What can I say about the eighties? It was the decade with the Big hair, the bright colors, and some of the beloved flops in movie history. And one of my favorites is the 1989 magical romantic comedy Teen Witch! It’s the perfect Halloween treat to round off October. 

When it comes to the cool and popular, Louise Miller (Robyn Lively) isn’t a spec on their shoes. But everything starts to change the closer to her sixteenth birthday. After an accident leads her to a psychic, Madame Serena (Zelda Rubinstein) she becomes aware that she’s not just an ordinary girl. 

She’s a witch. 

Little by little Louise’s powers start to manifest, she gets back at her bullies and even casts a love spell over the school’s resident dreamboat jock Brad Powell (Dan Gauthier). But the more she casts the more she realizes that while magic can make you the most popular girl, it can’t conjure what’s truly important. 

Written to be the “little sister” of Michael J. Fox’s Teen Wolf, Teen Witch is by no means a perfect film, the story is thin, its musical numbers (though FABULOUS) are weirdly out of place, and it’s just plain silly. But, that’s the charm.

I mean… how fun is this song?

Even as a child, Lively was a brilliantly (and underrated) actress. There is an innocence to her performance as Louise – and she was incredibly relatable. Also, it’s cute that Brad was her first kiss (but also creepy when you realize he was 10 years older than she was at the time of filming).

The heart of Teen Witch, like most 80s movies, is that the underdog can win. Sometimes yes, you need to bend the will of your enemies with magic, but still, as long as your heart is in the right place, your life will never be the same again. 

If you’re looking for life-altering cinema, skip this film, but if you’re looking for something fun and nostalgic, this film is perfect. 

8/10

More reviews soon so…

Stay tuned!