Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- campy
- brooding
- heightened
- late night genre viewing
- teen movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as a poorly written and derivative supernatural teen spectacle, despite its commercial appeal and later cult following.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The young warlocks share powers tied to their coven and face consequences connected to a centuries-old inherited hatred.
The coven's intense male bonds, homoerotic appeal, and queer-coded subtext have been repeatedly noted in discussions of the film's cult status.
A rival warlock comes to the college town and targets the concealed coven within its young social world.
The warlocks are presented as attractive college students, including members of a swimming team, within a polished fantasy-action setting.
Films like The Covenant, and why
The Craft
supernatural teen protagonists, secret magical powers, and a male friendship group facing a dangerous rival
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
young occult practitioners, heightened fantasy-horror imagery, and a threat rooted in inherited supernatural conflict
I Am Number Four
teen-centered supernatural action, secret powers, and a polished early-2000s genre aesthetic
Movie Details
- Director
- Renny Harlin
- Release Date
- 2006-09-07
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 5.6 / 10 (1137)
Cast
- Chace Crawford
- Taylor Kitsch
- Toby Hemingway
- Sebastian Stan
- Steven Strait
- Laura Ramsey
- Jessica Lucas
- Kyle Schmid
- Kenneth Welsh
- Wendy Crewson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Sundance Now
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Covenant about?
- At an elite college, four young warlocks must unite against a vengeful outsider determined to destroy their coven and its inherited magical legacy.
- What is The Covenant like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Covenant as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Covenant violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Covenant as mild.
- What did critics think of The Covenant?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as a poorly written and derivative supernatural teen spectacle, despite its commercial appeal and later cult following.
- Which films are like The Covenant?
- Films with a similar feel include The Craft, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and I Am Number Four.
- How long is The Covenant?
- The Covenant runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Covenant?
- In United States, The Covenant streams on Sundance Now.
