystical spellbook. As the moon rises, the girls perform their ritual in the woods, unknowingly unleashing the resurrected Sanderson sisters. With lively, mischievous music, the witches, now back in Salem, cheerfully declare, “The Witches are Back,” celebrating their return.

The sisters quickly realize they’ve been tricked when Becca and Izzy deceive them with their teenage appearances and pretend to possess potions. Their antics lead the witches to a nearby Walgreens, where hilarity ensues as the sisters sample lotions and creams believing they are magic potions. However, the illusion shatters when a newer group of teenage lookalikes appear and challenge the sisters, prompting a frantic chase to escape their magic.

With the help of Gilbert, who admits he knew about the spell and the cursed book, the girls learn that the Sandersons are after more than just fun—they want to use the Magicae Maxima spell to gain ultimate power. They find themselves trapped in a dungeon created by the witches but manage to escape thanks to Izzy’s quick thinking and the reappearance of the stairs through a magical leaf.

The witches chase the girls to Cassie’s house, where they threaten her father, Jefry Traske, played by [Tony Hale], manifesting the dangerous link between the witches and the town’s legacy. As chaos unfolds, Becca begins to realize she has… hidden powers, glowing with unexpected magic. The witches attempt to perform their spell at the Forbidden Wood, but the girls desperately try to warn Winnie, played by [Bette Midler], about the dangers of the Magicae Maxima—not knowing that her deepest wish is to stay with her sisters.

The spell goes awry, and Winnie’s strongest desire is tested when she sees her sisters start to vanish, a heartbreaking moment of remorse. In the end, Winnie begs her sisters to undo the spell, but it’s too late—her sisters are lost forever, and Winnie herself begins to disappear, uttering her last joyful exclamation, “Sistaaaaaahs!”, with tears and laughter blending as she joins them.

As the movie wraps up, Gilbert keeps his promise, placing Billy’s head back on his body, allowing him to cross over. Meanwhile, Becca, Izzy, and Cassie embrace their new powers and decide to continue practicing witchcraft, inspired by the witches’ mischievous spirit. The film closes with a whimsical scene of the friends walking together, mirroring the witches’ iconic sway, and a mysterious bird resembling Mother Witch flying high above — hinting that the Sanderson sisters might return someday, as a nearby box contains yet another Black Flame Candle.

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