A long-awaited sequel that everybody wanted but nobody liked casts a spell on streaming

Few movies from the 1990s have generated a cult following quite like The Craft, Andrew Fleming’s beloved effort that marries the supernatural horror to the teen comedy.

As often tends to be the case with titles that spend decades after the fact bathing in the warm glow of nostalgia and a critical reappraisal, fans campaigned hard to will a second chapter into existence. Unfortunately, when it actually happened, a lot of them were left crushingly disappointed by the results.

Written and directed by Zoe Lister-Jones, The Craft: Legacy was technically a direct follow up to the 1996 original, but also acted as a soft reboot of sorts that didn’t feature anywhere near as much connective tissue as you’d expect from a legacy sequel.

A 47% Rotten Tomatoes score paints a lukewarm picture, but it’s the 25% user rating that’s much more telling. Clearly, those who waited a quarter of a century to see The Craft return to their screens were left less than impressed, proving that getting exactly what you wish for isn’t always a guarantee you’re going to like what you end up with.

Despite having largely been forgotten about already despite only releasing in September 2020, The Craft: Legacy has returned to prominence on streaming by ascending onto the HBO Max most-watched list, as per FlixPatrol.