Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- eerie
- tawdry
- cult movie night
- late night viewing
What critics said
Critics found the film visually elaborate and atmospherically tawdry, but broadly criticized its confusing story and uneven central performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Senator Larson Crockett conducts hearings against magic and its practitioners while Lovecraft investigates a murder shaped by that persecution.
H. Phillip Lovecraft is uniquely committed to solving cases without using magic in a world where magic is an accepted professional influence.
The film presents 1950s Los Angeles and its film industry as a parallel society where witchcraft is real and politically contested.
Critics specifically praised the film's elaborate effects and its festooned depiction of a sordid, magical Hollywood.
Films like Witch Hunt, and why
Cast a Deadly Spell
shared neo-noir detective framework, supernatural conspiracy, and period Los Angeles atmosphere
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
shared hard-boiled mystery, fantastical Hollywood setting, and satirical genre blending
Angel Heart
shared occult investigation, noir stylization, and darkly comic supernatural menace
Movie Details
- Director
- Paul Schrader
- Release Date
- 1994-12-10
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 5.1 / 10 (50)
Cast
- Dennis Hopper
- Penelope Ann Miller
- Eric Bogosian
- Sheryl Lee Ralph
- Julian Sands
- Valerie Mahaffey
- John Epperson
- Debi Mazar
- Alan Rosenberg
- Christopher John Fields
Common questions
- What is Witch Hunt about?
- A hard-boiled Los Angeles detective who rejects magic investigates a Hollywood murder amid a senator’s supernatural witch hunt.
- What is Witch Hunt like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Witch Hunt as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Witch Hunt violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Witch Hunt as moderate.
- What did critics think of Witch Hunt?
- Critics found the film visually elaborate and atmospherically tawdry, but broadly criticized its confusing story and uneven central performance.
- Which films are like Witch Hunt?
- Films with a similar feel include Cast a Deadly Spell, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Angel Heart.
- How long is Witch Hunt?
- Witch Hunt runs 100 minutes.
