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Practical Magic is a 1998 fantasy romance film directed by Griffin Dunne and based on the novel of the same name by Alice Hoffman.
It features Sandra Bullock as Sally Owens and Nicole Kidman as Gillian Owens' sister Sally Owens. Upheld by their quirky aunts (Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing) since a monstrous loss, the sisters reside in a tiny Massachusetts village where their spiritual history goes unrecognized and detested.
The Owens women in Practical Magic live under a powerful curse that dooms any man who falls in love with them. As adults, Sally desires a peaceful life, shielding her daughters from the family curse, while Gillian is drawn to passion and peril.
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When Gillian's violent ex-boyfriend becomes a supernatural menace, the sisters must harness their magic in ways they never imagined.
For viewers who loved Practical Magic for its themes of sisterhood, generational magic, romance, and small-town enchantment, here are seven other movies that capture a similar blend of mystery and the supernatural.
Disclaimer: The following list is ranked in no particular order, and the opinions expressed belong solely to the author.
Stardust, Beautiful Creatures and 5 other movies to watch if you liked Practical Magic
1) The Craft (1996)
The Craft is a teen supernatural horror film directed by Fleming from a tale by Filardi. The movie features Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, and Rachel True.
It is about four teenage social misfit girls in a Los Angeles parochial high school who turn to witchcraft in the hope of changing their lives for the better, but they face awful and unexpected consequences.
The Craft (1996) shares Practical Magic's focus on young women discovering their magical abilities, but with darker consequences as they explore witchcraft for personal gain.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Hulu, HBO Max
2) Stardust (2007)
Stardust is a romantic fantasy adventure fantasy film directed and written by Matthew Vaughn and co-authored by writer Jane Goldman based on the 1999 novel by Neil Gaiman.
Stardust follows Tristan as he ventures beyond his village to retrieve a fallen star for his beloved, only to discover the star is a woman named Yvaine. Their journey becomes a thrilling race against witches and princes, testing courage, love, and self-discovery.
Stardust (2007) shares Practical Magic’s mix of romance and fantasy, as its hero’s magical quest leads to unexpected discoveries and unconventional love.
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+
3) Beautiful Creatures (2013)
Beautiful Creatures is a 2013 American romantic comedy-drama fantasy film directed by Richard LaGravenese based on the 2009 novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.
In Gatlin, South Carolina, teen Ethan falls for Lena, a mysterious girl from his dreams. As her 16th birthday nears, they must face a dark curse that could destroy their love and everything around them.
Beautiful Creatures revisits Practical Magic's themes of magical inheritance and curses in a family as a teen romance has to struggle with the magical forces holding the couple together and love itself.
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+
4) Hocus Pocus (1993)
Hocus Pocus is a 1993 American fantasy comedy movie directed by Kenny Ortega. It is about a trio of evil witches who are brought back to life by a boy inadvertently on Halloween evening in Salem, Massachusetts.
Three children in Salem accidentally awaken a coven of witches who were executed in 1693 for stealing the life force of children. With a wise, immortal cat guiding them, they must stop the rising witches before dawn or risk them gaining unimaginable eternal power.
Hocus Pocus replicates Practial Magic's comedy witch story with a coven of witches wreaking havoc, but this time on a Halloween theme where the cost is more slapstick than tragic.
Where to watch: Apple TV+, Disney+
5) The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
The Witches of Eastwick is an American fantasy black comedy directed by George Miller and adapted from John Updike's 1984 novel Witches of Eastwick. It features Jack Nicholson, Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer, Susan Sarandon, and Veronica Cartwright.
In the movie, three women from a small town discover their dormant powers when they are seduced by a handsome stranger and descend into a chain of terrible and supernatural occurrences, compelling them to deal with not only his dark energy but also their new powers.
The Witches of Eastwick is also parallel to Practical Magic in the way it looks at reasserting suppressed powers in women and the potentially seductive element a mysterious person introduces into a charming town.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV+, HBO Max
6) Chocolat (2000)
Chocolat is a romantic drama film directed and written by Lasse Hallström, based on Joanne Harris's novel in 1999. It is about Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche), who takes her daughter Anouk to the puritan French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes on the first day of Lent.
In France in 1959, Vianne and her daughter establish a chocolate shop in a village in Lent, whose sweets quietly challenge tradition, personal change, and provide the townspeople and herself the tools to learn to discover new strength and joy.
Chocolat resembles Practical Magic's mix of magic and small-town life, in which an emancipated woman employs her odd abilities to transform the hearts and minds of a conservative town.
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+
7) Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Sleepy Hollow is a supernatural Gothic horror film by Tim Burton, loosely based on Washington Irving's 1820 short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Johnny Depp stars as Ichabod Crane, alongside Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, and others.
New York constable Ichabod Crane is dispatched in 1799 to Headless Horseman haunted town of Sleepy Hollow to solve a series of beheadings and fight the legend of the Headless Horseman and uncover a malevolent web of vendetta and cursing.
Practical Magic and Sleepy Hollow both share a dark, supernatural mood.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Hulu
Interested viewers can stream Practical Magic on major streaming platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV+, HBO Max, and Hulu.
