Common Sense Media Review
By Maria Llull , based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 10+
Rollicking Halloween fun has scares, gross-out moments.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
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Violence & Scariness
some
Most scares are campy, magical, and meant to be comedic, but they're realistic and could still disturb younger kids. The villains take a child's life force while she's in a trance-like state, and she quietly slumps over in a chair (implied dead). A teen is zapped with electricity and appears to pass out, then gets turned into a cat. Characters stand at the gallows with nooses around their necks -- they cheerfully joke around before dying (legs visible above toppled barrels). Teens bully younger teens and kids, stealing their shoes and Halloween candy. A corpse named Billy is reanimated and breaks out of his crypt to chase kids, getting decapitated (he isn't hurt and eventually befriends the main characters). Villains are trapped and burned inside a pottery kiln (not gory); they leave uninjured. A few gross-out scenes include a character eating spiders, a cat getting run over by a bus, and a zombie cutting his stitched mouth open with a knife. Items that play key roles are a book bound in human skin and a candle made from the fat of a hanged man.
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Language
a little
A few uses of "hell" (including "go to hell") and infrequent uses of "damn," "wench," "moron," and "oh God."
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
a little
A candle must be lit by a virgin to bring the witches back to life -- there are several mentions of "the virgin." Passing reference to an unfaithful lover. Characters flirt and nearly share a kiss. One person hugs a pillow and says "Oh, Allison, you're so soft." Innuendo when the witches tell a bus driver that they "desire children" (to kill and use for a potion) and he replies, "It might take me a couple of tries, but I don't think that'll be a problem."
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Products & Purchases
very little
Many off-screen tie-in products available.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
very little
References to "hash" and "smokes" by teens. An adult smokes in her home.
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Positive Messages
some
Teamwork and self-sacrifice will help you beat difficult odds. Bullying has negative consequences.
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Positive Role Models
some
Max, Dani, and Allison support one another and tackle the witches with intelligence. Older brothers Max and Thackery sacrifice themselves to protect their younger sisters. But parents and adults are portrayed as unreliable -- they don't listen when kids need them most. The teens who bully the main characters and "evil" witches Winifred, Sarah, and Mary are very clearly in the wrong. The three witches fall into gender clichés, obsessed with their looks and willing to kill children to maintain power, though their wickedness is meant to be comical rather than sinister.
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Diverse Representations
a little
Women and girls outnumber male characters and play main roles as villains and heroes. Allison and Dani are strong and smart, fighting the witches and briefly saving Dani's brother Max. But there are slight gender clichés with the witches: They cast a spell to be "young and beautiful" and are obsessed with their looks. All characters are White except minor Black characters who briefly appear at a crowded party. There's a very quick glimpse of racist 1960s-era packaging for Cherry Clan candies, showing characters with squinty eyes wearing conical Asian hats. Fatphobic lines include a well-fed cat who's worried about becoming a "fat, useless house cat," and a teen calls his friend "oinker" for eating too much candy.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Hocus Pocus' campy scares have lasting Halloween appeal. The story of the wicked Sanderson sisters (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) involves their plot to suck the life force out of children, and one girl dies that way (it isn't gory). Most of the movie's violence is playful and meant to be comical, including the witches being burned in a pottery kiln (they're unhurt) and hanged at the gallows (their legs are visible). A corpse is reanimated and chases kids. Gross-out scenes include a character eating spiders and a zombie cutting his stitched mouth open with a blade. A book bound in human skin and a candle made from the fat of a hanged man play key roles in the story. Main characters Max (Omri Katz) and younger sister Dani (Thora Birch) are bullied, and teens mention "smokes" and "hash." An adult smokes inside her own home. Language includes "damn" and "hell." Teens flirt and almost kiss, and a character hugs his pillow and murmurs, "Oh, Allison, you're so soft." Max is teased about being a virgin. Some innuendo when the witches tell a bus driver that they "desire children" (to kill and use for a potion) and he replies, "It might take me a couple of tries, but I don't think that'll be a problem." Teen characters are portrayed as positive role models, but parents/adults are portrayed as unreliable, ignoring kids when they need help. Important themes include using teamwork to outwit villains. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
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Videos and Photos
Hocus Pocus
Parent and Kid Reviews
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- Parents say (45)
- Kids say (61)
age 10+
Based on 45 parent reviews
ForRealzThough Adult
November 1, 2021
age 13+
Good but...
This is a cute Halloween flick without too much gore. The issue is that the PG rating is too low for what the movie contains. It views more like a PG-13. While the Halloween violence is minimal, there are numerous sexual innuendos in this movie that are shocking for a movie that seems to be aimed for kids. Examples include the 16 year old brother snuggling a pillow and pretending it's his crush and numerous references to him being a "virgin". While a younger audience might not understand the reference, it comes up enough to possibly be asked about it. Also, the boy is only 16, but it is almost implied that it is weird that he is still a virgin. Additionally, when the sisters (witches) get on the bus, the bus driver hits on them and when they say they want children, it is implied that he could get all of them pregnant "after a few tries". There's also lots of cleavage present throughout the movie between one of the witch costumes and the mother's madonna costume. There is also a reference to Allison's (the teenage girl's) cleavage. There is also a mild drug reference between the bullies and the main character. There is just a lot for this to really be viewed much younger than 13. Again, some parents might be good with it where some of the references would go over a younger audience's head.
Alex1980 Parent of 5 and 7-year-old
September 23, 2022
age 11+
MANY sex related one liners, references to inappropriate sexual ideas
Revisiting this movie, I'm upset that I forgot just how many sexual references are in this that are absolutely not appropriate for a 5 & 7 year old. To list the moments I had to explain, fast forward, or sidestep with the kids:1. The little sister telling the big brother's crush that she likes her Halloween costume, but she didn't have the "yabos" to wear it like the crush...and that her big brother loves the crush's "yabos". 2. Mention of a "virgin" needed to light the black flame candle, ad nauseam, plus a weird scene where a random adult man takes the teen main character aside to ask him if he's really a virgin.3. Sarah Jessica Parker sitting on the bus, bouncing on the drivers lap and flirting was a bit much, as was the bus driver flirting back4. SJPs constant kissing of random men and comments related to boys.5. SJPs dancing with the "devil" (a random homeowner dressed up for Halloween) and having her shoes taken off and dress hiked up in the 2nd shot of them6. The focus on Mom's old school Madonna cone breasts were weird for a generation that is both too young to remember or to understand what that symbolized, but made my 7 year old feel uncomfortable that they were focusing attention on a "private" body area like that.7. The 2 bullies contemplating if they should go look inside girls windows to watch them undress late on Halloween night.There were a few more references not added, because they were hidden in the script and would go over kids' heads (as they should). Bottom line: this movie could've existed without the choices to groom kids throughout portions of the script and in that case, would've become an annual classic in our home. Sadly, we'll be skipping this and the next one
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What's the Story?
HOCUS POCUS starts hundreds of years ago in Salem, Massachusetts, when three witches murder a little girl and curse her older brother, turning him into an immortal cat. The witches, better known as the Sanderson Sisters, are hanged for the crime. But just before their sentence is carried out, Winnie Sanderson (Bette Midler) casts a spell to bring herself and her sisters Mary (Kathy Najimy) and Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) back to life on a future Halloween night. When present-day high schooler Max (Omri Katz) lights a bewitched candle, he unwittingly performs the exact act that will make the sisters return. With the help of cat Thackery (Sean Murray), Max, his friend Allison (Vinessa Shaw), and his younger sister Dani (Thora Birch) do their best to outwit, outrun, and outlast the witches.
Is It Any Good?
Our review:
Parents say (45):
Kids say (61):
This perennial Halloween favorite is full of silly moments. Some of the best scenes in Hocus Pocus involve the Sanderson Sisters -- Winnie, Mary, and Sarah -- walking through Salem on Halloween night, encountering costumed children. They perform "I Put a Spell on You" at a dance and mistake a man dressed as the devil for the real thing and call him their "master." There are definitely plot holes, and a lot of the film is predictable, but it's good Halloween fun nonetheless.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about scary stories. Did Hocus Pocus scare you? Do you think it was meant to be frightening, or fun? How much scary stuff can young kids handle?
Share your own memories of Halloween. What's your all-time favorite costume? How do you want to dress up this year?
How do the characters demonstrate teamwork? Why is that an important character strength?
How could you learn more about the facts of the Salem witch trials?
Movie Details
- In theaters: July 16, 1993
- On DVD or streaming: June 4, 2002
- Cast: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thora Birch
- Director: Kenny Ortega
- Inclusion Information: Gay directors, Female actors
- Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Brothers and Sisters, Holidays, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Character Strengths: Teamwork
- Run time: 96 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: some scary sequences, and for language
- Last updated: September 13, 2024
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Hocus Pocus
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