The Best Witchcraft Films

Only the best for the top of our Witchcraft Films list and it doesn't get much better than Dario Argento's horror masterpiece Suspiria. The film is based on Thomas De Quincey's essay Suspiria de Profundis (Sighs from the Depths) and it centres around Suzy Banyon, played by Jessica Harper, an American ballet dancer at a prestigious dance academy in Germany. The academy is run by the mysterious Madame Blanc (Joan Bennett) and Miss Tanner (Alida Valli), and not everything is as it seems. Among other bizarre and nightmarish events, Suzy finds out a witch founded the academy. To get a better taste of Suspiria, see it on Blu-ray and watch the documentary Fear at 400 Degrees: The Cine-Excess of Suspiria featuring Argento and Claudio Simonetti.

How fast a delivery service would be if they could fly around on broomsticks? Well, here's Kiki's Delivery Service as an example, Japanese animated fantasy and one of the best Witchcraft Films out there. Teenage witch Kiki chooses to live on her own in a new town, using her magical powers to get by and earn a living with her flying abilities. Kiki sets up a courier service and delivers everything you might need transporting. The animated film is produced by the famous Studio Ghibli and it's been highly praised since its release in 1989. See Kiki in action on DVD and Blu-ray accompanied with plenty of special features such as Complete Feature Length Storyboards and The Locations of Kiki's Delivery Service.

Sleepy Hollow brings us Ichabod Crane, a police constable from New York City sent to investigate a series of murders in the village of Sleepy Hollow. And who committed these despicable murders? None other than a mysterious Headless Horseman. This gothic horror is directed by Tim Burton and stars formidable cast including Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci, with Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, Casper Van Dien, and Jeffrey Jones. Set in 1799, Sleepy Hollow is based on Washington Irving's classic tale The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Be sure to check it out on DVD and Blu-ray to enjoy in the best quality of one of the best Witchcraft Films. The story also inspired a television series of the same name, Sleepy Hollow. Don't be frightened, but heads will roll!

New England, 1630: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with their five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassable wilderness. When their new-born son mysteriously vanishes and their crops fail, the family begins to turn on one another. The Witch is a chilling portrait of a family unravelling within their own fears and anxieties, leaving them prey to an inescapable evil.

Based on true events, The Conjuring tells the thrilling story of ghost hunters Lorraine and Ed Warren (Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson), who help a family terrorised by an evil spirit in their mysterious farmhouse. Ed and Lorraine Warren are real life paranormal investigators and their reports even inspired The Amityville Horror. The story develops when they discover that the house they're investigating once belonged to an accused witch. You can also check out The Conjuring 2, investigating the Enfield Haunting – the most documented case in paranormal history. Find it on DVD or Blu-ray so you can get a glimpse into featurettes including A Life in Demonology: The real demonologist and paranormal experts.

The Swedish-Danish dramatized documentary/silent horror film is written and directed by Benjamin Christensen, and has caused an outrage and protest from both the public and religious groups since its release in 1922. Later on, the film started to get praise, especially after 1968 when it was re-released with a William Burroughs narration, under the title Witchcraft through the Ages. Haxan shows the evolution of witchcraft, from the pagan roots to then present day Europe. It also shows at what scale mental illness could have affected perception of witches and how its unknown status could be responsible for a lot of witch-hunts. You can rent this silent horror masterpiece on DVD to see why Haxan received such a positive feedback from critics and audiences so many years after its original release.

Black Sunday is an Italian gothic horror film directed by Mario Bava, representing the "golden age" of Italian horror films. Witches had faced harsh punishment throughout the history and what Black Sunday starts off with is no different. A beautiful witch is sentenced to death by her own brother, condemned to die by having a metal mask hammered onto her face before being burnt at the stake. Just moments before the mask, this vampire witch princess, played by Barbara Steele, puts a curse on all her descendants. She wakes up centuries later with her undead henchman. Check it out on DVD or Blu-ray to get the best quality of this horror classic, including deleted scenes from the Italian version.

Our next entry is The Devils starring Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave, directed by Ken Russell. The story follows dramatized version of real-life Urbain Grandier, a 17th-century French Catholic priest who was burned at the stake after being convicted of witchcraft. The plot starts with Father using his power to protect the city of Loudun from destruction at the hands of the establishment. Even though the film is regarded as violent and explicit, it still stands as one of the best films involving the subject of witchcraft. You can rent it on 2 DVD discs, and get plenty of special features accompanying the main feature, such as Hell on Earth (Paul Joyce): Documentary exploring the film's production and controversial history.

Rosemary's Baby has widely been recognized as a demonic possession classic and one of the few horror films most people have seen, but it also involves witchcraft. Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and Guy Woodhouse (John Cassavetes) are newlyweds, but in exchange for a taste of fame, Guy makes a deal with the devil that puts his wife and soul in jeopardy. Just like that, Rosemary's normal life turns into a surreal nightmare. This psychological horror was written and directed by Roman Polanski, based on the bestselling 1967 novel of the same name by Ira Levin. In Rosemary's Baby: A Retrospective, featurette on the DVD release of the film, Polanski and other involved reminisce at length about the production.

You do not want to mess with these teenagers, and that's why we start the best Witchcraft Films list with The Craft. The story follows four outcast girls who indulge in witchcraft for their own gain. It all starts when Sarah, new in L.A. meets a brigade of black lipstick and nails. She makes their coven's fourth member which gives them the power to make their wishes come true. From making your crush love you to having more money, they think they can use their magic without consequences. The film stars Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, and Rachel True among others. Since being released, The Craft gathered quite a cult following. You can rent it on DVD and Blu-ray to see for yourselves just why.