TL;DR – While narratively it is a bit all over the place, there is a core to it that still translates in 2026.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime service that was used to view this film.

Warning – Contains scenes which may cause distress.

Practical Magic Review Introduction

Today we are looking at a bit of a blind spot for me. When I think back to the cult classics of 1998, my touchstone was Ever After: A Cinderella Story. But with the Practical Magic sequel upon us, I thought it was time to fix this potential mistake and see if the film can still resonate in 2026.  

So, to set the scene, Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gilly (Nicole Kidman) are sisters from the infamous Owens family. The whole town thinks they are witches; well, that is because they are. They live with their aunts Frances (Stockard Channing) and Jet (Dianne Wiest), and maybe a curse that affects every woman in their family. It is this supposed curse that caused Gilly to run away from the town, and Sally to buck history and fall in love with Michael (Mark Feuerstein). Sally moves back in with the aunts with her daughters Kylie (Evan Rachel Wood) and Antonia (Alexandra Artrip) and gives up magic for good, until one day Gilly calls needing help from her abusive boyfriend Jimmy (Goran Visnjic), and things go very wrong.

Long Setup

One thing I was not expecting when sitting down to watch this film was just how long the narrative set-up for the film is. It is honestly impressive just how many narrative beats the movie must work through before it gets to the very dead abusive boyfriend. I don’t think a similar film would wait 40-odd meandering minutes today to get to the inciting incident. There is a lot of oddness in how the movie depicts the abuse sections, including some almost jaunty music in one section. It just does not play the same way in 2026 as it did back in the day.

A Fun Time

I will say, what you can take away from the film is that clearly people had a lot of fun working on it. Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, and Dianne Wiest honestly look like they are having an absolute blast in some of the scenes. You can’t help but get caught up in some of the more jovial scenes as chaos reigns around you. There is a level of chemistry here that is very difficult to fake; it also helps smooth over some of the narrative bumps that crop up from time to time.

Impeccable Production    

Another thing that helps the film is the impeccable production that the artists put in to make this world come alive. The house that most of the film is set in feels whimsical, almost a caricature but not quite, which gives it a charm. Indeed, the house is filled with these small details that fill it with character and charm. The location work also helped create a world for the movie. The small oceanside town harbouring a great secret is such a mood; it honestly helps so much.    

Recommendation  

In the end, do we recommend Practical Magic? Look, narratively the film is a bit of a mess, and I am entirely unsure how good of an adaptation it is of the original work. However, the bond from the cast and the production help make Practical Magic a film I could understand becoming a cult classic.  

If you liked Practical Magic, we would recommend Coco to you because it also understands the power of family history to shape people’s lives while diving full force into the world of the supernatural.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Feel free to share this review on social media and check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 


Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Practical Magic
Directed by – Griffin Dunne
Screenplay by – Robin Swicord, Akiva Goldsman, & Adam Brooks
Based on – Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Music by – Alan Silvestri
Cinematography by – Andrew Dunn
Edited by – Elizabeth Kling
Production/Distribution Companies – Fortis Films, Di Novi Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, & Warner Bros Pictures
Starring – Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest, Goran Visnjic, Aidan Quinn, Evan Rachel Wood, Alexandra Artrip, Mark Feuerstein, Caprice Benedetti, Margo Martindale, Chloe Webb, Martha Gehman, Lucinda Jenney, Peter Shaw, Caralyn Kozlowski, Camilla Belle, & Lora Anne Criswell
Rating – Australia: M; Canada: PG; Germany: 12; New Zealand: M; United Kingdom: 12A; United States: PG-13