If you’ve ever wanted to see Carrie’s telekinetic high school meltdown reimagined as a made-for-TV movie where polyester slacks outnumber scares, The Spell is your ticket to paranormal petty revenge.
Telekinesis: Now Available in Prime Time
We open with poor Rita Matchett—15 years old, overweight, and cursed with classmates whose cruelty levels are only rivaled by their ability to climb ropes in gym. One such show-off, Jackie, pays the ultimate price for her smug acrobatics when Rita’s withering glare sends her plummeting to her death. In Rita’s defense, it was a short fall—just from “popular girl” to “corpse.”
The Home Front: Not Exactly a Safe Space
Back at the Matchett mansion, Rita’s family members treat her like an unwanted couch they can’t return. Dad Glenn openly disapproves, kid sister Kristina (a very young Helen Hunt) joins the heckling, and only mother Marion (Lee Grant, playing the only sane person in the house) tries to keep the peace. Unfortunately, Rita’s newfound occult powers mean that “keeping the peace” involves fewer family dinners and more people bursting into flames without warning.
Revenge: Served Burnt and Slightly Smoky
Once Rita starts visiting Jo Standish, the school gym teacher with a fondness for chanting, the “accidents” pile up: Dad narrowly avoids becoming roadkill, a family friend spontaneously combusts like an unwatered fern, and Kristina almost drowns. It’s basically a wellness retreat, if your wellness goal is “get rid of everyone who annoys me.”
Plot Twist: Mom’s Been Packing Heat (of the Supernatural Kind)
The climax is where The Spell earns its cult status. Turns out Marion isn’t just a long-suffering mom—she’s been sitting on her own telekinetic arsenal. When she confronts Rita, we get a mother–daughter psychic smackdown complete with chanting, levitation, and the kind of family therapy session Dr. Phil wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot boom mic. The fight ends with Marion overpowering Rita and assuring her tearful child that it’s “all over now,” which is exactly what villains say right before the sequel that never comes.
Performances: The Good, the Bad, and the Telepathic
Lee Grant is the film’s anchor, delivering her lines like she’s aware she’s in a TV movie but refuses to let the material sink her. Susan Myers as Rita nails the “angry, misunderstood teen” vibe—half tragic, half terrifying. Lelia Goldoni’s Jo Standish is the sort of mentor you’d warn your child about, somewhere between “life coach” and “cult recruiter.” And yes, Helen Hunt survives, presumably to go on to less combustible roles.
Why It Works (and Why It Doesn’t)
As a horror film, The Spell isn’t scary—it’s barely tense—but as a piece of supernatural soap opera, it’s glorious. The pacing is pure ‘70s TV: leisurely, padded, and built around dramatic close-ups. The special effects are endearingly budget-conscious, but nothing says “deadly psychic powers” quite like watching someone get knocked over by an invisible force while the soundtrack hums ominously.
Final Verdict: Carrie Lite, but Still Tasty
If Carrie is a gourmet horror feast, The Spell is the microwave dinner version—less flavor, but still hits the spot when you’re in the mood. The family dysfunction is relatable, the deaths are creative, and the mother–daughter psychic battle is worth the price of admission.
