When Hocus Pocus was released in 1993, I was around the same age as the character Dani Dennison. I didn’t know I was watching a film that would become a Halloween tradition for generations to come. I just knew I was obsessed.

It was spooky without being completely terrifying and funny without losing its sense of darkness. The movie was filled with everything that made Halloween feel magical like, witches, candles, old houses, graveyards, costumes, spells and a soundtrack that seemed to belong to another world.

For a child discovering it in the 1990s, Hocus Pocus felt like the perfect kind of forbidden magic.

More than thirty years later, it’s still being watched every Halloween. The appeal isn’t limited to the generation that grew up with it. Many children who weren’t even born when Hocus Pocus was released are now discovering the Sanderson sisters for themselves.

It Was Surprisingly Dark for a Children’s Film

Looking back as an adult, one of the strangest things about Hocus Pocus is just how dark it is. The film opens with a young girl having her life sucked out of her by the witches and a young boy being transformed into a cat. The whole opening scene ends with the Sanderson sisters being hanged for witchcraft. The witches aren’t simply mischievous; their plan involves stealing the life force from children so they can remain young and beautiful.

There are dead bodies, curses, zombies, graveyards and a surprising number of references to virginity but somehow, it all feels fun. The darkness is softened by comedy, colourful costumes and three completely ridiculous witches who spend much of the film arguing with one another.

For a child, it was spooky enough to feel exciting without becoming genuinely frightening. For an adult, the premise seems almost astonishingly dark for something marketed as family entertainment.

The Sanderson Sisters Were Impossible to Forget

The film might have been called Hocus Pocus, but it was the Sanderson sisters who made it unforgettable. Together, they are villains who are somehow also incredibly funny and likeable.

Winifred is dramatic, ambitious and completely convinced of her own superiority. Mary is loyal, nervous and endlessly entertaining, while Sarah is flirtatious, silly and seemingly more interested in boys than world domination.

That’s a difficult balance to achieve as we know they’re dangerous, but we’re also entertained by them. Their arguments, mannerisms and sheer theatricality make them feel less like traditional Disney villains and more like three eccentric women who have somehow wandered into the wrong century. The performances are a huge part of why they continue to work.

It Created a World Children Wanted to Enter

Part of my fascination with Hocus Pocus as a child was the world it created. Salem at Halloween looked magical. The old houses, cobbled streets, costumes and dark forests made everything feel slightly mysterious.

Even the Sanderson sisters’ cottage felt like somewhere you wanted to explore. It wasn’t simply a story about witches; the film created an entire Halloween universe.

And Then There Was the Music

The music is another reason the film has remained so memorable. From the haunting beauty of Come Little Children to the wonderfully theatrical I Put a Spell on You, the soundtrack helped give the film an atmosphere that went beyond a typical children’s comedy. The highlight of the film was the Sanderson sisters performing on stage while an entire Halloween party dances along unbeknownst to the party goers that they were being cursed to dance until they die.

Beneath the Magic Is a Story About Family

Hocus Pocus also has a surprisingly simple emotional centre despite all the witches and supernatural chaos, it’s about siblings and growing up.

Max and Dani may argue, but their relationship drives much of the story. Max’s determination to protect his little sister gives the film its emotional heart, while Dani’s bravery repeatedly proves that being the youngest doesn’t mean being powerless. This is a dynamic that children can understand immediately. The supernatural elements might be fantasy, but the relationships are familiar.

Why It Still Works for Children Today

This is perhaps the most interesting part of Hocus Pocus‘s staying power. Millennials can watch it now and feel the nostalgia of childhood. We remember VHS tapes, 1990s Halloween costumes and the excitement of discovering a film that felt just a little bit too spooky, but nostalgia can’t explain why children who weren’t alive in 1993 still enjoy it.

The film doesn’t require an understanding of 1990s culture to work. You simply need to enjoy a good witch story, a little bit of fright and a lot of comedy.

That’s why Hocus Pocus has managed to become something bigger than a millennial childhood favourite, it is now a Halloween tradition.

The Magic of Discovering It Again

The best thing about watching Hocus Pocus as an adult is realising that all the things that fascinated you as a child are still there. The witches are still ridiculous, and the music is still brilliant. Salem still looks magical and that slightly dark edge is still there beneath all the comedy.

Every Halloween, another generation discovers the Sanderson sisters, the black flame candle and the strange, wonderful world of Salem.

The real magic of Hocus Pocus is that it simply keeps finding new generations willing to believe in a little Halloween magic.

Written by Siân Alison

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