Over the last couple years, film studios have released movies that are not quite sequels and not quite remakes. Movies like Ghostbusters (2016), Suspiria (2018) and The Invisible Man (2020) draw inspiration from classics, but reinterpret them in some way. The Craft Legacy similarly fits into this category, despite essentially being a direct sequel to The Craft (1996).

Throughout the movie there are references to the original film, whether it’s subtle nods like the title card set against a cloudy blue sky or more explicit ones like Tabby saying, “We are the weirdos, mister.” In The Craft, we saw the coven turn against each other, with Nancy playing the villain. The villain in Legacy however is very clearly patriarchy.

Though Adam, Lily’s step-father and leader of a pagan cult, is the most explicit representation of this, as with all systems of oppression, patriarchy’s villainy has numerous actors (and actions that it’s upheld by) throughout the film: from the more extreme instances like Lily being publicly humiliated by Timmy for getting her period in class and then getting in trouble for pushing him away after he threatens her, to the seemingly benign like Jacob dismissing Tabby’s request to play video games with him (this brings to mind the world of women and video games, as well as specific instances like gamergate).

It’s notable that they come together because of Timmy’s actions. “You’re not alone,” Tabby says; Timmy has made them all cry at some point. What’s brought them together is their oppression, their womanhood. But what’s presented in the movie isn’t just all women against all men. “Way to stick it to the man, mom,” Lily sneers, after her mother doesn’t stand up for her to Adam.

And just like the original, they discover and explore their powers, casting spells and using magic in everyday life—to rather cartoonish effect, such as Tabby’s ability to shoot fire out of her finger to remove some slanderous graffiti from her locker. Testing the limits of their powers, they decide to  cast a spell to “awaken Timmy to his highest self.” 

This presents a host of issues if we take this spell to be literal, but if we consider that his “highest self” would just be an ideal version of Timmy from the point of view of the coven, then his transformation makes a lot more sense. He becomes an anti-patriarchal actor, sort of. Some of the things he says after he’s awoken are laughable, but he’s trying. 

“It’s just hard for dudes. I feel like there’s no room to be…everyone just assumes you’re just gay and that, that’s fine, you know there’s nothing wrong with that at all, I just, I like both.” When Timmy comes out as bisexual to the girls, there is the implication that these are feelings he has had all along, but that he’s kept hidden for fear of losing status or position of power within society.

This movie is so much more queer than the original, which isn’t all that surprising because the original took place in the 90s, when the general public didn’t really talk about queerness. The only person who is explicitly queer is Timmy. Though even this could be considered queerbaiting, given that it’s now 2021 and I think the bar for what passes as actually queer should be elevated to depicting actual relationships/displays of affection, and not just explicitly saying that a character is queer. Nevertheless, bisexual representation is good and necessary.

Still, Timmy’s comments attempt to convince us that even those who seemingly “benefit” from the patriarchy can be negatively impacted by it. I’m not sure this is true, but it does further cement the idea that patriarchy is a system rather than individuals. Yes, they’ve changed Timmy, but the system is still in place. Even after they defeat Adam, the system will go on. What would it take to radically restructure society—unsurprisingly the film doesn’t go into this because that would be a pretty tall order.

But the film does give us a leader, driving patriarchal values and instilling them in the young men of the film—Adam.

As the leader of a pagan cult, he gathers and meets with his sons’ friends from school to indoctrinate them into the rituals and belief structures that he’s committed to. In the wake of Timmy’s murder, Adam tells the boys, “We all face tragedy every day. The question is: how do we face it?” Timmy being weak is brought up several times. He was a traitor to the patriarchy and therefore not only weak, but a threat to them. “When one of us is weak, all of us are weak,” Adam commands.

Consistent with the original film, power and the pursuit of power corrupts. It’s notable that Adam has three sons and no wife. His first wife isn’t discussed at all, which makes me wonder: was she Sarah Bailey, the natural-born witch from the first film? This would make sense, given that Adam has a knowledge of who Lily is and given the way Adam tried to steal powers from her. It’s plausible that Adam learned about the events of the original film, sought out the four girls of the coven, and one by one is taking what he can from them.

The biggest question is: what happened to Nancy and how did she give birth to Lily? Nancy has been incarcerated in a mental health institution since high school—1996. Lily is 17 years old in the year 2021, meaning she was born in 2004. How is it that Nancy became pregnant? The implication is disturbing to say the least.

Overall, this movie is a perfectly enjoyable addition to the canon, and I like the way they made it less about in-fighting in the coven and more about fighting an external force of evil. It’s much campier and as mentioned at times cartoonish, but much of that makes it fun even though it deals with some heavy themes.