film / 1990
The Witches
A boy and his grandmother face a secret witches' convention and a plan to transform children into mice.
Verified facts
- Runtime
- 1h 31m
- Director
- Nicolas Roeg
- Released
- 1990
- Based on
- The Witches
PlotGeeks explainer signals
Why read this explainer
Luke remains able to act after becoming a mouse. His grandmother's help matters while his body makes the hotel more dangerous.
PlotGeeks note
Restoration gives the screen story a different final state from the book. Luke can return from the transformation after defeating the witches.
Connected knowledge
Connected in PlotGeeks
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- Part of The Witches on screen
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- Compare with The Witches (1983 book)
Compare what changes between the 1983 book and the 1990 film.
- Explore Family
Family can offer shelter, impose a role, or become the system a character must escape.
Timeline
Major events
- Luke discovers the hidden convention
The Grand High Witch reveals a plan to turn children into mice through a potion.
- Luke and Bruno are transformed
Their danger becomes immediate, but Luke can still reach Helga and plan a response.
- The potion enters the banquet soup
Luke uses his small size to turn the witches' own scheme against their gathering.
- Susan Irvine restores Luke
After the witches' defeat, the former assistant returns him to human form at home.
Story in 60 Seconds
The short version
Luke stays with his grandmother Helga at a hotel where a convention conceals the Grand High Witch's plan to destroy children. Having learned how to recognize witches, he witnesses their true appearance and a potion that turns its victims into mice. Luke and Bruno are transformed, but Luke can still warn Helga and move through places the adults overlook. He steals the formula and puts it in the witches' soup. Their own method becomes the means of defeating them, while the Grand High Witch's mistreated assistant breaks with her leader.
Spoiler sectionEnding ExplainedShow ending detailsHide ending details
The banquet potion turns the witches into mice, and the hotel staff unknowingly kills them. Luke and Helga return home with information that could help them pursue other witches. Susan Irvine, the assistant who left the gathering, arrives and restores Luke to human form. His successful resistance precedes the restoration, which changes his final condition rather than enabling his victory.
Original context
Why it matters
What the conflict reveals
Luke's transformation makes him vulnerable without ending his ability to act. Working with his grandmother lets him turn the witches' plan against them.
Key turning points
Luke and Bruno are transformed
Becoming a mouse removes Luke's ordinary protections but gives him access to the witches' formula and the kitchen. He transforms that vulnerability into the practical basis of his counterattack.
Character links
Who connects to whom
Character motivations
What drives the characters
Luke wants to protect other children and remain with Helga despite his changed body. Helga trusts his account and supplies the adult support the hidden convention makes necessary.
Adaptation
Book and film connection
Explore the story