“Agatha All Along” has finished its journey — at least, for the time being — and odds are, you might be feeling a witch-sized hole in your life. Well, worry not. You can still rewatch the series on Disney+, or you can check out the films that inspired the series — as recommended by the showrunner herself.
Each week, Jac Schaeffer sat down with TheWrap to do a deep dive on every episode of “Agatha All Along” (and you can check those out here). Naturally, the Marvel show leaned in on the magic of everything. But it also embraced move-making magic, utilizing real sets, practical effects, forced persepctive and more.
So, in discussing the finale of the series, we had her round up a few recommendations for those who want to understand and experience the series a bit deeper. Here are 10 movies like “Agatha All Along” that Schaeffer would suggest you watch next.
“Anyone who loved episode 7 should see ‘Arrival,’ it’s a beautiful meditation on time and grief,” Schaeffer said.
Directed by “Dune” director Denis Villeneuve, the movie stars Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker and more. The story is about aliens, rather than witches, and follows a team of elite investigators trying to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors before war breaks out. Things turn on the discovery that the aliens don’t experience linear time like Humans do — and that their language is a reflection of that.
“Arrival” can be rented or purchased through Google Play, Apple TV, Prime Video, YouTube and Fandango.
Schaeffer also points episode 7 lovers to Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-nominated breakthrough hit “Memento,” starring Guy Pearce.
The movie follows a man who suffers from anterograde amnesia — meaning he has short-term memory loss and can’t make new memories — attempting to solve the murder of his wife. The story is told in reverse chronological order, meaning the film’s first scene happens at the end, and the mystery is revealed by working backwards. (Some home video releases even included a chronological order version for fans to compare/contrast.)
According to the “Agatha” showrunner, the film was a big inspiration “in terms of story structure and non-linear storytelling.”
You can currently stream “Memento” on Prime Video, Peacock, Tubi, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV and PLEX.
When it comes to inspirations for the witchy aspects of “Agatha All Along,” Schaeffer immediately names “The Craft.” There are snippets of it in the show’s closing credits, and Billy Maximoff even had a poster from the film in his room.
This Gen X/elder Millennial touchstone centers on four high school girls, all outcasts for various reasons, who attempt witchcraft as a small coven. Naturally, they get power-hungry pretty quickly.
You can currently stream “The Craft” on Peacock, Tubi, AMC+ and Philo.
“Practical Magic” is another witchy recommendation Schaeffer makes, which stars Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman (and happens to have a sequel on the way).
The two actresses play sisters in a magical family, but they’ve largely avoided witchcraft themselves — at least, until the abusive boyfriend of Kidman’s character mysteriously dies. Trying to resurrect him doesn’t exactly go as planned.
The film is currently streaming on YouTube TV for those with a premium subscription. Otherwise, it is available to rent or buy on Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and more.
Yes, Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Susan Sarandon and Cher did a witchy movie together, and yes, it definitely inspired Schaeffer and her team on “Agatha All Along.”
Well, the women are witches at least. Nicholson plays a man who seduces each of them in turn and manipulates their powers, becoming a nightmare for all. “Mad Max: Fury Road” filmmaker George Miller directs.
Schaeffer jokes that, along with “Practical Magic” and “The Craft,” she’d put “Witches of Eastwick” in “sort of the fun, and aspirational hair” column.
“Witches of Eastwick” can be rented or purchased through Google Play, Apple TV, Prime Video and Fandango.
When it comes to practical filmmaking, which “Agatha” utilized every step of the way, “The NeverEnding Story” is one of the first Schaeffer points to.
The story itself does end, don’t worry. It follows a young boy who becomes engrossed by a magical book about a young warrior in a land known as Fantasia, valiantly fighting a dark force known only as the Nothing. As the story goes on, the boy finds himself sucked more and more into the story, realizing he himself plays a part in it.
“The NeverEnding Story” is available to rent or buy via YouTube, Google Play, Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango.
The practical filmmaking of Jim Henson’s seminal “The Dark Crystal” is another Schaeffer drew inspiration from.
Jim Henson and Frank Oz’s landmark fantasy film featured mindbending sets and some of the most complex puppets ever designed. Set on a far away planet, it follows the last two survivors of an elflike race of beings called Gelflings who seek to heal a magical crystal and restore balance to their world.
Notably much darker than the “Muppets” creator’s previous work, “The Dark Crystal” was divisive upon release, but is now widely regarded as Henson’s best film.
You can currently stream it on Hulu, Prime Video, Peacock, Tubi, Pluto TV, Sling TV, The Roku Channel and PLEX. An equally acclaimed prequel series was released in 2019 on Netflix.
“Agatha All Along” was largely a series of witchy escape rooms, so it may not surprise you to see “Labyrinth” on this list, especially under the “practical filmmaking” column.
The movie follows 16-year-old Sarah (Jennifer Connelly), whose younger brother is taken by the Goblin King (played by David Bowie). She’s got 13 hours to solve a labyrinth and rescue the boy.
Notable for lavish sets and weirdly wonderful original songs, it can currently be streamed on Hulu, Prime Video, Peacock, Tubi, Pluto TV, Sling TV, The Roku Channel and PLEX.
While in the fantasy space, Schaeffer also recommends the classic “The Princess Bride” which, slightly similar to “Agatha,” is a story within a story!
Starring Cary Elwes and Robin Wright, the Rob Reiner-directed romantic comedy (based on the 1973 novel by William Goldman) follows a young woman named Buttercup and her farm boy, Wesley, as they fight dangerous animals and evil prince in order to be together.
“The Princess Bride” is currently streaming on Disney+, Philo and AMC+.
Particularly in the final episode of “Agatha All Along,” time was a huge theme. And in that vein, Schaeffer recommends “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” which she notes also has “a really intense, emotional spine.”
Starring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst and more heavy-hitters, the movie centers on a couple who go through a painful breakup and undergo procedures to wipe their memories of each other. Charlie Kaufman wrote the mind-bending script while Michel Gondry directed with a heavy reliance on practical effects to bring the wonky world to life.
“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is currently streaming on Netflix.
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