The Cinematheque

“Rowdy, vulgar, impolite, and ultimately very seductive and entertaining … Filmmaking of a very high order; it’s also a great time at the movies.”

Dave Kehr, Chicago Tribune

Mad Max​’s very own George Miller flexes his witch muscle with this deliciously twisted adaptation of John Updike’s 1984 novel, starring some of the biggest Hollywood names of the time. Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Susan Sarandon are showstoppers in their roles as three small-town women who inadvertently conjure up what they believe is their ideal partner. He arrives in the form of an utterly eccentric but unquestionably charismatic newcomer—the Devil himself (a pitch-perfect Jack Nicholson)—who manages to seduce them into his coven one by one. There they experience sexual and magical awakenings of the highest order. But once they realize he’s more trouble than it’s worth, they find that removing him from their lives is easier said than done. A staple of pop culture’s witch repertoire, this lush and wickedly funny supernatural comedy is peak ​’80s extravaganza and a certified good time.

“[Miller] directs this eccentric fairy tale with customary flair and adolescent gusto. His proportions are as outsized as they were in The Road Warrior, but the mood is demonic Disney.”

Rita Kempley, The Washington Post

“A buoyant, absurdist, sensually comic exploration of stifled femininity … The Witches Of Eastwick appropriately belongs to Cher, Sarandon, and Pfeiffer, who reveal dimensions of need and sexual agency that are simultaneously poignant and erotic.”

Chuck Bowen, AV Club