The Craft

In the darkly alluring and mystical world of 1990s suburban Los Angeles, a seemingly ordinary teenager named Sarah Bailey (Robin Tunney) finds herself at the unassuming St. Benedict's Academy, a private Catholic high school that eerily bears little resemblance to the tranquility and moral rectitude its name suggests. A transplanted 17-year-old relocating from Memphis, Sarah possesses a lingering sensitivity stemming from the abandonment she experienced in the context of her recently deceased mother. Uninformed school counselors render guidance for a student still battling loneliness. This prop sets the stage for Sarah's eventual association with a group of four girls from different walks of life - Lirio (Tracy Griffith), a rebellious individual, and the inner circle of Nancy Downs (Fairuza Balk), Bonnie (Neve Campbell), and Rochelle Zimmerman (Rachel True) - that will transform both her perceptions of the world and the inner workings of her being. On the exterior, Nancy's imposing façade, including her caustic demeanor and unsettling mystique, instantly captivates Sarah, beckoning her to follow. In a turn of events, Sarah discovers a passion for magical practice after becoming engrossed in the incantations and rituals surrounding this clique of teenage spell casters. In secret, the young group gathers in a hidden abandoned apartment to hone their craft, fueled by Nancy's magnetic hold and willpower. They uncover a mystical treatise, casting texts as old as Greek mythologies, in this apartment where any mention of darker practices can evoke excitement for Nancy and induce unmentioned trepidation around the group. In addition to their studies in sorcery, the newly formed circle begins dabbling with prepotent elements in their neighborhood, blending white magic and the art of spell casting with everyday petty confrontations between suburban families. Unpacking school rivalries; meddling parental anxieties; Nancy tries conjuring forth voodoo curses on a hostile rival or manipulating her friends to deal with recurring pressure. As a result of exploring the craft in more depth, each girl gets wrapped up in the other's confusions as they struggle through shared relationships of emotional depth. Nancy begins to unfold her mystique on her close bonds - or more precisely, the very fragile threads that tie her to Nancy's closest circle of teenage spell casters. Through gradual introspection, Bonnie realizes that Nancy's behavior represents a facade for escaping a much larger struggle - specifically, grappling with the irreversible loss of her long-lost sister. Over the subsequent shifts in Sarah's perception, Sarah gradually discovers the character of Nancy, the mystique surrounding their entire practice and her participation turns her deeply troubled life on her head.