Seven months before Wes Craven unleashed Ghostface on the world with Scream, breakout star Neve Campbell starred in another classic 1996 horror film. Campbell, who has since become the face of the long-running meta-slasher franchise, made her franchise return in Scream 7 following her glaring absence as Sidney Prescott in the previous installment, Scream VI. This time, Sidney’s tasked with protecting her daughter in Pine Grove, Indiana.
With Scream 7 slashing its way to the top of the box office during its opening weekend, revisiting the 1996 original is undoubtedly part of the appeal for many slasher film aficionados. However, the other 1996 horror film starring Campbell not only provides a snapshot of the ’90s but also gets better with each passing year. Light the candles and summon the spells; it’s time to revisit The Craft.
‘The Craft’ Is a Playful Spin on the Witchcraft Horror Genre
Released in May 1996, The Craft is a cliché-bucking, feminist-driven horror movie directed by Andrew Fleming (Emily in Paris). The film follows Sarah (Robin Tunney), a troubled teenager who moves to Los Angeles and meets a trio of equally vexed outcasts marginalized by their classmates. Sarah’s new friends include Bonnie Harper (Neve Campbell), Nancy (Fairuza Balk), and Rochelle (Rachel True), all of whom possess supernatural powers and dabble in witchcraft by worshiping an Earth god named Manon.
With the four teens representing the Four Elements, their coven is complete, and they use witchcraft to avenge their schoolyard bullies and right the injustices they’ve encountered. However, the movie sidesteps most well-worn, easily predictable teen movie tropes and stereotypes. Through its stylish ’90s fashion and alt-rock soundtrack with music by Heather Nova and Jewel, The Craft has a lot to say about adolescent femininity and female empowerment in the pre-Y2K era.
Although somewhat dwarfed by Scream‘s massive success in 1996, The Craft drew mostly positive reviews and was a surprise box-office hit, grossing $55.6 million against a $15 million budget. Although it spawned an inferior sequel in 2020, the original cult classic not only holds up well in 2026, but it also features an early breakout performance by Campbell… and one of her Scream co-stars, too.
‘The Craft’ Features Career Best Performances by Two ‘Scream’ Actors
Unlike Sidney Prescott’s symbol of purity and innocence in Scream, Neve Campbell’s sexy, dangerous, and downright risky performance as Bonnie in The Craft shows her true acting talent. More in line with Campbell’s turn in Wild Things, she plays Bonnie with outward bravado that masks inner hurt. She balances external toughness with internal vulnerability, and by the end of the movie, she becomes a deeply sympathetic character.
When Bonnie wishes to heal her burn scars and feel beautiful for the first time, her humble, down-to-earth persona quickly morphs into a vainglorious cruelty. In physically transforming from so-called ugliness to beauty, Bonnie loses her inner beauty and becomes outwardly monstrous. Campbell hit all the right notes and made the character fully dimensional.
Skeet Ulrich, who played crazed killer Billy Loomis in Scream, does more with less when it comes to his performance as Chris Hooker in The Craft. Chris is a popular high school athlete who is romantically interested in Sarah when she arrives at school. Following an innocent date, Chris spreads vicious rumors about having sex with Sarah.
However, instead of a deadly spell of revenge, the girls place a love spell on Chris that forces him to obsess over Sarah. The carnal obsession turns violent, with Ulrich giving an unforgettable turn as a manipulated teenager who can’t control his emotions. It’s a much more nuanced and well-rounded performance from Ulrich than Billy Loomis in Scream, who oozes psychotic guilt from his first scene. And it’s just one reason why The Craft holds up so well now.
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