The Worst Witch is a children's book series written by Jill Murphy. It follows the adventures of Mildred Hubble, a young witch attending Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. The series was adapted into a television series in 1998 and has gained a dedicated following over the years. While the books and TV show have been well-received, there is one adaptation that stands out as the worst: the 1986 television movie. The Worst Witch (1986) stars Diana Rigg as Miss Hardbroom and Fairuza Balk as Mildred Hubble. Despite having a talented cast, the movie falls flat in many ways.
Despite having a talented cast, the movie falls flat in many ways. One of the main issues is the low production quality. The special effects are noticeably outdated and the set design lacks the magical charm seen in later adaptations.
The Worst Witch (1986) — Harriet Potter and the Prisoner of Halloween
Justin’s rating: Brooms with phones? What will they think of next!
Justin’s review: A wizarding school set in a British castle. A mean potions master. Flights on broomsticks. Invisibility spells. A flighty headmaster. Cat familiars. Clearly, J.K. Rowling didn’t conjure up Harry Potter out of thin air, as the idea of magicians being trained at boarding schools actually dates back to 1974’s The Worst Witch. That series, which is quite popular in its own right, spawned a whole franchise that included a few TV series and a stage play.
However, today we’re going to focus on the first adaptation of the books: A made-for-TV movie in 1986 that stars a very young Fairuza Balk (Return to Oz), Charlotte Rae (Facts of Life), and Tim Curry (Clue). Balk is Mildred Hubble, an oh-so-slightly clumsy first-year witch who is the only kid in this all-girls school who isn’t instantly perfect. Thus, she’s the “worst” witch who does things like stumble into other kids and not get her potion mixture right. This marks her for extreme persecution by fellow students and Miss Hardbroom, who I’m convinced was Severus Snape’s mother.
If you’re looking for a movie where your lead character says “Sorry!” and makes apologetic faces a lot, you’re in for the 70 minutes of your dreams. For the rest of us, we’ll make do with the best special effects that mid-80s British TV studios could create. It’s actually kind of charming.
The plot loosely follows Mildred as she bumbles her way through her first year while the school headmistress’ twin sister shows up as an evil witch trying to destroy the place. She also has to contend with a rival girl named Ethel, who at one point is turned into a pig. I’m sure it was the highlight of Balk’s career to spend several scenes acting against a swine. Oh, and the whole school has the biggest estrogen crush on the Grand Wizard (Curry), who is visiting on Halloween. No, it’s not creepy that kids are shown kissing photos of an adult man, why do you ask?
But if you had to ask me what I liked the best about The Worst Witch, I would reply instantly — and without any sarcasm — “the soundtrack.” This features a synth score that is so incredibly cheesy that it laps itself and becomes amazing. It’s like getting blasted with EPCOT’s Future World from the 1980s, if that analogy makes any sense. And on top of that, there is a smattering of totally terrible musical numbers that, again, wrap around the world to go from “bad” to “bodacious:”
And then when you add in Tim Curry, who arrives swooping down with a cape wider than an Airbus, a bat bow tie, and his trademark silky voice, you kind of don’t want to be anywhere else. It’s all silly and colorful and weird, the kind of thing that’s aimed to delight kids but may end up pleasing the campy at heart as well.
While this wasn’t part of my childhood, you won’t have to go far to find someone who grew up watching this every Halloween and knowing every line verbatim. Maybe the best thing I can say is that I’d watch this over two, maybe three of the actual Harry Potter movies.
Didja notice?
- The blow-up skeleton in the classroom
- Tim Curry is the only guy in this entire movie
- Well that’s a horrible school song
- These bad witches look like they raided the remnants of an after-Halloween sale at a costume shop
- Every time this movie starts in on a musical number, plug your ears FAST
- Cats love to fly and be held by screaming girls, apparently
- Kids making mildly scary faces is the most terrifying thing ever
A ghost from the 1920s refuses to leave the home just listed by Anna, a new real estate agent. Worse, the spirit is convinced she cannot "pass over" until she gets Anna back together with her ex.
The movie fails to capture the whimsical atmosphere of the books and the subsequent TV show. Additionally, the pacing of the film is quite slow. Scenes drag on and fail to hold the attention of the audience, especially young viewers who may be familiar with the books. The plot meanders without any clear direction, leaving the viewer feeling bored and uninterested. The lack of a compelling narrative is a significant downfall of this adaptation. Furthermore, the acting in The Worst Witch (1986) leaves much to be desired. While Diana Rigg is a talented actress, her portrayal of Miss Hardbroom is lacking the intimidating presence and strictness that fans of the books would expect. Fairuza Balk, in the role of Mildred Hubble, also fails to capture the essence of the character. Her performance feels flat and lacks the energetic and endearing qualities that make Mildred a beloved character. Another notable drawback of this adaptation is the lack of memorable musical numbers. The music in the 1986 movie is forgettable and fails to add anything of value to the story. This is in contrast to the later TV show, which features catchy and memorable songs that have become a staple of the franchise. Overall, The Worst Witch (1986) is a disappointing adaptation of Jill Murphy's beloved series. Its low production quality, slow pacing, weak acting, and forgettable music make it the worst iteration of the story. Fans of the books and subsequent adaptations would be better off skipping this particular version..
Reviews for "The Worst Witch (1986): Celebrating a Decades-Old Cult Classic"
- John - 1 star
This movie is an absolute disaster. The acting is horrendous, the plot is confusing and the special effects are laughable. I couldn't believe how boring and uninteresting the story was. The characters were poorly developed and I couldn't connect with any of them. Overall, "The Worst Witch" is a complete waste of time and I would not recommend it to anyone.
- Sarah - 2 stars
I was really disappointed with "The Worst Witch". The movie had so much potential but it fell flat on its face. The performances were mediocre at best and the dialogue was cringe-worthy. The story was poorly executed and there were too many plot holes. The special effects were also very outdated and took away from the overall experience. I expected so much more and I was let down.
- Michael - 1 star
"The Worst Witch" is hands down the worst movie I have ever watched. The acting is atrocious, the plot is nonsensical and the whole movie just feels like a big mess. I couldn't make any sense of what was happening and I found myself bored throughout. The characters were one-dimensional and unlikeable. It's hard to believe that this movie was released in 1986 because it feels like something from the 1960s. I would strongly advise against wasting your time on this film.