Practical Magic (1998) is now streaming on HBO MAX for subscribers. The supernatural fantasy comedy-drama romance was not a hit at the box office upon its original release, but over the years, it has become a beloved cult classic and a Halloween favorite.
Practical Magic was released in theaters on October 16, 1998, followed by VHS and DVD releases on February 16, 1999. More recently, a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray version was released on August 25, 2026.
SYNOPSIS: "Two witch sisters, raised by their eccentric aunts in a small town, face closed-minded prejudice and a curse which threatens to prevent them ever finding lasting love."
STORYLINE: "Sisters Sally Owens (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian Owens (Nicole Kidman) have a special bond with each other despite being different in personality and outlook. Having grown up with their spinster Aunt Frances (Stockard Channing) and Aunt Jet (Dianne Wiest) in the long time Owens family house on an island off the coast of Massachusetts following the death of their father and then their mother, they are the latest in a long line of witches. Rumors of the Owens women being witches have existed for generations in the small close-minded town in which they live, despite there being no hard evidence. The Owens women are also under a curse that any man with who they fall in love is doomed."
"With this experience, extroverted Gillian decides to leave the island to live life to the fullest, in the process, falling for Jimmy Angelov (Goran Visnjic), a Bulgarian who grew up near Transylvania. More introspective Sally, who has sworn off the use of magic except in its most practical sense, has taken measures not to fall in love because of the curse, but ends up falling for and marrying Michael (Mark Feuerstein), a local merchant, the two who end up having two daughters of their own. The curse works its way into Gillian's and Sally's lives in different ways. The outcomes of the curse on their collective lives become more complicated with the arrival into town of Tuscon Police Detective Gary Hallet (Aidan Quinn), whose arrival is not by accident and involves more than just his stated professional purpose." —Huggo
Starring Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest, Goran Visnjic, Aidan Quinn, Evan Rachel Wood, Mark Feuerstein, Margo Martindale.
The original cast of characters will team up with a whole new group of witches in the much-anticipated sequel, Practical Magic 2, which is set to come out on September 11, 2026.
Check back on Thursday and Friday for two more posts about Practical Magic (1998) and Practical Magic 2 (2026).
Original Trailer:
TV Spot:
TV Spot:
Reviews, VHS & DVD TV Spot:
Movie Preview | Movie Clips:
Magical Margarita Chaos | Movie Preview | Movie Clips:
Bringing someone back to life! | Movie Clip:
The Coven | Movie Clip:
Witches with Secrets: The Owens Sisters | Movie Clip:
Sister Blood Pact | Movie Clip:
Saving Her Sister From Evil | Movie Clip:
Midnight Margaritas! | Movie Clip | ClipZone: For the Girls:
Bring Back The Dead | Movie Clip | ClipZone: For the Girls:
The EXORCISM of Gilly Owens| Movie Clip:
Sally Owens begs for her DEAD husband back | Movie CLIP:
MIDNIGHT MARGARITAS! | Movie CLIP:
The COVEN forms at the Owens' Home | Movie CLIP:
Sally Owens CONFESSES | Movie CLIP:
The LOVE SPELL | Movie CLIP:
The Owens Sisters ARGUE Over Dead Body | Movie CLIP:
Beautiful Shots from Practical Magic by @beautifulshotsyoutube:
9Go! TV edits | Movie Clips | Practical Magic (1998) is rated M on DVD for "Supernatural themes, low level violence", but was edited for a PG rating on Australian TV:
1998 Interview | Practical Magic: Sandra Bullock | ScreenSlam:
1998 Interview | Sandra Bullock & Nicole Kidman on becoming witches together in 'Practical Magic':
'Practical Magic' Turns 25: On Set With Sandra Bullock and Nichole Kidman (Flashback):
This Kiss by Faith Hill ▪︎ Lyrics ▪︎ Fan Made Music Video:
Crystal by Stevie Nicks | Practical Magic (Music From The Motion Picture):
Practical Magic (Music From The Motion Picture) | YouTube Playlist:
Ambience Practical Magic — Cozy Fireplace & Acoustic Guitar for Relaxation, Sleep, Study:
Ambiance and Soundtrack Mix Extended - Amas Veritas - Practical Magic:
Ambience & Music | Practical Magic:
Ambience Practical Magic Midnight Margaritas | Muffled Playlist of Comforting Songs in Another Room
Watch Practical Magic on HBO MAX on YouTube (Subscription needed):
Stills:
Reviews:
"Practical Magic is too scary for children and too childish for adults. Who was it made for?.. The movie doesn’t seem sure what tone to adopt, veering uncertainly from horror to laughs to romance. To cue us, it puts lots of songs on the soundtrack. A movie lacks confidence when it uses music to tell us how to feel; here the music intrudes, insists, explains, and tries to force segues between events that are not segueable. Example, early in the film: An impending kiss is accompanied by “This Kiss,” by Faith Hill... Comic relief is provided by the sister’s two maiden aunts, Jet (Dianne Wiest) and Frances (Stockard Channing). The whole movie would have been funnier if they, and not the younger women, had been involved with the Transylvanian cowboy and the cop, but that would have required wit and imagination beyond the compass of this material. Still pending at the outcome is whether pancake flipping somehow immunizes Gary from the knell of the death watch beetle." ★★ RogerEbert.com
"... another unsatisfactory but slightly fun chick flick... it's a witch flick, it's obvious it isn't going to be believable. Unless you believe in witches, then I guess you have a problem. If anything, the whole supernatural thing makes this film a bit interesting... In spite of a complete lack of a plot, and nothing resembling, not even a little, character development or interesting, likeable characters, this clichéed film still manages to be fun. It is indeed plenty of humour, and everyone, from the director to the cast, is able to deliver a twisted, dark humour very successfully. And there are some fun scenes as well... the cast does a good job. Given the script, I wasn't expecting a lot of good, but both Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman do great in making you feel sympathy for their characters. And you may even end up crying with Sandra Bullock. " ★★ AFilmADayBySonia.blogspot.com
"Normally I'd wonder why Warner Bros. would bring Griffin Dunne's romantic fantasy film Practical Magic to 4K UHD at this point in time: it didn't strongly connect with audiences or critics back in 1998, and this year doesn't exactly mark a significant anniversary. However, there's a sequel right around the corner and, as much as I'm surprised by that too, it'll at least reunite stars Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman with three of its four returning writers: Adam Brooks, Akiva Goldsman, and of course Alice Hoffman, who wrote the original 1995 novel as well as its recent sequel Book of Magic, upon which the sequel will be based... Griffin Dunne's Practical Magic means well and should still excite nostalgic fans of this 1998 romantic fantasy film, and if nothing else it's got two great leads in Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. For my money, though, it's always felt a bit uneven with a conclusion that doesn't stick the landing, although I'm still curious to see where the returning cast and crew take some of these characters for the upcoming sequel." ★★★ Blu-ray.com
"Bullock and Kidman are ideally cast as sisters who are as different as they are devoted, but overall this is an uneven adaptation of Alice Hoffman's lyrical novel. On the plus side, Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing are delightful in Practical Magic as the sisters' wry but wise and loving aunts, bedecked in Victorian lace. And it's a pretty movie to watch, with some feel-good scenes and strong themes of sisterhood. But the movie swings wildly in tone and theme, with a mix of comedy, romance, and fantasy that doesn't always gel but can still be pretty fun." ★★★ CommonSenseMedia.org
"With an excellent cast, Practical Magic was destined to become a classic, and there is no surprise that it has. Bullock and Kidman have great chemistry and were great choices for the young witches. Channing and Wiest are perfect as their older family members as well as witches themselves. While the story is all about these strong, independent women, the men are great as well, with Goran Višnjić ("ER") playing the abusive boyfriend, Aidan Quinn (Legends of the Fall) portraying Sally's love interest, and Mark Feuerstein (What Women Want) as Sally's deceased husband... With the sequel hitting movie theaters in a few weeks, the timing couldn't be more perfect... This is a terrific opportunity for people to brush up on the original story before we get a look at what the Owens family has cooked up next... Hopefully, the next one, which opens in theaters on September 11th, will live up to its predecessor's reputation." Grade: B- FlickDirect.com
"I haven’t seen Practical Magic since 1998. I remember loving it. I remember the iconic scene where they all dressed up in Halloween witch outfits and flew off the roof... The story ended up being a romance after all. The most fun part was when the ladies of the town all came to help with Gillian’s exorcism. The townspeople ended up accepting the witches and loving them. Hence the fun Halloween display from the rooftop. The sister relationship was the key love story in the film, despite the various men who showed up. It was a look at what “normal” actually is, at acceptance and love, and at family bonds. The message was that being different is something to celebrate. Still an essential message all these years later." OldAintDead.com
"Absolutely one of my favorite stories of all time. This film is in very close competition with YOU’VE GOT MAIL for the best Autumn film. The aesthetic of this and the 90’s whimsgoth styling is really unmatched. The film has such beautiful representations of female relationships and Bullock and Kidman are a simply perfect duo. The soundtrack is ethereal and matches perfectly with the film, Stevie Nicks is a national treasure. The fashion, the house, the script, and the acting are all just perfection. Our nation has never been more divided than the time that Rotten Tomatoes decided to give this film a 23%… so much hate. Also, had a crush on Goran Visnjic as Jimmy Angelov from the first time I watched it and still do to this day, I think it’s the physical similarities to Uncle Jesse." SpoilerFreeReviews.com
"... This is Griffin Dunne’s smalltown supernatural goof-fest, adapted from a bestseller by Alice Hoffman; the sequel is based on her own follow-up, The Book of Magic. A zanier adventure in occult romance can hardly be imagined, and the elements of grown up noir violence only make it weirder – it is as if The Witches of Eastwick took on something of Thelma & Louise with a decaffeinated David Lynch. Meanwhile, cinematographer Andrew Dunn bathes the daytime scenes in a golden, buttery light... It’s an amusing, if very 90s, movie; the kind that has its own endless afterlife on home entertainment." ★★★★ TheGuardian.com
"Now I know Practical Magic is not what you would call a typical rom-com... There is something warm and comfortable about watching Practical Magic... The movie takes place in Massachusetts but was filmed in the gorgeous seaside port town of Coupeville, Washington. The Owens home, so integral to the story that it’s practically a character of its own, was built specifically for the movie (and, sadly, torn down afterward). I could probably spend all day watching Practical Magic for the production design alone... Practical Magic does have its humorous moments to lighten the otherwise dark mood... The message of family and female empowerment is strong in Practical Magic, and I find it just as satisfying as watching Sally finally get her happy ending. I watch this movie almost every Halloween, and I don’t see that tradition stalling any time soon." ★★★★½ TheRomComCatalog.com
"Practical Magic isn’t one of the best films out there but it is entertaining especially if you’re a fan of Nicole Kidman or Sandra Bullock. I really enjoyed this film. It’s corny and typical but cute and delightful. So, If you are in the mood for a romantic film with a supernatural twist this film is for you." What-To-Watch.com
YouTube Reviews:
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