Watching a witch or magic inspired film is always a fun idea. But to elevate the storyline, movies inspired by or that use the Salem Witch Trials as a backstory have more depth. Many have heard the stories once Halloween season approaches, but there have been many films that use the infamous historical tales as a premise.
The Salem Witch Trials were a period from 1692 until 1693, in which Massachusetts townspeople were put on trial for being accused of witchcraft. There have been many documentaries made over the years about the innocent women who were hanged or drowned. This period of time has inspired many on-screen works when it comes to magic, witches and the supernatural.
10 The Lords Of Salem: 2012 (5.1)
In 2012, the American singer, songwriter and director Rob Zombie created a film that some might have heard of. The Lords of Salem is a supernatural horror film that takes place where the trials originated, in Salem, Massachusetts. A DJ at a hard rock station discovers an album by a band called The Lords.
When listening to the record, she starts having bizarre nightmares. The next day, she interviews a writer who just wrote a book about the Salem Witch Trials and plays the record. The record has hypnotic powers that cause the woman of Salem to fall in a trance. As the visions progress, she uncovers a secret cult of Satan worshippers and a curse put on the woman of Salem.
9 The Covenant: 2006 (5.3)
The Covenant was a guilty pleasure film for many teens in the 2000s when the supernatural was at its peak in pop culture. It starred Sebastian Stan, Tyler Kitsch, Steven Strait, Chace Crawford and other actors. The film centers around a group of male friends who grew up together and are knows as the Sons of Ipswitch. They come from the founding families and wield magical abilities.
The tie to the Salem Witch Trials is seen in the town where they reside and the boys' lineage. In 1878, there was a second wave of witch accusation that occurred in Salem, but was also known as the Ipswich Witchcraft Trials. In the film, the boys are direct descendants to the founding families who formed a coven to keep their magic a secret. There is also a small backstory that uses some of the family names of the original accusers during the trials.
8 The Crucible: 1996 (6.8)
Every film buff has heard or watched the film The Crucible. It's a cult classic from 1996 that details the events that occurred during the Salem witch trials. It starred Winona Ryder in one of her more notable roles as Abigail Williams and Daniel Day-Lewis as John Proctor. The historical drama is an adaptation of the 1953 play of the same name.
In Salem, 1692, Proctor decides to end his affair with the young Abigail. She later goes off to the woods with other girls to have a conjuring ceremony. Riddled with anger, Abigail calls for revenge against her lover's wife. Things escalate out of control when the girls are accused of witchcraft, after the reverend witnesses their ceremony. Creating false accusations to save herself, Abigail becomes consumed with new power, as the town is overturned with fear.
7 The Autopsy Of Jane Doe: 2016 (6.8)
This 2016 supernatural horror film centers around the body of an unidentified female cadaver. Father-and-son coroners start experiencing supernatural occurrences while trying to examine the body.
The coroners suffer tragic events but come to the realization that Jane Doe is to blame. After re-examining, they discover that the body has markers referring to Leviticus 20:27, which was used to condemn witches during the year 1693. During that time, the Salem authorities accused an innocent woman of being a witch, who now wants revenge.
6 Hocus Pocus: 1993 (6.9)
Hocus Pocus in undeniably one of the most famous witch films to have been made in the 90s. Many kids had nightmares about the Sanderson sisters and it's a cult classic that fans love. The film takes place in the crux of witchcraft, Salem, Massachusetts. The beginning of the film gives a bit of backstory to the sisters.
It all starts back in 1693 when the witch trials occurred in Salem. The three sisters are accused of witchcraft after a local town girl goes missing. They are hung, but not before casting a spell on a candle that will bring them back to life if it is lit by a virgin. The film then fasts forwards to 1993 Salem, where a virgin does just this and brings the Sanderson sisters back and hungry for youth.
5 ParaNorman: 2012 (7)
When looking for a fun and comedic film for the spooky season, ParaNorman is a good fit. The film's storyline also ties back to the witch trials. The story does take place in Massachusetts, but in a town called Blithe Hollow. The storyline closely resembles the idea of a woman being falsely accused during this time period.
Norman is a young boy who is isolated and ridiculed for his ability to speak to the dead. One day, he has a vision of townspeople chasing witches through the forest. He's soon tasked with recovering an old book of fairytales to perform a protection ritual. The arrival of a witch spirit leads to the rise of the undead. He soon discovers that the witch who caused the uproar was a young girl who was a medium, but was accused of witchcraft by her town.
4 Witches Of Salem: 2019 (7)
Witches of Salem is a film/TV mini-series that aired in 2019. It was created by the Travel Channel and is a historical dramatization of what occurred in Salem in 1692. The docudrama details the town's rapid spiral into madness when the daughter of the local reverend starts to act erratically.
This soon progresses to other young woman suffering from the same affliction, which leads to the accusation of a family slave being a witch. The small town is riddled with fear, turmoil, and hysteria, causing the death of many townspeople who are falsely accused of witchcraft. The film/mini-series uses original transcripts from the time period to capture the day-to-day accusations of possession and witchcraft.
3 Motherland: Fort Salem: 2020 (7.1)
Motherland: Fort Salem was a 2020 show created by Freefrom. The show takes a unique spin on witches, leading back to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. In current day United States, witches are at the forefront, leading the American army in its defense, when a powerful witch helps end the persecution of witches.
The Salem Witch Trials did occur and led to the deaths of many witches, but a deal struck with the current commanding general 300 years ago, The Salem Accords, stopped the persecution of witches and instead used them as a weapon to help defend the U.S. from foreign and domestic enemies.
2 Salem: 2014 (7.1)
Salem is tagged with being loosely inspired by the 17th-century Witch Trials. The supernatural horror series takes the trials to a new and more dramatized level that hasn't been seen before. It all starts with a powerful witch, who is the puppeteer behind the Witch Trials. She uses the trials as a way to create mass hysteria among the Puritans.
In reality, she's using it as a cover to fulfill her plan to summon the Devil. The show even uses familiar characters from the original transcripts, like the slave named Tituba. Her plan isn't easy when new enemies and old love complicate her journey to power. The show twists the story into creating a new thought process of who really was behind the witch hunt.
1 American Horror Story: Coven: 2011 (8)
Sadly, IMDb doesn't give an overall ranking for each season of a show. This doesn't stray from the fact that American Horror Story created a season entirely based on witchcraft, titled "Coven." The season is based in New Orleans and uses real voodoo legends, but the main characters are descendants of witch families from Salem.
Like many other on-screen works that use the trials as a premise, the main characters are descendants of witches who managed to escape prosecution in 1692 and 1693. The main character learns of her new lineage and is sent to a private school that teaches young witches how to survive in the modern world.
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