Movie review
September 27, 2022 · 104 min · PG
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
The story keeps pushing sisterhood and female solidarity as the main engine, with the three new high school girls repairing their strained friendship, ditching boyfriend drama, and forming their own coven while Becca discovers she’s a natural witch. The Sanderson sisters’ bond gets the same heavy sisterhood treatment. The 1653 opening flashback frames the Puritan reverend and church as patriarchal oppressors who banish Winifred for refusing forced marriage. Incidental queer rep shows up with a gay couple cameo and RuPaul’s Drag Race queens impersonating the sisters in a contest. Diverse casting puts Black and Latina actresses front and center as two of the three leads.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Hocus Pocus 2.
Woke representation / casting
Diverse teen girl leads plus incidental but visible LGBTQ+ elements (gay couple cameo and drag queens); noticeable update that drew “check the box” complaints even though it fits a modern Salem high school setting.
Woke political dialogue
Light anti-patriarchy jokes and framing of church authority as oppressive to women.
Identity-driven story themes
Sisterhood, female solidarity, and coven formation are recurring and central to both the new girls’ arcs and the witches’ resolution.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Opening flashback critiques Puritan church and patriarchal marriage norms with a modern activist-style lens; limited to historical setup and not heavy current-identity politics.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Some niche backlash for diversity, feminism, and queer rep; not widespread or dominant.
Creator track record context
No strong activist or identity-driven pattern from key creators; mainstream comedy background only.
Production
