Let the Ritual Begin…
Hi, unicorns! This time, I’m here to talk about something that’s very popular right now: reboots. Many are simply new versions of previously released movies, but sometimes they take the opportunity to update the story by incorporating and exploring new themes, contexts, and characters. However, many people prefer the original versions, since plenty of reboots don’t work as well as the originals. Such is the case with the movie I’ll be discussing in this Unicorn Scale… By the way, if this is your first time reading The Unicorn Scale and you have no idea how we rate things, you can check out our rating system here.
Today I’d like to talk about one of these reboots: The Craft: Legacy. This new version is not only a sequel to the original movie, but also a soft reboot of the story, set years later in the present day and incorporating themes such as sisterhood, feminism, and LGBTQ rights. It also breaks stereotypes and opens up a conversation about bisexuality and acceptance. The plot is similar: four teenage aspiring witches get more than they bargained for as they discover their new powers. And before we continue, I have to warn you that there will be SPOILERS for the 2020 movie. So if you haven’t seen it yet, proceed at your own risk.
The movie begins 20 years after the original events, with three aspiring witches — Frankie (Gideon Adlon), Tabby (Lovie Simone), and Lourdes (Zoey Luna) — coming together to perform a ritual to freeze time using their newly discovered magic. However, the ritual requires a fourth witch, so they need to find someone else with the same gifts. We then meet Lily (Cailee Spaeny), who moves with her mother, Helen (Michelle Monaghan), to live with her mom’s new boyfriend, Adam Harrison (David Duchovny), and his three teenage sons. On her first day of school, Lily is openly mocked by her classmates for getting her period in class. As she runs to the bathroom, she befriends the three young witches who make up the coven. After witnessing Lily’s abilities when she telekinetically pushes someone, they invite her to become their fourth member. And now it’s time to sit in a circle and invoke the powers of the elements to unlock their true potential as a group.
What I Liked:
In the original story, female empowerment is at the center of everything. However, in this new version, feminism takes on a much stronger, more prominent role — much like it does today — showing not only a coven discovering its powers and the consequences of using them, but also a strong sense of sisterhood among the girls. It’s an excellent way to show what young women can accomplish when they trust one another. For director and screenwriter Zoe Lister-Jones, it was important to include the voice of a trans woman, which is why Lourdes was written as a trans character from the beginning and given to trans actress Zoe Luna, who is of Latin descent.
On the other hand, I really liked how the movie breaks clichés and stereotypical characters, such as the typical school bully — the popular, athletic, not-so-smart guy who takes pride in ridiculing and making fun of people — Timmy Andrews (Nicholas Galitzine). Timmy mocks Lily for getting her period in class, so the girls decide to put a spell on him to help him become a better person. This results in a profound personality change, a “deconstructed Timmy,” a guy who enjoys spending time with the girls as a friend, stops other guys from making inappropriate comments, goes to parties as the designated driver, and helps out in the kitchen. What moved me most was seeing Timmy decide to talk openly about his sexuality and emotions. He is shown feeling worried and sad after having an intimate encounter with his friend, who turns out to be one of Lily’s mom’s boyfriend’s sons. This is where we learn that he is attracted to both men and women.
What I Didn’t Like:
I wasn’t satisfied with the bi representation. A character this stereotypical, with such a brief and fleeting coming-out moment as bi, deserved more development. And this isn’t just a problem with Timmy; much of the movie is left unexplained.
This is a movie about witches, about teenage girls, and it should show what it feels like to be a young woman navigating our modern world. But every time the movie gets close to really delving into those themes, another character immediately shows up to take the spotlight. This problem is made worse by the fact that too many characters compete for screen time. You have the coven, Helen, Adam, his three sons, Timmy, and some mean girls at school, and there’s just no way to focus on that many people without sacrificing something in the story.
There are also many situations that don’t seem to make sense and are never explained by the end. Speaking of trans representation, I didn’t like that Lourdes got so little focus, since the idea was to create space to explore the definition of femininity, which becomes difficult when her character doesn’t get enough attention.
The Rating:
I’ve decided to give it a rating of two unicorns. Speaking of clichés, something that is very common with reboots, especially of classic cult movies, is that the new versions aren’t very good. And that’s exactly what happened here: the director and writer failed to bring relevant themes to the screen, such as exploring bisexuality in greater depth. The characters lack backstory and personality. I think this movie would have been much better if it had focused on the group instead of overcrowding it with other characters. It’s true that Timmy’s character breaks many stereotypes, and it’s good to see different types of personalities identify as bi. However, like every other character in the movie, he doesn’t get to explore his story and self-discovery in any real depth.
I also enjoyed some parts, especially when the group was simply hanging out and having fun. I really liked that it felt fairly inclusive. I like the original movie, although I don’t have the same strong connection to it that other people do. That said, The Craft: Legacy leaves a lot to be desired.
“We’re the weirdos… mister.”
