This movie is EVERYTHING I could have asked for in a sequel film (But to be honest I wasn’t expecting much).  

The Craft: Legacy is a bewitching success, a true love letter to the new generation of weirdos and freaks. Written and directed by Zoe Lister-Jones, the writer and director of Band Aid ( do something here)The Craft: Legacy does not disappoint. It hit all the same plot points that we love in the original: a new girl at school, a bully turned heart throb, and some spells. Lister-Jones, clearly into the political and socially topical, touches on some higher level subjects- it embraces the wanted wokeness of a younger audience today. This modern witch tale takes a deeper dive emotionally to remind us that we are powerful, that we are worthy, that we are seen. 

 “Your difference is your power”, Helen (Michelle Monaghan) reminds Lily- and all the weirdos watching. 

Lourdes (Zoey Luna), Frankie (Gideon Adlon), and Tabby (Lovie Siomne) are three young, powerful witches, looking for a fourth to complete their coven. Lily (Cailee), the quiet yet very cool loaner, moves into town with her mom to live with her new stepdad and three stepbrothers. High school is hard but it’s even harder for Lily right now; after a publicized period, no friends,  and adjusting to her step dad’s strict house rules. Unaware of her ability, Lily, throws the school bully into a set of lockers, outing her magical strength. Lourdes, Frankie and Tabby take Lily under their wing. With the four witches united nothing is impossible, they are unstoppable and they look great doing it. Until the power takes them too far, putting the lives of people they love in danger. 

Craft Legacy is energizing despite some bumps in the road predictable to any movie aficionado, the film still remains engaging. The storyline stays true to the essence of the original while pivoting for a fresh story, focusing on the dangers of toxic masculinity and other current issues. While it attempts to be more “fight-the-power” it does so lightly featuring a woman of color and a transgender actor is an excting step forward, but it would have been more exciting to have them in leading roles. The attempt to be groundbreaking or impactful doesn’t really play out in this diet version of the original with a sprinkle of diversity  representation in it. 

The lack of content bleeds through the whole film. The main montage skimps on the spells including the pivotal transformation spell so key to the first film and mentioned near the top of the sequel. The lack of actual spells that happen turns a movie about witchcraft into a really cool, long, flashy trailer about witches. Truthfully, I don’t think I saw anything different than what I saw from the trailers… actually I may have gotten more information from the trailers. There are only a few select scenes that actually show spells taking place, everything else gets glossed over. 

The whole movie is pretty glossy: It comes up short on the horror factor. The original maintained a darker energy while the scariest part of the sequel is reliving my own high school fears. Some more scare really could have taken this storyline to a different level, a less cosmetic one.

Overall, it’s an entertaining film. But I doubt it will become a future cult classic, it lacks the edginess that brought the original to life. If you’re a fan of Riverdale and Sabrina then you’ll be a fan of Craft Legacy. If you’re a fan of The Craft, judge lightly. It was not the perfect film, but it was a good time.