Warlock

"Satan also has one son."

1989 1h 43m EN

😐

6.3

MID

🥫

56%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

6.2

IMDB

★6.3TMDB · 468🥫56%Rotten Tomatoes●44Metacritic★6.2IMDB · 20,196

HorrorFantasyAction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In 17th century New England, witch hunter Giles Redferne captures an evil warlock, but the conjurer eludes death with supernatural help. Flung into the future, the warlock winds up in the 1980s and plans to bring about the end of the world. Redferne follows the enchanter into the modern era and continues his mission, but runs into trouble in such unfamiliar surroundings. With the help of a young woman, can Redferne finally defeat the warlock?

“Satan also has one son.”

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Cast

Julian Sands
Warlock
Lori Singer
Kassandra
Richard E. Grant
Giles Redferne
Mary Woronov
Channeler
Kevin O'Brien
Chas
Richard Kuss
Mennonite
Allan Miller
Detective
Anna Thomson
Pastor's Wife

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Steve Miner
Writers: David Twohy
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Warlock Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Steve Miner, shot by David Eggby. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Original score by Jerry Goldsmith. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor David Finfer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Julian Sands and Lori Singer and Richard E. Grant carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Satan also has one son.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0098622 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Steve Miner directs. David Eggby behind the camera. Jerry Goldsmith scores. David Finfer cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

137 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Part of the "Warlock Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Steve Miner, shot by David Eggby. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Jerry Goldsmith. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor David Finfer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Julian Sands and Lori Singer and Richard E. Grant carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Satan also has one son.".
8IMDB entry: tt0098622 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 8 themes, including "witch", "magic", "cemetery", "time travel".

The technical file

Cinematography: David Eggby
Original score: Jerry Goldsmith
Editing: David Finfer
Production design: Roy Forge Smith
Costume design: Louise Frogley
Makeup / hair: Pat Gerhardt
VFX supervisor: Robert Habros
Sound: David E. Campbell
Stunt coordinator: David R. Ellis
Runtime: 103 min · 1h 43m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $7,000,000
Box office: $9,094,451
Return: 130% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Warlock (1989)
Rotten Tomatoes: 56% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 44/100
IMDB rating: 6.2/10 · 20,196 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

1 win & 8 nominations total

Part of

Warlock Collection

In Boston of 1691, a warlock is sentenced to death, but escapes magically into the future (our present), followed doggedly by the witch hunter. There he is searching for the three parts of the Devil's Bible, trailed by the witch hunter and the woman whose house he landed in. They must stop him, as the book contains the true name of God, which he can use to un-create the world.

Also by

Steve Miner

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

GenerationofSwine2023-01-12
★ 10/10
This is a B-Movie Gem, it really is, it's a brilliant way to merge a movie about Salem era witches into a more affordable environment. And what makes it better is that it has a great sense of humor, and constantly plays it perfectly straight. There are so many little things that were intentionally funny, and would have ruined the film if the actors hammed it up, but instead they approached it as straight as if it were a drama. It made for a super fun and enjoyable film.
Wuchak2024-02-21
★ 7/10
People from 300 years earlier carry on their fight in the present day A condemned practitioner of black magic in 1691 Massachusetts (Julian Sands) is mystically transported to 1988 with a righteous witch-hunter on his tail (Richard E. Grant). The latter teams-up with a young woman (Lori Singer) to pursue his evil prey. "Warlock" (1989) is similar to “Terminator” with the difference of people coming to the present from THE PAST as opposed to the future. It’s a thrilling chase flick with an interesting fish-out-of-water element. The first half is great, but the second half isn’t quite as effective. Nevertheless, this is a very entertaining flick highlighted by the intriguing noble protagonist (Grant) and the charisma of the wicked antagonist (Sands). The film runs 1 hour, 43 minutes, and was shot Plimoth Patuxet, Massachusetts; the Greater Los Angeles area, including Santa Paula, California City and Hermosa Beach; and Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. GRADE: B+