If you haven’t heard, the much-anticipated Hocus Pocus 2 came out on September 30 on Disney Plus! Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker returned to the screen as the famously fearful and funny Sanderson Sisters. They acted alongside Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, Lilia Buckingham, and Sam Richardson.
The movie opened in Salem Village in 1653 with the young Sanderson Sisters. However, the other sisters were a bit overshadowed by Taylor Henderson’s portrayal of young Winnie (although that might have been the point). Henderson’s make-up, costume, tone, and mannerisms were so on point! She perfectly emulated the iconic Winifred Sanderson, which is a very monumental task.
It was also so great how they filled in some gaps from the original Hocus Pocus, such as how the sisters came to live in the woods, how they became witches, and who their mother was. We also got some hilarious tea on Billy Butcherson and Winifred’s relationship (or lack thereof). It gave the audience some much-craved context about the sisters.
Hocus Pocus 2 also portrayed witches in a better light. They are getting with the times! Witches are not just supernatural, nightmarish creatures that want to eat children — they are feminists. The movie implies “on one hand…that charges of witchcraft are one tool the patriarchy has for keeping independent women in check; on the other, it allows the women to be bona fide witches (it’s as if they’re being falsely accused of exactly what they are),” according to Variety. With the rise of witches, crystals, tarot cards, and more due to social media, “WitchTok,” and even podcasts, everyone is embracing their inner witch!
The added diversity was much appreciated. They added the incredible actors Whitney Peak, Sam Richardson, and Belissa Escobedo. Whitney Peak was fantastic as Zoya Lott, the new girl, in the reboot of Gossip Girl, and I was so excited to see her in this. Sam Richardson was also recently in the hilarious movie Senior Year, starring Rebel Wilson, on Netflix.
The attention to detail was incredible. I don’t know if any of you caught this reference to the original movie, but as the Sanderson Sisters were flying by a window during the musical number, the original movie was playing on a couples’ TV. The scene was the one with the man in the Satan costume getting yelled at by his wife with her hair rollers. I love these little hints throughout the movie! The modernized jokes emulate that of the original movie, but this time, they referenced Walgreens, Amazon’s Alexa, Roombas, and more.
One thing I do have to mention is that I still prefer the original dance number of “I Put A Spell on You” over “One Way Or Another.” I just don’t think the dance scene from the first movie can be topped. However, both are iconic, and both are definitely on my Halloween playlist.
I love the themes of sisterhood and family, which draws on the idea of a coven, in the second movie. The final scene with Winifred choosing to be with her sisters was incredibly emotional and heartwarming. The end credit scene also hinted that there is potential for the sisters to return if another Virgin lights the other Black Flame Candle on Halloween night — so we may be seeing the sisters appear on the big screen again soon!
Is Hocus Pocus 2 better than the original? The movie got 63 percent on Rotten Tomatoes compared to the original Hocus Pocus’ score of 39 percent. So according to Rotten Tomatoes, it’s better. To me, it is exactly what we needed this fall, and it is the perfect sequel to the original. Both are fantastic and iconic, and I hope that there is more to come!
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