Witch Hunt

Witch Hunt

Year: 1994

Runtime: 100 mins

Language: English

Director: Paul Schrader

HorrorComedyFantasy

It’s a new kind of evil, as old as time. Magic and murder connect an actress, a private eye, a senator and a witch in 1950s Hollywood.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Witch Hunt (1994)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Witch Hunt (1994). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1953

Set in 1953, the film sits in the early Cold War era when cinema and politics intersect. The era's fear of unseen forces mirrors the anti-magic crusade that seeks to purge magic from public life. Hollywood's glamour coexists with conspiratorial plots and a culture of reckoning.

Location

Los Angeles, Los Feliz

1950s Los Angeles serves as the backdrop for Hollywood power plays and occult intrigue. Studio lots, glamorous mansions, and red-carpet glamour are contrasted with covert witchcraft and murders. The Los Feliz mansion and surrounding studios become pivotal settings where manipulation, secrets, and the fight over magic unfold.

🏙️ City 🎬 Film Industry

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:02

Main Characters – Witch Hunt (1994)

Meet the key characters of Witch Hunt (1994), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

H. Philip Lovecraft (Dennis Hopper)

A private investigator in a glamour-soaked but perilous Los Angeles who walks the line between skepticism and tolerance for the occult. He is resourceful, morally flexible, and driven to uncover the truth, even when magic is involved. He confesses to using magic once, revealing his pragmatic methods and the personal costs of solving the case.

🕵️ Mystery 🧭 Private Investigator

Kim Hudson (Penelope Ann Miller)

A film star entangled in a marriage of convenience with power and money. She relies on charm and, at times, magic to polish her image and seize opportunities, but her need for stardom makes her vulnerable to manipulation. Her arc centers on choosing authenticity over enchantment in the face of scandal and danger.

🎭 Hollywood ✨ Appearance magic

N.J. Gottlieb (Alan Rosenberg)

A powerful producer whose studio world and wealth drive the plot. He wields influence and resources to control narratives, fires Kim, and becomes a target of magical plots against him. His murder by magic highlights the peril of unchecked ambition in the entertainment industry.

🎬 Producer 💰 Power

Finn Macha (Julian Sands)

A warlock and former private investigator who manipulates events from the shadows. He recruits others to exploit magic for personal gain, challenging Lovecraft and testing his restraint. His presence drives the magical subplot and the central clash of loyalties.

🪄 Magic user 🕶️ Manipulator

Hypolita Kropotkin (Sheryl Lee Ralph)

Lovecraft's landlady and a witch who operates within Gotlieb's studio. She coordinates magic with a coven, guiding Lovecraft toward truth while avoiding direct confrontation with those in power. Her actions propel the investigation and her eventual confrontation with danger.

🧙 Witch 🗝️ Coven

Sen. Larson Crockett (Eric Bogosian)

A politically ambitious senator who uses anti-magic rhetoric to gain support and push legislation. He baits public fear, scapegoats magical figures, and ultimately reveals his deeper political self. His alliance with Macha illustrates how power corrupts by exploiting crisis.

🏛️ Politician 🗡️ Power

Bea (Nancy Linehan Charles)

A supporting character who inhabits the world of the studio and its power plays. She embodies the social network behind the scenes, where deals, whispers, and loyalties shape the fate of those under the spotlight.

🎭 Supporting 🗨️ Insider

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:02

Major Themes – Witch Hunt (1994)

Explore the central themes of Witch Hunt (1994), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🪄 Magic vs Power

Magic is both tool and weapon in Witch Hunt, enabling characters to exert influence, solve problems, or destroy rivals. The coven's enchantments manipulate reality, while Lovecraft wrestles with the ethics of using magic. The film questions whether power can be wielded responsibly when it comes from spells rather than evidence. As murders unfold, magic becomes a political instrument in a society fearful of the unseen.

🗳️ Political Fear

Senator Crockett leverages public fear of magic to push through anti-magic legislation, turning a private vendetta into public policy. The narrative shows how fear is manufactured to gain support and silence dissent. Scapegoating Hypolita and attacking the magical community reveal the fragility of democracy under pressure from powerful interests. The plot critiques how truth can be bent to fit a political agenda.

🎬 Hollywood Identity

Kim Hudson's use of appearance-altering magic exposes Hollywood's obsession with images and youth. The pursuit of fame drives characters to deception, manipulation, and risk, blurring the line between actor and persona. Lovecraft's investigation intersects with studio politics and celebrity fantasies, revealing a industry where magic could rebalance power or ruin lives. In the end, Kim chooses authenticity over enchantment, resisting the pull of stardom.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:02

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Occult Noir Movies Like Witch Hunt

Hard-boiled detectives and desperate characters confront dark magic and conspiracies.Explore more movies like Witch Hunt where the classic detective story meets the supernatural. These films combine gritty crime investigation with occult themes, offering a similar mix of mystery, atmosphere, and the unsettling feeling that magic is real and dangerous.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread follow an investigative structure, but the antagonist is often a supernatural force or a practitioner of dark arts. The protagonist, typically a skeptic or a weary professional, is forced to accept a new, terrifying reality as they unravel a conspiracy that blends human malice with magical power.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared fusion of noir aesthetics and occult themes. They create a specific mood where rational investigation collides with the irrational, resulting in a tense, atmospheric experience focused on uncovering hidden truths in a world where magic is real.

Movies About Power and Corruption Like Witch Hunt

Ambition and moral compromise collide with the dark side of fame and influence.If you liked the themes of political ambition and the dark cost of fame in Witch Hunt, you'll enjoy these other stories. They delve into moral ambiguity, the corrupting nature of influence, and personal transformation set against evocative historical backdrops.

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Narrative Summary

The plot typically revolves around an ambitious figure—a politician, starlet, or mogul—whose rise to power is built on a foundation of shady deals and ethical compromises. A central conflict forces a reckoning, leading to a climax where ambitions are shattered or profoundly altered, often resulting in a bittersweet victory that comes at a great personal cost.

Why These Movies?

This thread connects movies through their thematic focus on the corrupting influence of power within a distinct historical period. They share a dark tone, a steady pace of unfolding scandal, and a focus on characters navigating worlds where morality is fluid and the price of success is high.

Unlock the Full Story of Witch Hunt

Don't stop at just watching — explore Witch Hunt in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Witch Hunt is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Witch Hunt Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Witch Hunt, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Witch Hunt Summary

Witch Hunt Timeline

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Witch Hunt Timeline

Witch Hunt Spoiler-Free Summary

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Witch Hunt Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Witch Hunt

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Witch Hunt: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

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