A popular horror film starring Neve Campbell is now streaming on HBO Max. Before Campbell became famous as Sidney Prescott in Wes Craven’s Scream, she starred in this well-liked 1996 cult classic.
The Craft begins streaming today on HBO Max. It gives subscribers a prime look at Campbell’s breakout era alongside her famous role in Scream.
Directed by Andrew Fleming, the film was released in May 1996, just seven months before Scream. The teen supernatural movie was a surprise box-office success, grossing over $55 million on a reported $15 million budget.
The cast also includes Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, and Rachel True. Its story and characters resonated with teens who felt left out of typical 1990s teen movies. The soundtrack was also a major part of its success, featuring artists such as Letters to Cleo, Elastica, and Love Spit Love’s cover of The Smiths’ “How Soon Is Now?”
What is Neve Campbell’s The Craft about?
The Craft follows Sarah Bailey (Robin Tunney), a troubled teenager who moves to Los Angeles and starts at a strict Catholic school. There, she befriends three outcasts: Nancy Downs (Fairuza Balk), Rochelle Jordan (Rachel True), and Bonnie Harper (Neve Campbell). The girls practice witchcraft, but need Sarah to complete their coven.
After Sarah joins, they gain real magical powers and initially use them to deal with their problems. Bonnie uses magic to heal her burn scars, Rochelle takes revenge on a racist bully, and Sarah casts a love spell on Chris Hooker (Skeet Ulrich) after he spreads rumors about her.
Dealing with an abusive home life, Nancy gains even greater power by calling on the pagan deity Manon. Things soon turn dark as Nancy’s actions spiral out of control.
The film also received a sequel, The Craft: Legacy, which was released in 2020. However, the successor failed to win over audiences and was a box-office bomb.
