Things about The Craft you only notice as an adult

It was quite clear back in '96 that the men in The Craft are pretty terrible across the board. Between abusive step-fathers and cruel classmates, you can't get much lower than that. But as an adult you notice specifically that these men all perpetuate rape culture. 

Mitt, a fairly minor character, does this by calling Sarah a "snail trail" about eight minutes into the movie. But he's not as bad as Chris, who does a litany of rapey things, like calling Nancy a slut, then stating that he "doesn't know from experience or anything." He also tries to get Sarah to go to his house when no one's there, obviously for sex. When Sarah refuses, he proceeds to lie to everyone in school, saying she's the lousiest lay he's ever had. 

When she confronts him, he acts like he's the one turning her down, saying to her, "I don't wanna go out with you again. Please stop begging, it's pathetic." And later, when he's apologizing for his behavior, he tells Sarah, "When you're a guy, people expect things" — things being sex, of course, like it's totally okay for men to do that. And then he legit tries to rape Sarah around the hour mark, showing just how steeped in rape culture thinking he is.

Bonnie was severely burned as a child and has the scarring all over her body to show it. She's obviously ashamed of how the scarring looks, and covers it with concealing clothing even in warm Southern California. That doesn't stop her classmates from treating her like an outsider, though. Additionally, the treatment she undergoes to help clear the scars looks pretty brutal, not unlike getting a giant tattoo.

But the long-term consequences of being severely burned can go even farther than that, and can include pain, contracture, and psychological problems. Like its treatment of racism, The Craft's commentary on other issues like illness and injury affecting teens, wasn't altogether common at the time. So while being ashamed of her appearance is understandable — she's a teenage girl, after all — the other problems she likely had to deal with could be worse. And in retrospect, she's quite gorgeous, but apparently her classmates don't notice that she's Neve Campbell and therefore highly desirable. That is, until her scars are gone anyway.

Domestic violence and abuse is a huge problem in the United States. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 10 million women (and men) are physically abused by an intimate partner every year, and approximately 20,000 phone calls are placed to domestic violence hotlines every day. And it's depicted accurately in The Craft, as Nancy's step-father (or mother's boyfriend), Ray, is abusive both to her and to her mother, Grace. 

He's verbally abusive, saying things like, "Her father's the one who paid you the fifty bucks for a quick bang in the back seat," to Nancy's mother. He's sexually abusive, as he tried to lift Nancy's robe up, remarking that you could "almost see through" it. And he's physically abusive, as he throws Grace down on the couch and screams at her. Fortunately, Nancy and her mother are able to get away from it, though many victims are not so lucky.

Andrew Fleming, the director of The Craft, wanted to make sure that the depiction of Wicca in the movie was as accurate as possible — he wanted it to feel authentic. To that end, he hired a Wiccan consultant, and she advised him on all of the religious aspects in the movie, from calling the corners to describing deities. And while The Craft does a good job depicting Wicca, avoiding common pitfalls that plague other shows, there's one moment that stands out as inaccurate. 

It happens when Sarah is in the magic shop for the first time with Nancy, Rochelle, and Bonnie. When Sarah is ready to check out, Lirio asks her if she knows how to use the candles she's selected. After Sarah responds with a snide, "Yeah, you light the wick," Lirio starts to tell her more about them. But instead of fully finishing her explanation, she stops, and hands Sarah a pamphlet, telling her that it "explains it all." But there's no way that a mere pamphlet can possibly "explain it all" as Wicca is a complex religion with ancient roots and diverse traditions. So a pamphlet might get you started, but that's about it.

Hollywood beauty standards are astronomical these days, so unless you look like Emma Stone or Jennifer Lawrence, it's going to be tough to get cast in leading roles. But back in 1996 it wasn't so bad, at least for The Craft. 

In 2016, Robin Tunney, the actress who played Sarah, told The Guardian, "These days, there's this kind of factory in Hollywood, churning out young girls who look totally identical. You get the odd independent film with a young protagonist who looks awkward, but that becomes the point — that she's fat or can't get a boyfriend." And that was what set The Craft apart. She continued, "In its way, it was radical: it was a mainstream movie, but one of our leads was African American and no one was taller than 5ft 3in. We were nobody's ideal of physical perfection." Additionally, Fairuza Balk, who played Nancy, didn't have to bleach her teeth, which is evident as they look totally natural in the movie. That's de rigeur these days. 

Hollywood does not have the most stellar record of depicting mental healthcare and treatment. Whether it's films like 1960's Psycho or Me, Myself & Irene much later in the year 2000, or even television shows like Monk, a significant portion of media that addresses mental health reinforces negative stereotypes and contributes to the stigma attached to mental illness. Although The Craft does have some positive moments when it comes to mental health — Sarah can talk about her suicide attempt with no judgment, for example — Nancy's fate at the end of the movie is a poor depiction of what mental illness and healthcare are really like. 

In the final scene, she is shown strapped to a bed in a barren room, ranting and raving about how she can fly, while a portly nurse gives her a painful injection, basically ignoring her otherwise. That's a very stereotypical and potentially damaging portrayal, and lacks sympathy in a manner similar to other movies with the same failing.