The Craft
Character: Nancy Downs
Directed by: Andrew Fleming
Written by: Peter Filardi, Andrew Fleming
Cast Members: Fairuza Balk, Robin Tunney, Never Campbell, Rachel True, Skeet Ulrich, Breckin Meyer, Christine Taylor
Released date: May 3, 1996
Genre: Drama, Horror, Teen
Duration: 1h 41m
After moving to Los Angeles with her family, the deeply troubled teen Sarah Bailey enrolls at the exclusive St. Benedict's Academy. Struggling to fit in, she finds herself drawn to the school's most notorious outsiders: Nancy, Bonnie, and Rochelle, a trio of rebellious girls with a sinister reputation. Rumors fly that the three practice witchcraft, and they see in Sarah the powerful fourth member needed to complete their coven and harness their full magical potential.
The film follows Sarah Bailey, a troubled teenager who moves to Los Angeles and enrolls at the Catholic prep school, St. Benedict’s Academy. She soon falls in with a trio of outcast girls—Nancy, Bonnie, and Rochelle—who are rumored to be witches.
The three outcasts, each dealing with their own issues (racism, severe scars, and poverty), have been looking for “the fourth” to complete their coven. They recognize that Sarah possesses powerful, innate abilities, and once she joins them, their collective power becomes unlocked.
The girls initially use their newfound magic to solve their problems and take revenge on those who have tormented them—whether it’s giving Bonnie flawless skin or cursing a racist bully. However, the newfound power soon corrupts the coven’s leader, Nancy, whose spells spiral into dangerous, selfish, and sometimes deadly territory.
As Nancy’s obsession with power grows and she becomes increasingly unhinged, Sarah realizes she must use her own strong, natural abilities to stop her former friends before their dark magic destroys them all.