Griffin Dunne’s 1998 treasure is as intrinsic to Halloween as golden leaves and cider donuts.
The film is centered around the Owens clan, a family of witches blessed with the gift of magic but cursed by their matriarch. Unfortunately for the Owens women, any man who dared to love them was doomed to die. Naturally, this made things difficult for future generations.
Cut to the modern-day duo of sisters played by Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock. Just about everything in this film is picture-perfect — from Alan Silverstri’s score to the spooky-old Owens house to the big book of spells the girls cobble their perfect partner from.
But what really makes the film special is the mystical worldbuilding. The movie is laced with spiritual idioms and sayings (“Broom fell… company’s coming”) that make audiences feel like they’re right in the thick of it.
