‘Practical Magic,’ Eternally Enchanting and Confounding

The bewitching duo of Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock turned this 1998 supernatural dramedy with a baffling story line into a Halloween classic.

The bewitching duo of Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock turned this 1998 supernatural dramedy with a baffling story line into a Halloween classic.

What’s a “good-bad” movie? It’s the kind of flick that might have you cackling, hollering or groaning, one that is not necessarily great cinema but is great fun. It’s highly watchable even though — or maybe because — it’s memorably ridiculous. And it always has at least one element that pushes it into absurd territory.

Many fans of “Practical Magic,” Griffin Dunne’s witchy and kitschy 1998 romantic fantasy, were over the moon when Nicole Kidman confirmed that she and Sandra Bullock would reprise their roles for the film’s 2026 sequel.

The original movie, based on an Alice Hoffman novel, stars the two actresses as the Owens sisters: Gillian (Kidman), the free-spirited family flirt and seductress, and Sally (Bullock), the pragmatic homebody who we’re supposed to believe is kind of frumpy because she sometimes wears glasses.

The sisters come from a long line of witches, including their incantation-slinging aunts, played by Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing. They all suffer under a curse cast hundreds of years ago by a heartbroken ancestor: that men who fall in love with Owens women will be struck dead.

“Practical Magic” was a box-office flop and was panned by critics; ours called it a “bouncy, bubble-brained movie,” something akin to “Barbie Joins a Coven,” and “nothing but a guilty pleasure.” But the film, which conjures up abundant autumnal splendor and sisterly spells with just a dash of spook, has since gained a cult following.

Here’s my breakdown of why, ultimately, despite its many flaws, “Practical Magic” prevails as a Halloween classic.

What Makes It Good?

Cottagecore Vibes and A-List Chemistry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrxXxpNvJgs

The story is set in famously witchy Massachusetts. The house and garden at the center of the movie — the homestead for the Owens’ women — is perhaps the movie’s most beloved character. The aesthetic, inside and out, is the height of cozy cottagecore dreaminess. Its expansive and creaky wood floors, antique windows, greenhouse full of herbs and vintage-maximalism kitchen would make anyone want to try their hand at mixing potions.

Kidman and Bullock convincingly sell their sisterly bond as unbreakable despite their wildly different personalities. They both have an infectious charm and the all-important quality of impossibly shiny, flowing locks.

“Practical Magic” also has a stellar soundtrack, with songs from Stevie Nicks, Faith Hill, Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell and Elvis Presley, whose rendition of the ballad “Always on My Mind” is permanently spookified here.