Nearly every culture tells similar folk tales about creepy old hags that practice witchcraft and prey on unsuspecting children, with this irrational fear being at the heart of several real-life tragedies that ended with innocent women being put to death. That’s why I find the idea of redemptive witchcraft stories like The Good Witch and even the ultra-successful Wicked adaptation so fascinating, as despite having been commodified as one of the cutesy mascots of the Halloween season, witches are still at the heart of many of our most frightening stories.
Naturally, this also extends to horror movies, with filmmakers depicting terrifying acts of witchcraft on screen since the very dawn of the medium. And with so many creepy broom-riders out there, we’ve decided to come up with a list celebrating six of the scariest witches in film. After all, there’s a lot more to these sinister spellcasters than black cats and candy-houses.
For the purposes of this list, we’ll be defining “witch” as a traditionally evil practitioner of the dark arts like you might find in a medieval fairy tale. That being said, don’t forget to comment below with your own witchy favorites if you think we missed a particularly spooky one.
And while she won’t be featured on this list because we never actually see her onscreen, I’d like to give a shout-out to my personal favorite cinematic sorceress, the Blair Witch herself, Elly Kedward. With that out of the way, onto the list…
6. The Hag – The Wretched (2019)
From Fright Night to I Am Not a Serial Killer, teenagers facing evil neighbors is one of my favorite sub-genres in horror. That’s why I appreciate the Pierce Brothers’ practical-effects-driven thriller about a young man who discovers that there’s a murderous witch roaming around a seemingly idyllic seaside town.
Of course, it’s the witch’s monstrous design (and the phenomenal effects that bring it to life) that really make this retro creature-feature stand out. Say what you will about the flick’s familiar premise, but there’s nothing fun or nostalgic about this eerie example of folkloric nightmare fuel.
5. The Coven – The Lords of Salem (2012)
We’re bending the rules a bit with this entry, as Rob Zombie’s divisive The Lords of Salem actually features several witchy antagonists instead of one, but how could I leave out some of the creepiest hags ever put onscreen? While the film’s satanic coven is mostly depicted as realistic old ladies (portrayed by genre veterans like Dee Wallace, Patricia Quinn and Meg Foster), it’s how the film chooses to incorporate these witches into its scares that really makes them stand out.
Like I mentioned in a previous list covering hidden frights, The Lords of Salem excels at concealing nightmarish imagery in plain sight, with the coven frequently showing up by surprise in unexpected corners of the screen – always watching from the darkness.
4. Haggis – Pumpkinhead (1988)
Stan Winston really wanted to prove that he was more than a technical wizard when he set out to make 1988’s Pumpkinhead. And while the film is mostly remembered for the spectacular practical effects that brought its titular demon to life, almost every other aspect of the production received the same amount of attention.
This extends to secondary characters as well, with the Old Witch of the Woods -also known as Haggis – being one of the film’s eerie highlights. A decrepit old crone that plants the seeds of revenge in Ed Harley’s mind, it can be argued that Haggis was the real mastermind behind Pumpkinhead’s inevitable rampage. And if that’s not freaky enough, the makeup effects that bring her to life are still just as unsettling over 36 years later.
3. Meg Mucklebones – Legend (1985)
Ridley Scott’s Legend may not be a horror film, but this dark fantasy adventure contains more than its fair share of supernatural nightmare fuel. And while most genre fans usually point to the flick’s main antagonist as a source of childhood nightmares, I think the swamp-dwelling Meg Mucklebones also deserves to be remembered as one of the creepiest villains of the ’80s.
Honestly, the masterful effects-work combined with Robert Picardo’s performance would have been enough for this memorable witch to sustain her own solo horror movie if Scott had been so inclined. In fact, I think the only reason we don’t see genre fans bring Meg up more often is the fact that she’s overshadowed by Tim Curry’s devilish character from the same film.
2. Holda – Gretel & Hansel (2020)
My personal favorite Osgood Perkins film, Gretel & Hansel has become something of a comfort movie for fans of dark fairy tales. An atmospheric retelling of a classic children’s story, the film’s moody visuals could almost be considered endearing if it wasn’t for Alice Krige’s masterful performance as the wicked old crone Holda.
While Holda’s true form is much younger and goth-er (as portrayed by Jessica De Gouw), Krige’s elderly disguise is simply disconcerting. An alternating demeanor that quickly goes from kind to predatory makes Holda much scarier than a traditionally monstrous old hag.
1. The Corpse – The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
While the inclusion of The Autopsy of Jane Doe on this list is technically a spoiler, readers have had nearly a decade to catch up with André Øvredal’s masterclass in minimalist terror. Following a father/son duo of coroners who realize that their latest case might just be their last, this clever film proves that a witch doesn’t even have to be alive in order to feel threatening.
It’s only towards the end of the flick that we discover that the titular Jane Doe is supernaturally preserved beldam (having ironically turned to the dark arts after being wrongly punished during the Salem witch trials), but despite remaining immobile throughout the entire experience, her presence is felt in nearly every chilling scene – which is why I think she’s earned her spot on this list.
The post Want to See Something Really Wicked? Six of the Scariest Witches in Horror appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
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