movie review witch hunt

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Common sense media reviewers.

Socially relevant tale is wickedly clever; peril, violence.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The movie's message is that everyone deserves resp

A family puts themselves at risk to house and prot

All major characters are White; most are female. A

Witches are burned alive, with some graphic images

Sexual reference.

Occasional strong language: "bitch," "slut," and o

Teens go to a bar and are drinking out of brown bo

Positive Messages

The movie's message is that everyone deserves respect and equal rights, no matter our differences. The witches' situation is intended to serve as a metaphor for undocumented immigrants living in the United States, building empathy for their challenges and circumstances. Story shows the importance of critical thinking and media literacy.

Positive Role Models

A family puts themselves at risk to house and protect people who are being unjustly persecuted. Claire starts out believing much of the worst of what she's heard about witches but opens her mind based on new experiences. Her friends are very quick to judge and condemn others. The witch hunter is a zealotry-driven crusader.

Diverse Representations

All major characters are White; most are female. A supporting Black male character is killed by a powerful White male character. Women and girls take matters into their own hands to help others, though there are scenes where they're at the mercy of a powerful man. The story is intended to build understanding of what it feels like to be targeted and dehumanized based on your background/genes.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Witches are burned alive, with some graphic images of charred skin and burning bodies. Guns used to threaten and kill. Scary moments with zombie hands. Punch. Intense peril and tension. A witch hunter spares no one in his crusade to hunt and kill his prey. Bullying.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Occasional strong language: "bitch," "slut," and one use of "f--king."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Teens go to a bar and are drinking out of brown bottles; it's unclear whether it's beer or root beer.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Witch Hunt is an immigration allegory in the form of a horror-thriller centered on teenage Claire ( Gideon Adlon ). The plot imagines the modern-day United States being caught up in fear-based hysteria about witches, with many people's behavior looking a lot like real-world anti-immigrant sentiment. Claire's mother ( Elizabeth Mitchell ) has made their home part of a network that helps witches escape to Mexico to find asylum, but Claire's not sure how she feels in light of how witches are portrayed in the news, social media, and gossip. The film is creepy more than violent, but there are repeated scenes of witches being set on fire, with their skin charring before viewers' eyes. Guns are used to threaten and kill, and characters -- including a young girl -- are frequently in intense peril. High school girls badmouth a romantic rival ("bitch," "slut"), and the word "f--king" is used once. High schoolers sit at a bar drinking something out of brown bottles, but it's unclear whether it's beer or root beer. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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What's the Story?

It's 2020, and residents of the United States are on alert: Witches are living among them! With states enacting laws against the practice of witchcraft, federal witch hunters are conducting a nationwide sweep to flush these magical women and girls out of hiding. When two young witches are in danger of being discovered, teenage Claire ( Gideon Adlon ) realizes she must help them escape the WITCH HUNT.

Is It Any Good?

Writer-director Elle Callahan astutely lights a torch and holds up a mirror so audiences can check themselves -- is that a pitchfork in our hand? Witch Hunt cleverly imagines that if the witch hysteria of centuries past was to happen today, network news and social media, combined with an authoritarian government, would quickly escalate people's fears until they were willing to persecute innocents. But it's very clear that the story intentionally references all-too-familiar anti-immigrant sentiments. Callahan prompts viewers to ask themselves what separates them from distant ancestors of the type who let panic reign in Salem back in the bonnets-and-breeches days. And she achieves this simply by including the obstacle of a border wall that accused witches try to climb over to escape into Mexico in search of asylum.

Even teens who don't get caught up in the movie's political analogy may embrace the importance it places on individualism and media literacy. Witch Hunt makes it very clear that any group can be vilified, any minority that's seen as a threat simply for being different. By following Claire, viewers are able to get into the head space of a confused teen trying to figure out how to navigate the complicated politics of adults and authority figures. Should she side with her compassionate mother, who's putting her family in danger by breaking the law to help witches? Or should she side with her friends, who echo the anti-witch sentiments of the media and government? Perhaps Callahan's greatest sorcery is conjuring a character whose ability to adjust her viewpoint based on empathy could make viewers confront their own attitudes, all wrapped up as a teen-friendly popcorn horror flick.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the persecution of "witches" in Europe and America in the 16th-18th centuries. How does Witch Hunt incorporate elements from the Salem Witch Trials into the characters and script?

How does Witch Hunt make the audience realize that its story is a metaphor for the way that many immigrants are treated in the United States? How does it promote empathy ?

How does the film provide a commentary on the impact of news and social media on public opinion/group think? Why is media literacy important?

How does the secret witch network compare to the Underground Railroad or underground networks during World War II? How do Martha and the other members demonstrate courage and teamwork ?

Movie Details

In theaters : October 1, 2021
On DVD or streaming : October 1, 2021
Cast : Gideon Adlon , Elizabeth Mitchell , Abigail Cowen
Director : Elle Callahan
Inclusion Information : Female directors, Female actors
Studio : Momentum Pictures
Genre : Thriller
Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Brothers and Sisters , High School
Character Strengths : Empathy
Run time : 98 minutes
MPAA rating : R
MPAA explanation : some violent/disturbing images
Last updated : June 20, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Film review: witch hunt (2021).

Janel Spiegel 11/22/2021 Film Reviews

In a modern America where magic is real and witches are persecuted by US authorities, teenager Claire and her family are part of an intricate network that helps these women escape across the border to seek asylum in Mexico. However, when their mode of transport is disrupted by federal witch hunters, trouble befalls the family as they struggle to hide two young witches within the walls of their home. As witch hunters close in and strange magic begins haunting the family, Claire discovers that she may have more in common with these witches than she could have ever imagined.

Written and directed by Elle Callahan, Witch Hunt opens with the definition of a “Witch Hunt”. Elle Callahan directed and wrote, Head Count and Happy Deathday . Head Count was a beautifully intricate supernatural mindbender of a film.

Witch Hunt is a modern-take on what human beings’ rights look like as told by a woman.

So, back to the film and let’s include the definition.

A search for, and subsequent persecution of persons accused of witchcraft.
A campaign directed against a person, or group, holding unorthodox or unpopular views, usually based on slight, doubtful, or irrelevant evidence.

There you have it, the definition, and the opening scene a woman about to be burned at the stake. Why?

Southern California, three months later, we meet a classroom full of teens who are passing notes, they still do that?

The note says, “Witch Bitch” because aren’t we creative. We meet Claire (Gideon Adlon), Fiona (Abigail Cowen), Sofie (Anna Grace Barlow), Megan (Natasha Tina Liu), Jen (Lulu Antariksa).

Apparently, this group of girls doesn’t like this girl they are tormenting.

Claire is in deep thought on her way home from school. Claire is home, and she has an essay to write. She starts doing research. Claire has a big secret. Watch the movie!

Claire’s mom, Martha (Elizabeth Mitchell) comes home with her brothers Corey (Cameron Crovetti) and George (Nicholas Crovetti). So, they have a witch living in the walls of their house.

This feels like a strange metaphor for the entire world. Everyone is on edge, scared, not knowing what will happen in life. Jacob (Treva Etienne) arrives at their house to change the water and pick up the witch.

Jacob gets pulled over by Christian Camargo ( The Hurt Locker, Dexter , See ) Oh, DEXTER , we can’t wait to see you soon. (November 7 th on Showtime.) Back to Christian Camargo, he is a witch hunter. It took me a few seconds to realize that it was Christian Carmargo. He plays this character calm, cool, and collective.

Claire wants her mother to stop helping witches escape, and Eliza (Punkie Johnson) shows up with two sisters in a boxed crate. They were smuggled to Martha’s house. Fiona (Abigail Cowen) and Shae (Echo Campbell). Claire may have some powers of her own?!

While Fiona and Shae are camped out at Martha’s with Claire and her brothers. Life goes on as usual and Martha doesn’t know what happened to Jacob. Claire is at school with her friends and a Border Patrol bus pulls up with witches in.

I think Claire and Martha may be witches or have some kind of connection to witches?

Well, Claire may just have powers after all. She takes Fiona out to a diner. They are minding their own business and drinking. Fiona tries something with Claire, and well they have to leave the diner in a hurry. Fiona makes a good point, how is she supposed to control powers that she isn’t allowed to practice.

The metaphor this movie throws out is sad and powerful. The world we live in is beautiful but chaotic. People don’t often see past what they believe. Whatever belief a person has, that is what they see and believe. This movie is telling the story using witches, using women who often STILL don’t have a voice.

Witches and witch craft or magic is another form of taking what we have left as human beings. The lack of empathy and apathy people show to one another in today’s world is sad. It’s funny how sometimes people judge people on things they have no idea about.

Oh no, Detective Hawthorne, (He just now mentions his character’s name) Christian Carmargo Witch Hunting character shows up at Martha’s house, and he wants to talk with Martha’s husband. Martha’s husband is deceased, and she owns the property. Detective Hawthorne is with the B.W.I. Bureau of Witchcraft Investigations… Can you even believe that? Well, of course you can, women have been prosecuted and executed for witchcraft since 1692.

Detective Hawthorne is there because of what happened at the diner. Martha alerts Fiona and Shae.

I think Elle Callahan really has all the elements added in Witch Hunt . The school calls in all the girls from grades 9 through 12 to be tested to see if they are witches. Dr. Justice (Assaf Cohen) does the testing. The lights keep going out and Claire sees a creepy looking figure that lurks around the house.

The images and the shots in Witch Hunt are beautifully done. The eerie figures lurking is not overdone which makes it scarier. The ending was sad. I would recommend checking out Witch Hunt, Elle Callahan did a good job. This cast was incredible. Elizabeth Mitchell’s positive, no matter what happens attitude added something to her character. Gideon Adlon who played Claire did a great job giving this character depth and empathy for those around her even when she questioned herself, you could tell she kind of knew.

Make sure to check out Witch Hunt.

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Witch Hunt (I) (2021)

User reviews.

Written and directed by Elle Callahan , Witch Hunt occurs in an alternate modern-day timeline where Witchcraft is real and illegal in the United States. The main character is Claire — a normal girl whose mother acts like a reverse coyote - harboring illegal witches to help them escape to Mexico, where they can be free.

Premise. While Witch Hunt has a fantastic premise, it manages to skimp on plot and characterization. It is pretty clear what this movie is going for — the witches on the run from unjust persecution are supposed to draw parallels to the current border crisis in the U.S., as well as the plight of Jewish people who hid in attics during The Holocaust. Mixing past and present to both reflect our current political climate and show its potential extremes. Witch Hunt seems to have started with a clear idea. In addition, movies about witches and witchcraft are gaining popularity in recent years. Why wouldn’t they be? So many teenage girls in America go through a witch phase, plus there are plenty of genuine witches and wannabe witches in the world. Witches are a wonderfully scary and beloved figure to base a film around.

Structure. The great premise lost somewhere in the (writing) process. Much of the runtime feels lost to useless elements. For example, several minor characters are given quite a bit of screen time to no effect. Also, the dream sequences throughout the film are repetitive and contribute little to the narrative. There are a million different directions the premise had a chance to take, but the filmmaker chose no direction at all.

Genre? Witch Hunt is seemingly genreless. It isn't scary, nor is there any horror ambiance created, but there are jump scares. The film is too shallow — without character, personal conflict, etc. — to be a drama. Politics or social issues are not present enough for it to be a social issue film. The world is not fleshed out enough to be fantasy. There's not enough of a cat and mouse game for it to be considered a thriller. It wanted to be everything, and yet, it became nothing. There are a lot of missed opportunities for dramatic tension that could've made the film more compelling. Witch Hunt’s lukewarm approach to everything makes the viewer constantly longing for more.

Jump scares. Witch Hunt suffers from the incorrect use of jumpscares. Instead of using jumpscares to release tension built up from a skillfully created atmosphere, there are loud random sounds. For example, one man hits another, and the punch impact was a jumpscare. The punch itself isn't a surprise, but the loud noise that matches it is. In another example, a jumpscare gets used when a door is closed. You know when it's closing, which means that the loud noise was there for no reason. The film neglects to create a creepy or unsettling atmosphere. There is some horror imagery, but not enough to be scary. Witch Hunt seems like it wants to be a horror film, but isn’t committing to it all the way.

Character actions. The film relies on child actors to lead the film, yet none of the performances are particularly strong. The dialogue doesn't make their jobs easy. Often expository and lacking any subtext, the dialogue is the primary tool used to convey information. In addition, the characters often act in senseless ways. A character is in peril nearby, and instead of running to their aid, other characters yell from where they are. Though magic is illegal and punishable by death without trial, two characters use magic in a crowded bar in full view of everyone. Towards the end of the film, the main character displays an inordinate amount of bravery. Bravery was not a part of her character previously, nor was it a part of her nonexistent character arc. She just all of a sudden became the bravest teenage girl ever. These are a few examples among many.

Weak characters. The main character's friend group at school is a group of girls who hate witches. Her friends never bring up real reasons or even philosophical points. Instead, they use straw man arguments, which makes the protagonist look like a morally upright person. Similarly, the hunter acts like a caricature of a “cool guy” — where he could've been a compelling and terrifying antagonistic force in the movie.

Witch Hunt is a film that started with a great idea that was, unfortunately, unable to be developed further.

Related: Interview with Witch Hunt writer/director Elle Callahan

Part of our SXSW 2021 coverage

Watch Witch Hunt now via Amazon or Apple TV

By Bobby LePire | March 19, 2021

SXSW FILM FESTIVAL 2021 REVIEW! Writer-director Elle Callahan’s Witch Hunt is the best X-Men movie ever made, and it has nothing to do with that franchise at all. In the United States, witches and witchcraft, which are real in this universe, are outlawed. So, witches and their families try to flee south to Mexico, where just existing as themselves isn’t a crime. However, the Bureau of Witch Investigation (BWI) rounds them up before they cross the ever-higher wall to freedom.

As such, several well-meaning people have opened their homes to help hide witches on their journey to safety; Martha (Elizabeth Mitchell) is one such person. She hides witches in the walls of her house until “water jug” delivery drivers show up to drop off or pick up “water jugs.” Martha’s younger sons, twins Corey (Cameron Crovetti) and George (Nicholas Crovetti), aren’t too phased by the ever-rotating people in and out of the house, though they make little effort to get to know or play with their guests.

“… several well-meaning people have opened their homes to help hide witches on their journey to safety…”

Teenager Claire (Gideon Adlon) is not pleased with her mother’s ways, knowing how dangerous it is to harbor witches. Things become even tenser at home when sisters Fiona (Abigail Cowen) and Shae (Echo Campbell) are forced to stay longer than expected. BWI Agent Hawthorne (Christian Camargo) is hot on their trail, but in befriending Fiona and pushing her brothers to play with Shae, Claire discovers her true self.

Witch Hunt is not subtle in the slightest, which might irk some who wish for a more balanced view of socio and political upheaval. But, much like Marvel’s famous series, Callahan is smart enough not to bludgeon the audience in every scene. The politics are laid out in the beginning, and every character acts in accordance to or rebelling against, against those amendments in a way that makes sense for them. A neighbor knocks on the door to drop off a pie or some such, and the way Martha switches gears and parrots the fear of witches back to the lady on her doorstep helps ground the world and magic in as much realism as possible.

While more background history on the hows and whys of making witches and witchcraft illegal (did the Salem Witch Trials turn into a massacre, scaring citizens for all time?) would be nice, Callahan does do a great job of melding the mundane with the mystical. A moment at a bar involving a blackout and floating stools is about the biggest things ever get, which helps the audience believe in this world.

Witch Hunt (2021)

Directed and Written: Elle Callahan

Starring: Gideon Adlon, Abigail Cowen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Echo Campbell, Christian Camargo, Cameron Crovetti, Nicholas Crovetti, etc.

Movie score: 10/10

"…the best X-Men movie ever made..."

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Witch Hunt Creator Embraces the Forbidden, Feminine Energy of Witchcraft

Witch Hunt creator Elle Callahan explains why she moved the film away from New England, why she tied witchcraft to 'feminine energy' and more.

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Witch Hunt , now available in theaters and on digital.

The Witch Hunt is on in writer-director Elle Callahan's fantasy thriller, which takes place in an alternate America where witchcraft is not only real, but persecuted under the fullest extent of the law. While witches and their families are oppressed across the country, the story centers around one family: Claire and her mother Martha, who helps smuggle witches across the Mexican border, where witchcraft laws aren't as strict. However, when two young witches named Fiona and Shae enter their home, everything in their lives will change forever.

Speaking to CBR, Callahan shared how her New England upbringing and the real-life circumstances behind the Salem Witch Trials inspired her latest film. She explained why it was necessary to move Witch Hunt away from New England, as well as why she decided to tie witchcraft to "feminine energy." She revealed how the actors breathed new life into the characters and what made this "a story that they really believe[d] in." She also expressed interest in revisiting this world again someday, broke down the film's emotional climax and more.

RELATED: Witch Hunt: Elizabeth Mitchell Finds Martha's Quiet Strength

CBR: Tell me a little about where this idea came from. What inspired you to write and direct Witch Hunt ?

Elle Callahan: Well, I had always wanted to do a film that involved witches or witchcraft in some way. I grew up in New England, so it was kind of really embedded in our folklore. Once I started doing research on the actual, real history of witchcraft, not just the bullet points they give us in school regarding the Salem Witch Trials, I was just fascinated by how normal it was 300-500 years ago to just accuse anyone of being witch, if they were different. Witch hunters were real, legitimate jobs that people could have.

It was so different than what I thought I knew, because I thought it was based in hysteria and things, but it wasn't. It was fact for people back then; it made logical sense. That was fascinating to me. So I thought if we just took that and put it in modern day in America, what would that look like? If women suddenly could do magic and have this power that men don't have, how would our country react? It kind of just fell out of me from there. I think a little bit of it was me working through my frustrations with our current time period, in regards to the life that women lead. So yeah, that's kind of how it came about.

The film picks up in New England, the site of the original Salem Witch Trials, before shifting closer to the Mexican border. How did the setting impact the direction of this story for you?

Well, I live in California now and I like to write and direct things that I feel close to. So originally, the script was set actually fully in New England. I just felt like it was too witchy stereotypical, and I wanted the movie to be about -- I wanted the themes of the movie to shine through and I thought, if I switched up the setting, then maybe you wouldn't get as pulled into the stereotypes of what you're used to a witch movie being like. So in order to try to better highlight that, I set it in the south, where I was living and still live. So that was my intention there.

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As I was watching the film, I found myself drawing parallels between Witch Hunt 's story and some current events we've lived through recently. How did that influence your approach to the story?

Well, I mean, when I was writing it, I didn't really intend to make a movie that was really saying anything. I try to just tell stories that I think I would want to watch. At that point, that's what I wanted to see and consume.

I think it was a little cathartic to work through a lot of the issues that I was having with our government and our country and our treatment of anyone that's considered other. So it just kind of pervaded into my writing. Then, the more that we focused on getting the project made, it became clear that it was really important to a lot of other people as well. Nothing unifies a cast and crew like a story that they really believe in.

In culture at large, we're having this discussion about how we, as a society, approach and understand gender as a construct that isn't necessarily tied to a binary. Since Witch Hunt draws a connection between magic and gender, how would you break down this link?

Well, I mean, historically, witchcraft is kind of the only power that women have been able to have that isn't tied to their relationship to a man. It's power that's not rooted in money or status or the ability to get an education. It's just kind of pure, feminine energy. I wanted to give the women in this story a type of power that men didn't have access to, and how society I think then would react to that.

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When I spoke to Elizabeth Mitchell about the movie, she told me a little about how the two of you worked together to craft the characters. Tell me a little about how you worked with the cast to bring these characters to life.

Well, I think that the characters that I write are just a starting point. I love the actors to bring their own experiences and ideas and intentions to the characters that they're bringing to life. So what I'm bringing is just a baseline, and they kind of go from there.

Elizabeth brought so much calm control to Martha that I really loved because I think, in the representations of women we've had in the past in film, they are also often categorized as being very reactionary. Martha is very proactive and very calm and just strong. That was a version of a strong woman that I hadn't seen in a while, and I really enjoyed her take on it.

You know, Gideon [Adlon] and Abby [Cowen] and Echo [Campbell] all brought themselves to their roles as well, especially Gideon and Abby. They took Fiona and Claire's relationship and made it their own -- that strong, feminine bond that grows between girls, especially during that age. So yeah, I just provide the baseline and then they go from there. You know, it's a big group project. That's what films are to me. [laughs ] It's like I start the story, and everyone else finishes telling it.

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Elizabeth also mentioned that the emotional climax of the film, the scene where Martha says goodbye to her daughter Claire, was largely improvised due to a bat problem on location. What did filming this scene look like on your end?

That scene is so special to me. I mean, we did have to move our shooting schedule around because there were bats in our location. We had to move all the scenes outside for the day while we moved the bats out. So we had to jump into that scene.

As a director, it wasn't a situation that I really didn't like putting actors in a situation that they haven't prepped for, because you have a plan, you figure out -- I mean, being an actor is hard enough where you have to shoot out of order. Your character is all over the place, and then you have to track where they are in every scene, because you don't shoot it chronologically.

So already jumping to a new scene, especially the ending scene where you're having this climactic moment between a mother and daughter, with 30 minutes' notice is not the most ideal situation, but I think it really made the scene work. I mean, I think the most emotional conversations you have with people are spur of the moment, and what you really want to say just shines through.

So we had a script and we didn't really have that much time to prep, so we just kind of rolled and just went with it. Elizabeth just channeled Martha and I think the lines that made it into film weren't even the original written lines. We just kept rolling and figured it out as we went through that scene, which was really fun. It was very emotional, but it turned out really great. Also, it's a night scene, and we shot it during the day, so they're in a tent. They were real troopers about it. Pure professionals.

How did you settle on that ending? What made Thelma and Louise the perfect cinematic parallel?

I mean, I love when a movie ends and you immediately have an opinion about it. So I like to end my movies kind of on -- not cliffhangers, but just in ways that there could be a possibility for multiple differing interpretations. So that's usually always my intention.

With Thelma and Louise , that movie just kept popping up when I was writing the script, and it just started to weave its way through the story. That movie is about two really strong, empowered women and their friendship. It's one of the first movies I saw that two female characters just fully went for it the entire movie. I think their story and how they're being pursued mirrored a lot of what was going on in my script. So it just felt natural to do a little homage to it.

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What made Agent Hawthorne the right villain for this piece?

Well, for me, I needed to create a villain that was the opposite of magic. Magic, to me, is chaos, good and bad. So I wrote an antagonist that was control. So everything that he's doing is logic and control based. Also, it was super important for me, whenever I write a villain -- and it was really important for Christian [Camargo] too, when he was playing him -- that the villain believes that they are the hero, because they need to make logical sense in their minds.

I feel like people in the real world, they don't do things to be bad. They're not acting evil to be evil; they're acting what they think of as good. So it was really important for me to create a villain that believed that he was doing the right thing. I think those are the ones that we are kind of like, "Okay, we see what he is doing is not -- I don't agree with him," and you have to think, "Why don't I agree with that?" and it kind of opens up more conversations.

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What do you hope viewers take away from this project?

I hope, one, above all else, that they enjoy it, that they are a little spooked, and that they are a little thrilled, and that they also have some questions about the world that they live in -- not the world that we've set up in our film, but the world that they're living in, in reality, because I'm trying to craft a story that holds a mirror up to our reality and says, "Hey, this is a safe way to look at some bigger issues that we've got going on. We're gonna weave this through an enjoyable story, and hopefully, you might take a few things from it and think about some of the laws and situations that we have going on now in a new light."

Is this a world you'd like to explore more, perhaps in a sequel or a spinoff?

I would love to explore it more. I think, right now, I've said what I need to say, but I'd be open to it in the future. I mean, making a film is exhausting! [ laughs ] You need to kind of take some time off because it does pull you in and rule your world for three to four years.

But there's so many more opportunities here. I mean, I rewrote this script fully from the ground up three times. So there's been a lot of actually other stories that have been told in this world that just didn't make it to the final cut.

I'd love to explore different parts of the country, maybe different countries too, how they handle witchcraft. Because in this world, America is the strictest because their laws are the newest. So in other countries, witchcraft is more protected by being written into their laws that are leftover from hundreds and hundreds of years ago. America, since we were only founded 300 years ago, was able to enact stricter protocols because we got to start over. So yeah, I think it would be fun to maybe do a spin off or some kind of series because there's a lot to play with.

Witch Hunt is now available in theaters, On Demand and digital.

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Witch Hunt review – a downright offensive attempt at political horror

The latest in a slew of Get Out wannabes, this magical dystopia is neither clever nor scary

A n unfortunate effect of Jordan Peele’s masterly Get Out is the recent slew of horror flicks that have also attempted to double as explicit social commentary, yet end up either ineffective or tone-deaf. The slavery horror Antebellum is a prime example, as is the cringey trailer for the forthcoming Karen . And now we have this extremely clumsy film that hinges on the premise of a modern, dystopian US where magic exists but is outlawed.

The film opens with the literal and metaphorical definitions of “witch-hunt” being typed across a blank screen, so all hopes of subtlety fly out the window. The story explores a young girl’s growing pains amid the legal and social persecution of witches. High schooler Claire (Gideon Adlon) tries to fit in with her prejudiced friends while hiding her own fearful secret: her mother is a part of an Underground Railroad-like system that helps the witches cross into Mexico for asylum. Initially resentful of the operation, Claire confronts her own intolerance after developing a friendship with two orphaned young witches whose mother is burned at the stake.

Like a lot of low-budget horror movies, the VFX aren’t great; this would not necessarily be a problem if the film had crafted an atmosphere of actual suspense. Instead, random horror elements – jump scares and the like – are inserted into a story that would have worked better as a thriller. The political commentary is on even shakier ground: the film appropriates images of real-life oppression against people of colour, such as border patrol buses taking the undocumented to detention centres , but the witches are invariably white women – it is not only careless but downright offensive. Though examining how women’s bodies are controlled and surveilled by the state – there’s a scene where Claire is subjected to a medical examination for witch moles – such points ring grossly hollow. All in all, this is a horror that’s neither clever nor scary.

Horror films

Movie Reviews

‘witch hunt’ review: witchy metaphor for everything wrong today.

A supernatural drama.

Witch Hunt is a 2021 movie with a title that seems to promise plenty of chilling moments. While there are dark scenes, they are as much a part of the commentary as the actual events. Set in modern America, the story is takes place in a world where magic is real and witches are persecuted by the United States government. High school student Claire (Gideon Alfonso) and her family help women cross into Mexico for asylum. When they unexpectedly take in two young witches, Claire learns she has more in common with them than she thought.

It becomes clear fairly quickly the film will be more about tackling societal issues than being a straightforward horror. This is not an issue as social commentary as long been a part of scary movies. Even in the confines of its YA setting, Witch Hunt is able to handle the topics capably. Witchcraft is used as a metaphor to tackle misogyny, xenophobia, and government policies.

Things are a little more off kilter when it comes to the plot. A bar scene goes against what Claire and her family do and an early encounter never gets fully explained. Literally, defining “witch hunt” and its many usages at the opening is also not the best idea. It takes a lot of agency away from those watching. For all the good the film wants to do, it often shoots itself in the foot by being too on the nose.

Still, there is a lot that Witch Hunt does right. While the most accurate description of the film may be supernatural drama, it does a great job of handling the horror elements. There is a great scene in which Claire is being examined for witch marks and the use of footage brings real life terror. This also keeps the audience engaged even during the film’s sillier moments.

Overall, the film is a welcome entry into modern witch cinema. Where it lacks in subtlety it makes up for with sheer discomfort. The in your face storytelling may not be delicate, but it leaves little room for questions. Witch Hunt loses steam over time, but it makes its point.

Witch Hunt comes to theaters, on demand, and digital October 1

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Review: ‘Witch Hunt” (2021), starring Gideon Adlon, Elizabeth Mitchell, Abigail Cowen, Echo Campbell and Christian Carmago

Arts and Entertainment

Abigail Cowen , Anna Grace Barlow , Ashley Bell , Bella Shepard , California , Cameron Crovetti , Christian Carmago , Deborah May , Echo Campbell , Elizabeth Mitchell , Elle Callahan , film festivals , Gideon Adlon , horror , Lulu Antariksa , movies , Nicholas Crovetti , reviews , South by Southwest , SXSW , SXSW Film Festival , Sydney Wilder , Treva Etienne , Witch Hunt

March 23, 2021

by Carla Hay

“Witch Hunt” (2021)

Directed by Elle Callahan

Culture Representation: Taking place in the fictional California city of Thirteen Palms, the horror film “Witch Hunt” features a predominantly white cast (with a few Latinos, Asians and African Americans) representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: A teenage girl is conflicted over her mother illegally hiding witches in their home to prevent the witches from being arrested, deported or murdered by government officials .

Culture Audience: “Witch Hunt” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in horror movies about witches and with teenage main characters, but the movie isn’t very scary and squanders the story concept with a rushed and disjointed ending.

“Witch Hunt” has a very interesting concept that would have resulted in an outstanding horror film if it had been handled in better ways. The concept is that in the United States, witchcraft is illegal, and a teenage girl has mixed feelings about her mother being part of an underground network that hides witches who are targeted for arrests, deportations or executions. It starts out as an intriguing horror movie with timely allegories about immigrant controversies in the U.S., but then it monotonously slides into a disappointing hodgepodge of ideas ripped off from other movies. “Witch Hunt” had its world premiere at the 2021 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival .

The performances in “Witch Hunt” are far better than the movie’s plot, which tries to be edgy with social commentary and feminist sensibilities. But “Witch Hunt” ultimately becomes a watered-down “cat and mouse” game with baffling inconsistencies, weak horror tropes and characters making nonsensical decisions. And a character in “Witch Hunt” obnoxiously reveals (without spoiler alerts) the ending of the Oscar-winning 1991 classic thriller “Thelma & Louise,” which has a surprise ending that shouldn’t be revealed to viewers who don’t know how “Thelma & Louise” ends and who haven’t asked for this spoiler information.

Written and directed by Elle Callahan, “Witch Hunt” opens with a red-haired woman in a hangman’s noose who’s being burned at the stake in front of a courthouse somewhere on the East Coast in the United States. A small crowd has gathered to watch this horrific spectacle. A man dressed in a government uniform lights the fire.

In the crowd, the woman’s daughter (who’s about 12 or 13 years old and also a redhead) cries out, “Mom!” Meanwhile, before the woman perishes in the fire, she calls out several times, “Christ!” The visual effects in this scene are somewhat cheesy, but it could be more easily forgiven if too many other scenes weren’t such a letdown.

It’s later revealed in the story that the woman who was burned at the stake was convicted of practicing witchcraft, which is a crime punishable by death in the United States. The Bureau of Witchcraft Investigations (BWI) is in charge of finding and arresting witches. Only women and girls in this story are targeted for being witches. And almost all the witches happen to have red hair. It’s a pretty big plot hole, because if most of the witches in this story have red hair, then that would make it easier for the authorities to find them.

After this scene of a witch burning at the stake, the movie then cuts to three months later in the fictional Southern California city of Thirteen Palms. (“Witch Hunt” was actually filmed in Los Angeles.) Some mean girls are harassing a student in a high-school classroom during a U.S. history class. Two of the girls throw a wadded-up note at a redhead girl named Abby (played by Sydney Wilder). When she opens the note, she sees the words “Witch Bitch” surrounded in flames. Why the animosity toward Abby?

The “mean girls” clique consists of group leader Jen (played by Lulu Antariksa), who is stuck-up and vindictive; Kelly (played by Bella Shepard), who is spoiled and conceited; and Sofie (played by Anna Grace Barlow), who is shallow and somewhat empty-headed. It turns out that Abby has caught the eye of Jen’s ex-boyfriend Paul, who broke up with Jen three months earlier. When Jen sees Paul and Abby flirting in the school hallway, Jen tells cattily tells the other mean girls that Abby is a “slut” and practically snarls, “What does he see in her?”

Another teenager who hangs out with this snooty clique but who doesn’t bully other people is Claire Goode (played by Gideon Adlon), who is a free thinker and isn’t afraid to question out loud some of the government’s policies for witches. One of the policies that’s on an upcoming voter ballot is Proposition 6. A “yes” vote for Proposition 6 is in favor of allowing the California government to deport the children of convicted witches to Mexico, where witches are legal and are given asylum. The proposition came about because many people believe that being a witch is a biologically inherited trait, not just practicing a set of beliefs.

In the United States in this movie, there’s literally a witch hunt going on and deep-seated hatred against witches. During a school break, Claire, Jen, Kelly and Sofie watch a viral news video of a witch being caught by a mob at the U.S./Mexico border. “Witch Hunt” doesn’t get too graphic with its violence (this movie is clearly aiming for an audience that includes a lot of underage teenagers), but based on what’s shown, it’s implied that the witch was probably tortured and possibly killed by the mob.

Claire seems to be conflicted about how witches are being treated in this society. On the one hand, Claire believes that witches are criminals. On the other hand, she doesn’t believe that they should be tortured and killed just because they’re witches. Based on what Claire tells her friends and her mother, she thinks that witches should be locked up or deported.

There’s a reason why Claire has mixed feelings about witches. Her widowed mother Martha (played by Elizabeth Mitchell) has been hiding witches in a secret section of their home. The witches are smuggled in large wooden crate boxes by people in an underground network that are pretending to deliver office-sized bottled water dispensers in the boxes. Claire tells her mother to stop helping witches because it’s illegal and dangerous, but Martha ignores this request.

Martha handles the intake of the smuggled witches, but Claire knows everything that’s going on and is worried that they will get caught. Martha’s ally in the underground network is a man named Jacob Gordon (played by Treva Etienne), who transports the crate boxes to and from the Goode family home. He also takes empty water dispensers from the home, to make it look like he’s collecting bottles for recycling.

Claire has identical twin brothers named Corey (played by Cameron Crovetti) and George (played by Nicholas Crovetti), who are about 8 or 9 years old. They are examples of the many underdeveloped and ultimately useless characters in the movie. The twins add almost nothing to the plot. And the “mean girls” clique also ends up not being a very important plot device for the movie.

During the course of the movie, three witches are shown as those who’ve been smuggled into the Goode family home. The first witch is Gina (played by Ashley Bell), who appears to be in her 30s. Gina speaks in a strange language and has a palm-sized blue butterfly as some kind of magical creature. It’s implied throughout the story that Claire is irritated that these smuggled witches are taking up space in the home, as well as taking up her mother’s time and energy. Gina is eventually smuggled out of the home, and her fate is shown in the movie.

After Gina leaves, two other witches are smuggled into the home: Fiona (played by Abigail Cowen) is about 17 or 18 years old and her sister Shae (played by Echo Campbell), who’s about 12 or 13 years old. Fiona and Shae are hiding because they are orphans whose mother was executed for being a witch. It should come as no surprise to viewers (and it’s not spoiler information) that Fiona and Shae’s mother was the same woman who was shown burned at the stake at the beginning of the movie.

Fiona and Shae would be directly affected by Proposition 6, which looks like it’s going to get voted into law, since the majority of the population hates witches. Claire ends up becoming friendly with Fiona, but Claire is a little creeped out by Shae. One night, Claire wakes up in the middle of the night and is startled to find Shae staring at her, as if Shae is in a trance. Fiona makes an apology on behalf of Shae and explains that Shae is a sleepwalker.

Claire’s quick friendship with Fiona isn’t adequately explained, since the movie makes a big deal of showing how Claire is prejudiced against witches, and it’s the main reason why there’s friction between Claire and her mother Martha. One minute, Claire is calling witches “criminals.” The next minute, Claire is hanging out with Fiona as if they’ve been best friends forever. It’s quite an abrupt about-face that doesn’t ring true.

Of course, a movie like this has a chief villain who is fanatical in his intent to hunt down witches. His name is Detective Hawthorne (played by Christian Carmago), who’s from the BWI. He doesn’t hesitate to commit police brutality to get what he wants.

Detective Hawthorne uses some kind of magical thermal pocketwatch to detect a witch’s presence. If the watch detects low air pressure, then that means a witch was recently there or recently did witchcraft there. It’s not a very clever detective tool for this story, because witches could be smart enough to cover their tracks by manipulating the air pressure.

Unfortunately, Detective Hawthorne is written as a very one-dimensional, predictable character. There’s no suspense or backstory for him. And so, viewers just get Detective Hawthorne being a very hollow antagonist right through the inevitable showdown toward the end of the film.

“Witch Hunt” attempts to draw parallels between bigotry toward witches and real-life bigotry toward undocumented immigrants who pass through the U.S./Mexico border. The hatred of witches is shown in ways that are overtly violent. For example, Claire and other students are out in the schoolyard when they witness a witch getting shot for trying to escape from a Border Patrol detention bus that was passing by the school.

The witch hatred is so out-of-control, attempted murder is allowed to test if people are witches. There’s a scene where BWI officials are at Claire’s high school to try to kill female students who are suspected witches. They strap the girls to wheelchairs, throw them in the school swimming pool, and see if any of them can escape from the wheelchairs during a certain period of time. If any of them can escape, that’s “proof” she’s a witch.

If any of them can’t escape and might die by drowning before the wheelchairs are pulled out of the water, the attitude is, “Oh well, too bad if someone dies.” It’s another terrible plot hole, because it doesn’t take into account that parents of innocent children would be outraged by this type of violence inflicted on their children at school. And not to mention that a school would be sued for these barbaric tactics.

The bigotry against witches and suspected witches also comes out in hate-filled conversations from seemingly “pleasant” neighbors. A nosy neighbor named Cynthia (played by Deborah May) comes over to the Goode home and tells Martha that she heard that someone in their neighborhood was caught smuggling witches over the border. Martha pretends to agree with the bigotry of Cynthia, who says about the witches: “I don’t understand why the Mexicans are giving them asylum. They’re not refugees! They’re criminals!”

But for every scene that adds a touch of realism, there are two or three scenes that are dull or illogical. For example, in one scene, Kelly from the “mean girls” clique is shown trying to buy a ticket at a movie theater, but she’s barred from entry because the employee at the box office tells Kelly that her name is on a list of suspected witches. Claire sits on a bench nearby and watches as Kelly angrily denies that she’s a witch.

First of all, considering all the murderous violence against witches in this witch hunt, it’s kind of bizarre that there’s an entire scene showing that this society punishes suspected witches by not letting them go to the movies. If you think about it, witches who are persecuted in life-or-death situations are supposed to have bigger problems than not being able to go see a movie. And it doesn’t make sense that the government would go to all that trouble to ban witches from movie theaters, when there are other types of banishment that are much worse that could’ve been shown in this movie.

The scene is also illogical because even if movie theaters had a list of names of suspected witches, it doesn’t explain how people could get around that blacklist by paying cash or by using someone else’s bank card to buy tickets. Does that mean that people in this society have to show a photo ID every time they go to the movies and there’s a master list of blacklisted people that all movie theaters have? It’s never fully explained and it’s just a poorly conceived scene overall.

And in another illogical scene, Claire and Fiona sneak out and go to a bar that serves alcohol, even though there’s no explanation in the movie for why these obviously underage girls were allowed in the bar. And why would Fiona agree to this if she’s supposed to be in hiding? In this bar scene, Claire is surprised to discover that Fiona has never seen the movie “Thelma & Louise,” starring Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon as two best friends who go on the run from the law after one of them kills a man who attempted to rape the other friend.

This is the scene in “Witch Hunt” where Claire blabs the whole plot of “Thelma & Louise,” including the surprise ending. (Viewers of “Witch Hunt” will find out later why Claire gave away all this spoiler information.) But what’s really ridiculous about this scene is that Fiona decides to do some attention-grabbing magic tricks in the bar, such as levitating liquid in a glass. Why go to a bar to do these tricks when they could’ve done all of that in a private location?

And then, the witchcraft is taken up several notches. Fiona suspends time and gets several bar stools to levitate up to the ceiling. Fiona then allows the bar stools to suddenly drop, just as she lets time to start again, while the bar patrons react in shock as they see the chairs fall from the ceiling to the ground. (These tricks are shown in the “Witch Hunt” trailer.) Claire and Fiona quickly run out of the bar, as if they just played a prank.

Of course, as gimmicky as these witch tricks are in the movie, it actually makes no sense for a witch who’s supposed to be in hiding to pull these kinds of stunts in front of people in a public place. Fiona might be a stranger to people in the bar, but Claire is more recognizable in the community. It doesn’t take long for word to spread that Claire is hanging out with a witch. And you know what that means when Detective Hawthorne finds out.

“Witch Hunt” has some scenes that are supposed to be spooky but just come across as a little bit amateurish, considering all the high-quality scares that are in plenty of other horror movies. Coincidence or not, Adlon was also in 2020’s “The Craft: Legacy,” another not-very-scary witch movie that had problems with its screenplay and direction. As the main character in “Witch Hunt,” Adlon’s acting is perfectly adequate, but Claire’s personality isn’t very memorable.

There are long stretches of “Witch Hunt” that are boring, while the last 15 minutes are rushed to cram in the climactic showdown and a last-minute explanation for something that was obvious throughout the film. And one of the worst things about “Witch Hunt” is when Martha makes a decision toward the end that’s completely contradictory to her purpose in the movie. Children might enjoy this movie more than adults who want a compelling and believable story. Ultimately, “Witch Hunt” panders to people who don’t have enough life experience to notice the big plot holes in the film.

UPDATE: Momentum Pictures will release “Witch Hunt” in select U.S. cinemas, on digital and VOD on October 1, 2021.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, the last witch hunter.

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Many films try and fail to pull off the kind of densely over-plotted action-fantasy that director Breck Eisner (" The Crazies ," " Sahara ") nails in "The Last Witch Hunter." The secrets to Eisner's success are confidence and patience, both of which compensate for the film's script whenever it becomes embarrassingly thin (especially during its rushed finale). Still, if nothing else, "The Last Witch Hunter" is so much more adept than other recent convoluted post-" The Matrix " adventure films about a superhuman men-of-action ( Vin Diesel , in this case) who see the world for what it really is, and are humanity's last hope of maintaining a peaceful status quo. While most other films sprint through expository dialogue, and bluster their way through action scenes, "The Last Witch Hunter" is measured enough to make you want to suspend your disbelief.

An especially charming Diesel plays Kaulder, a witch-slayer who was cursed to live forever by the Witch Queen ( Julie Engelbrecht ) back in ye olde viking days. An integral member of the mortal-led witch-hunting organization Axe and Cross, Kaulder has grown full of himself after centuries of walking the Earth unchallenged. But when Ellic ( Michael Caine ), Kaulder's sidekick and the chronicler of his stories, dies on the day of his retirement, Kaulder investigates, and discovers a plot to revive the centuries-dead Witch Queen.

Here's where "The Last Witch Hunter" starts to get so dorky that you may want to give yourself a wedgie for enjoying it. In order to stop the Witch Queen, Kaulder must "remember [his] death," a clue left for him by Ellic in smudged fingerprints all over one of Ellic's most prized books. The Rolodex of enemies and fair weather contacts that Kaulder meets up with on his rocky road to remembering is embarrassingly preposterous. Their ranks include Max Schlesinger (Isaach De Bankolé), a blind pastry chef-cum-magician who makes cupcakes out of psychedelic moths, butterflies, and maggots, and Belilal ( Ólafur Darri Ólafsson ), a squat, curse-slinging warlock whose bushy beard and barrel chest makes him look like one of ZZ Top's touring bassists.

What makes this scenario work are the periodic flashes of intelligence that prove that the film's trio of screenwriters thought about what motivates Kaulder. Diesel's usual cockiness suits his character. As he points out to Dolan the 37th ( Elijah Wood ), Ellic's successor at Axe and Cross, there's nothing he hasn't seen. Diesel is well-used in that sense, proving he's more than a blunt instrument in scenes where he huskily broods and sweet-talks his way around the film's most unwieldy exposition. Few action stars can convincingly mansplain their way through a scene where mystic rune stones that control the elements are used to stop and start a thunderstorm. Diesel is on the short list.

There are even fewer directors who are sensitive enough to sell scenes as conceptually all-over-the-map as the ones showcased here. But thanks to Eisner, there are blessedly few scenes in "The Last Witch Hunter" that feel rushed (can we please get this guy to direct the upcoming "Doctor Strange" movie's sequel?). Romantic banter feels genuinely playful in scenes like when Kaulder and Chloe ( Rose Leslie ), a young witch, flirt at Chloe's hookah bar. There aren't nearly enough scenes where Eisner can flex his muscles and prove that he's a stronger storyteller than the script with which he's working; the best is probably when Chloe comes home and silently tries to ward off a threatening spirit with an array of light bulbs. This scene teaches you how to watch it. No character has to explain that the bulbs' light is Chloe's only defense against whatever is threatening to invade her home. You just pick up that knowledge by watching Eisner work.

Eisner's direction is similarly thoughtful during big special-effects-driven set pieces. He's a sturdy choreographer, and none of the big action scenes in "The Last Witch Hunter" are as good as those from his surprisingly atmospheric, recent remake of George Romero's "The Crazies." But flashbacks to Diesel's "Dungeons and Dragons"-worthy encounters with the Witch Queen and modern-day skirmishes with Belial do look good, and that's not just because of Eisner's keen eye for composition. "The Last Witch Hunter" is just generally poised in ways that most fantasies should be, but aren't. There's breathing room in scenes where characters have to appear to be living with decisions they made a couple of scenes earlier. You know you're seeing an atypically dopey but consummately well-assembled fantasy when poor Michael Caine has to explain to viewers the Witch Queen's plan to spread a human-decimating plague using the various witches that Kaulder locked up over the years in the Axe and Cross's "witch prison." "The Last Witch Hunter" may be corny at heart, but it's cool enough to convince you otherwise while its creators sell you a story you've seen some iteration of many, many times before.

Simon Abrams

Simon Abrams is a native New Yorker and freelance film critic whose work has been featured in The New York Times , Vanity Fair , The Village Voice, and elsewhere.

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Film credits.

The Last Witch Hunter (2015)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images.

106 minutes

Vin Diesel as Kaulder

Rose Leslie as Chloe

Michael Caine as Dolan 36th

Elijah Wood as Dolan 37th

Julie Engelbrecht as Witch Queen

Lotte Verbeek as Helena

Isaach de Bankolé as Schlesinger

Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Belial

Bex Taylor-Klaus as Bronwyn

Allegra Carpenter as Fatima

Aimee Carrero as Miranda

Armani Jackson as Armani

Samara Lee as Little Girl

Stephanie Bertoni as Wall Street Witch

Inbar Lavi as Sonia

Breck Eisner
Cory Goodman
Matt Sazama
Burk Sharpless

Cinematographer

Dean Semler
Steve Jablonsky
Chris Lebenzon
Dean Zimmerman

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Witch Hunt Reviews

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Mar 10, 2009

It's the sort of documentary that can reduce a grown man to tears. I know because it certainly had that effect on me.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Mar 9, 2009

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Phoebe Dynevor in Talks to Star in Untitled Shark Thriller at Sony, Tommy Wirkola to Direct

By Michaela Zee

Michaela Zee

Sarah Paulson Calls Out Actor Who Emailed Her Six Pages of Notes After Watching Her: It Was ‘Outrageous’ and ‘I Hope I See You Never’ 9 hours ago
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Phoebe Dynevor is in talks to star in an untitled shark thriller at Sony Pictures with Tommy Wirkola (“Violent Night”) directing, Variety has confirmed.

While plot details are being kept under wraps, production is set to begin in Australia this summer. Adam McKay and Kevin Messick will produce the shark movie under their Hyperobject Industries banner.

Dynevor is best known for her role as Daphne Bridgerton in the first two seasons of the Netflix series “Bridgerton.” She recently starred opposite Alden Ehrenreich in the 2023 thriller “Fair Play,” which sold to Netflix in a massive $20 million deal following the film’s premiere at Sundance Film Festival.

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Wirkola is a Norwegian director and writer known for “Dead Snow” and its sequel “Red vs. Dead,” “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters,” “The Trip” and “What Happened to Monday.” He also directed Universal’s “Violent Night,” the 2022 holiday action-comedy starring David Harbour as Santa Claus. Wirkola will be making his animation debut with the musical feature “Spermageddon.”

Insneider was first to report the news of Sony’s upcoming shark movie.

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Trump's hush money trial

Russia's war in Ukraine

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Michael Cohen testifies in Trump hush money trial

By CNN's Kara Scannell, Lauren Del Valle and Jeremy Herb in the courthouse

Cohen says he invested in taxi medallions

Michael Cohen said he invested in taxi medallions when a client moved to Israel and he "gave me the opportunity" to buy a 50% interest in a company.

Trump isn't reacting yet to hearing his former fixer testify on the stand

Donald Trump is looking straight ahead as Michael Cohen begins testifying. He's not reacting yet to his former fixer on the stand.

Cohen is providing family background

Michael Cohen is giving his family background information. He said he's been married for "going on 30 years."

"Actually, I really didn’t want to be a lawyer. My grandmother wanted me to be a lawyer. My family is comprised of doctors and lawyers," Cohen said.

"I wanted to go to Wall Street — my grandmother's like that's not going to happen," he said.

Some context from CNN's Laura Coates: The prosecutor is asking questions about his family background to humanize him for the jury as some of the other witnesses have spoken negatively about him.

Cohen is testifying pursuant to a subpoena

Michael Cohen is testifying pursuant to a subpoena.

Trump waited until Cohen walked by him to look up at him.

Cohen enters, and his eyes are darting around the gallery

Michael Cohen has entered the courtroom. He is facing forward and his eyes are darting around the gallery.

He's wearing a dark suit, white shirt and light pink tie.

Former President Donald Trump leans over to whisper to his attorney Emil Bove as Cohen's name is called.

Michael Cohen has been called to the stand. Here are key things to know about Trump's former fixer

From CNN's Kaanita Iyer, Kara Scannell, Kristen Holmes and Devan Cole

Michael Cohen leaves his home in Manhattan to testify on Monday.

Michael Cohen has been called to the stand in Donald Trump's hush money trial. He will be questioned by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger.

“The People call Michael Cohen,” Hoffinger said.

The $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels at the center of the hush money case was made by Cohen , then Trump’s personal attorney, who landed in federal prison over that transaction for breaking campaign finance laws.

Cohen has alleged Trump directed him to make the payment to Daniels in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump and his legal team attempted to bar Cohen from testifying, arguing that he’s committed perjury more than once in other cases, but the request was denied .

A longtime attorney of the former president before he occupied the Oval Office, Cohen had been one of Trump’s closest allies , famously pledging years ago that he would “take a bullet” for his then-boss.

The relationship deteriorated after the start of Trump’s presidency, and broke down fully in public view after Cohen released a recording in which he and Trump can be heard discussing how they would buy the rights to former Playboy model Karen McDougal’s story about an alleged affair she had with Trump years earlier, which Trump denies.

Cohen later provided dramatic testimony to a House committee about Trump’s involvement in the hush-money scheme involving both McDougal and Daniels, who also alleges Trump had an affair with her. (Trump has also denied that affair.)

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office has said it opened its investigation after Cohen alleged during his congressional testimony that Trump inflated the value of his properties to get better interest rates on loans and insurance.

Read more about Cohen and his role in the case.

Jury entering courtroom

The jury has entered the courtroom ahead of Michael Cohen's testimony.

Trump calls trial a "political witch-hunt" ahead of Michael Cohen testimony

From CNN's Eva Rothenberg

Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media after arriving to court on Monday.

Former President Donald Trump called his hush money trial a "political witch-hunt" before heading into court Monday morning.

He also touted a New York Times poll that says he is leading in several swing states, including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Nevada.

Trump blamed President Joe Biden and the White House for orchestrating the trial, which he said is "election interference."

"I should be out campaigning now instead of sitting in a very cold courthouse all day long," he told reporters.

Jury called into the courtroom

Judge Juan Merchan has called the jury into the courtroom.

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Trump Stays Calm in Court. His Emails Tell a Different Story.

Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has sent supporters a steady stream of fund-raising solicitations featuring exaggerated portrayals of his days in court.

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Donald Trump leaving court in a darkly lit hallway with his lawyer at his left side.

By Michael Gold

May 13, 2024

At the end of a tense court day in his criminal trial in Manhattan, former President Donald J. Trump on Thursday sent an email to his followers with a dramatic subject line: “I stormed out of court!”

The reality was far more muted.

When the day ended, Mr. Trump calmly left the courtroom, as is typical of many criminal defendants. He strode toward reporters and a camera stationed in the hallway and gave a minute-long statement attacking the case, the judge and the proceedings. Then he exited the building and went home.

Still, in his message to followers, Mr. Trump depicted himself as a firebrand who angrily fled the proceedings over perceived injustice. “I’m DONE with the election interference,” he wrote. “Joe Biden & the LIARS in the media can spread LIES LIES LIES — all while I’m stuck in court and GAGGED!”

Such exaggerated portrayals have become typical for Mr. Trump and his presidential campaign in the weeks since the start of the trial in which he is accused of falsifying business records related to a hush-money payment to a former porn star.

As Mr. Trump sits in New York for the first criminal trial of a former president, he and his campaign have sent a blitz of emails and text messages to his supporters that depict a highly dramatized account of his actions inside the courtroom, where proceedings are far more prosaic than he describes.

The Trump campaign’s emails often contain kernels of truth. The former president is, for example, under a gag order that keeps him from attacking witnesses, jurors and others.

But the messages often elide details or nuances in order to support Mr. Trump’s broad assertions that his trial is a politically motivated “witch hunt.” Despite his claims of forced silence, the gag order has not prevented Mr. Trump from sharing his perception of the case.

And the fund-raising emails frequently insist that the charges he faces are part of a larger “election interference” effort orchestrated by President Biden, a baseless claim that lacks evidence. The New York case is being overseen by the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, who operates outside the Justice Department’s purview.

Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign, defended the fund-raising emails and said that “more and more Americans are chipping in every day to support President Trump as they watch him get politically persecuted by Joe Biden and the corrupt Democrats in this sham show trial.”

In the campaign’s telling, Mr. Trump is so aggrieved by the case against him, the conduct of the prosecutors and the decisions of the judge, Justice Juan M. Merchan, that he can barely keep himself from bursting out of his seat as each day concludes.

But the kinds of outbursts he describes would be violations of expected decorum. During court proceedings, Mr. Trump’s demeanor has been relatively restrained, even if he sometimes appears irked by testimony.

Mr. Trump has on occasion conferenced with his lawyers, once making comments that were audible enough to draw an admonition from Justice Merchan. But he has generally kept still and quiet, even appearing to nod off or close his eyes.

At least five fund-raising messages have claimed that Mr. Trump has “stormed” in or out of the courtroom. Reporters covering the trial have said that his movements are more subdued.

On at least six occasions, Mr. Trump has emailed his supporters to announce an imminent “emergency press conference.” In one message this month, he explained, “I’m bypassing the lying FAKE NEWS media and delivering a message directly to THE PEOPLE.”

But those “emergency” news conferences refer to the remarks that Mr. Trump has habitually made as he enters court in the morning and leaves in the afternoon. His comments differ little from what he has said in interviews on the campaign trail. And they are delivered to reporters, in front of a camera that has been stationed outside the courtroom for the duration of the trial.

Still, such exaggerations are consistent with the larger strategy that Mr. Trump and his team have used as they face the unprecedented reality of a major presidential candidate contending with four separate criminal cases.

Eric Wilson, a Republican digital strategist, said the Trump campaign’s emails about the trial reflected the need for it to contend with a constant stream of headlines about the former president’s legal troubles.

“Most campaigns are trying to get themselves in the news; the Trump campaign is sort of uniquely the news,” Mr. Wilson said. “And so they’re in a lot of ways making lemonades out of lemons.”

Central to that effort, he said, was a level of dramatizing certain events. The campaign’s messaging, Mr. Wilson said, “is not the court stenographer — it’s not the New York Times coverage of what’s happening in the courtroom.”

The Trump team has for more than a year tried to use the investigations into Mr. Trump to boost political support among his conservative base.

After Mr. Trump was indicted last spring in Manhattan, polls showed a bump of support for him among Republicans. The former president frequently claims on the stump that each indictment has made him only more popular. And his campaign reported raising millions of dollars after his fourth indictment, in Georgia, when it sent out solicitations using a mug shot that the authorities took there.

A Trump campaign official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss data that was not yet public, said the campaign was raising approximately $1 million each day of the Manhattan trial. Such numbers cannot be independently verified until campaign finance reports are filed, weeks after the trial ends.

Mr. Trump’s emails during the Manhattan trial contend little with the facts of the case or the daily details of the courtroom. But his campaign has been aggressively sending fund-raising solicitations that revolve around the gag order in the case.

Last month, before a hearing on whether he had violated the gag order, he wrote what he told supporters was his “farewell message,” claiming that “if things don’t go our way, I could be thrown in jail.” But at the time, prosecutors had asked the judge only to fine Mr. Trump $1,000 for each violation.

Justice Merchan ultimately found Mr. Trump in contempt of court and fined him $9,000 for nine violations of the gag order. Then, last week, he held Mr. Trump in contempt of court again over another violation, warning Mr. Trump that he might face jail time if he continued to violate the order.

The judge made clear he viewed that penalty as a last resort. “The last thing I want to do is put you in jail,” Justice Merchan told Mr. Trump.

Hours later, the Trump campaign sent an “emergency” fund-raising bulletin. The subject line: “They want me in HANDCUFFS.”

Kate Christobek contributed reporting.

Michael Gold is a political correspondent for The Times covering the campaigns of Donald J. Trump and other candidates in the 2024 presidential elections. More about Michael Gold

Our Coverage of the 2024 Election

Presidential Race

Donald Trump leads President Biden in five crucial battleground states, a new set of polls shows , as young and nonwhite voters express discontent with the president over the economy and the war in Gaza.

With Democratic Senate candidates running well ahead of Biden , the new battleground polling shows a ticket-splitting pattern, Nate Cohn writes .

In an extended riff at a rally in New Jersey, Trump compared migrants to Hannibal Lecte r, the fictional serial killer and cannibal from “The Silence of the Lambs.”

Dodging the Question: Leading Republicans, including several of Trump’s potential running mates, have refused to say flatly that they will accept the outcome of the election .

West Virginia Senate Race: Gov. Jim Justice’s companies have long had a reputation for not paying their debts. But that may be catching up to them as Justice campaigns for a seat in the Senate.

Ohio Senate Race: Bernie Moreno, the Republican challenging Senator Sherrod Brown, tells a riches-to-rags-to-riches tale. But the reality isn’t so tidy .

Maryland Senate Race: The Democratic Senate primary between Angela Alsobrooks, the Prince George’s County executive, and Representative David Trone has grown tighter as they vie to take on Larry Hogan, the popular former two-term Republican governor.

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COMMENTS

'Witch Hunt' Review: The Entire U.S. Becomes a Modern-Day Salem
With: Gideon Adlon, Abigail Cowen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Christian Camargo, Lulu Antariksa, Anna Grace Barlow, Natasha Liu, Elizabeth Mitchell, Ashley Bell, Echo Campbell, Cameron Crovetti, Nicholas ...
Witch Hunt
Rated 0.5/5 Stars • Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/24 Full Review Avindu G Witch Hunt is a stab at all governments all throughout the world that explains exactly what's going on in the world ...
Witch Hunt (2021)
Witch Hunt: Directed by Elle Callahan. With Gideon Adlon, Abigail Cowen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Echo Campbell. In a modern America where witches are real and witchcraft is illegal, a sheltered teenager must face her own demons and prejudices as she helps two young witches avoid law enforcement and cross the southern border to asylum in Mexico.
Witch Hunt Movie Review
Positive Messages. The movie's message is that everyone deserves resp. Positive Role Models. A family puts themselves at risk to house and prot. Diverse Representations. All major characters are White; most are female. Violence & Scariness. Witches are burned alive, with some graphic images. Sex, Romance & Nudity.
Film Review: Witch Hunt (2021)
REVIEW: Written and directed by Elle Callahan, Witch Hunt opens with the definition of a "Witch Hunt". Elle Callahan directed and wrote, Head Count and Happy Deathday. Head Count was a beautifully intricate supernatural mindbender of a film. Witch Hunt is a modern-take on what human beings' rights look like as told by a woman.
Witch Hunt
WITCH HUNT is a parable of the crimes of the patriarchy in our society. It is about the injustice of xenophobia and misanthropy built into that structure. Full Review | Dec 28, 2022. Zoë Rose ...
Witch Hunt (2021) Review
Writer/director Elle Callahan opens her new film Witch Hunt on a harrowing note as two young girls Fiona (Abigail Cowen, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and her sister Shae (Echo Campbell) watch their mother burned at the stake.But this isn't Medieval England or colonial Salem, this is modern-day America. An America where witchcraft is illegal under Amendment 11 of the Constitution and ...
Witch Hunt (2021)
9/10. Another great film with low rating. PaxD75 29 December 2021. This is a story about a girl's self-discovery in a world where witches are common place. It's a drama-driven piece that reminds me of the mutant struggle that takes place in the world of the X-men except this is done in a more intimate manner.
Witch Hunt (2021)
Summary: In a modern America where practicing magic is a crime, a conflicted teenager questions the prejudice against witches while helping two fugitives cross the border into Mexico. Synopsis : Review: Debates over what is or isn't a horror movie don't need to exist. If something includes a murder or a monster, it probably qualifies as ...
Witch Hunt (2021) Film Review [Spoiler Free]
Premise. While Witch Hunt has a fantastic premise, it manages to skimp on plot and characterization. It is pretty clear what this movie is going for — the witches on the run from unjust persecution are supposed to draw parallels to the current border crisis in the U.S., as well as the plight of Jewish people who hid in attics during The ...
Witch Hunt Featured, Reviews Film Threat
SXSW FILM FESTIVAL 2021 REVIEW! Writer-director Elle Callahan's Witch Hunt is the best X-Men movie ever made, and it has nothing to do with that franchise at all. In the United States, witches and witchcraft, which are real in this universe, are outlawed. So, witches and their families try to flee south to Mexico, where
Elle Callahan Breaks Down Witch Hunt
SPOILER WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Witch Hunt, now available in theaters and on digital.. The Witch Hunt is on in writer-director Elle Callahan's fantasy thriller, which takes place in an alternate America where witchcraft is not only real, but persecuted under the fullest extent of the law. While witches and their families are oppressed across the country, the story centers ...
Witch Hunt Review
Witch Hunt Review. Last Updated on July 6, 2022. This video has been removed by the uploader. PLOT: In a world where witchcraft exists and is highly illegal to practice, a mother and her family ...
Witch Hunt (SXSW 2021 Movie Review)
SXSW Review: Elle Callahan's "Witch Hunt" uses fantastical elements to explore timely themes, to mostly solid results. ... Witch Hunt (SXSW 2021 Movie Review) By Matt Rooney March 18th 2021, 1:37pm.
Witch Hunt review
Movies. This article is more than 2 years old. Review. Witch Hunt review - a downright offensive attempt at political horror. This article is more than 2 years old.
'Witch Hunt' review: Witchy metaphor for today's wrongs
A supernatural drama. Witch Hunt is a 2021 movie with a title that seems to promise plenty of chilling moments. While there are dark scenes, they are as much a part of the commentary as the actual events. Set in modern America, the story is takes place in a world where magic is real and witches are persecuted by the United States government.
WITCH HUNT (2021) Movie Review
A Witch Hunt movie review. This Witch Hunt review is for the 2021 movie directed by Elle Callahan and starring Gideon Adlon, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Abigail...
Witch Hunt
Big Gold Belt Media Reviews "Witch Hunt" starring Gideon Adlon, Elizabeth Mitchell, Abigail Cowen, Nicholas & Cameron Crovetti, Christian Camargo. Director: ...
Witch Hunt
Jordan is back and bringing you her review of the latest witchy movie to hit our screens, Witch Hunt starring Gideon Adlon, Abigail Cowen, and Elizabeth Mitc...
Witch Hunt
Top Critics. All Audience. Verified Audience. No All Critics reviews for Witch Hunt. Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted measurement of quality for Movies & TV. The ...
Review: 'Witch Hunt" (2021), starring Gideon Adlon, Elizabeth Mitchell
Children might enjoy this movie more than adults who want a compelling and believable story. Ultimately, "Witch Hunt" panders to people who don't have enough life experience to notice the big plot holes in the film. UPDATE: Momentum Pictures will release "Witch Hunt" in select U.S. cinemas, on digital and VOD on October 1, 2021.
The Last Witch Hunter movie review (2015)
You just pick up that knowledge by watching Eisner work. Eisner's direction is similarly thoughtful during big special-effects-driven set pieces. He's a sturdy choreographer, and none of the big action scenes in "The Last Witch Hunter" are as good as those from his surprisingly atmospheric, recent remake of George Romero's "The Crazies."
Witch Hunt
Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted measurement of quality for Movies & TV. The definitive site for Reviews, Trailers, Showtimes, and Tickets ... Witch Hunt 1h 31m
Phoebe Dynevor in Talks to Star in Untitled Shark Thriller at Sony
Wirkola is a Norwegian director and writer known for "Dead Snow" and its sequel "Red vs. Dead," "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters," "The Trip" and "What Happened to Monday."
Cohen says he invested in taxi medallions
Former President Donald Trump called his hush money trial a "political witch-hunt" before heading into court Monday morning. He also touted a New York Times poll that says he is leading in several ...
Trump Stays Calm in Court. His Emails Tell a Different Story
Former President Donald J. Trump, in campaign emails to his followers, has depicted himself as a firebrand who angrily fled the proceedings of his criminal trial in Manhattan.

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