Practical Magic, the 1998 fantasy romance starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, has become a sleeper hit on HBO Max amid renewed 1990s nostalgia and anticipation for its forthcoming sequel. The article argues that, beneath its warm depiction of sisterhood and witchcraft, the film takes a far darker turn, blending romance with crime, necromancy and horror elements reminiscent of The Exorcist.

The story follows witch sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, whose family is burdened by a curse that causes any man they love to die prematurely. After Sally accidentally kills Gillian’s abusive boyfriend Jimmy with belladonna, the sisters resort to necromancy to avoid suspicion when a detective investigates his disappearance. Their attempt to revive him unleashes a more overtly supernatural threat, showing how the film shifts sharply from sentimental fantasy into disturbing horror.