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Is HOCUS POCUS (1993) Kid Friendly? Parents Guide

Wondering if the original Hocus Pocus is ok for kids? With Hocus Pocus 2 coming to Disney+ on September 30, 2022, many kids and teens will want to watch the original 1993 version to see what the fanfare is all about! Here’s what parents need to know in this Parents Guide to Hocus Pocus

Hocus Pocus Parents Guide

Hocus Pocus (1993) Parents Guide

What is Hocus Pocus about? After moving to Salem, Mass., teenager Max Dennison (Omri Katz) explores an abandoned house with his sister Dani (Thora Birch) and their new friend, Allison (Vinessa Shaw). After dismissing a story Allison tells as superstitious, Max accidentally frees a coven of evil witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy) who used to live in the house. Now, with the help of a magical cat, Binx, the kids must steal the witches’ book of spells to stop them from becoming immortal.

Why is Hocus Pocus (1993) Rated PG?

Hocus Pocus is rated PG for language, scary content, and witchcraft which means some content may not be suitable for all kids. 

Is Hocus Pocus Kid Friendly?

If you don’t want your child exposed to witchcraft, then Hocus Pocus is not kid friendly for your family.  There are themes of death and sacrifice which may be too much for younger kids. Overall Hocus Pocus is scary but not too scary, but parents need to know there are talks of Satan and the devil. Plus The Sanderson Sisters can be pretty evil. 

If you want a more kid friendly Hocus Pocus, then I suggest this Parents Guide to Hocus Pocus 2

Language

Language is pretty mild in Hocus Pocus with uses of damn and hell. “Yabos” is used in place of the word breasts. There are some bullying words like oinker, moron, and jerkface. There are also words of Deity like oh g-d.

Mature Content

Some characters are shown smoking like Satan’s wife.

There is some sexual content in Hocus Pocus like requiring the sacrifice of a virgin. Sarah Sanderson is essentially sexualized in the film. In the adult party scene, there are some interesting costumes.

Some parts of the film are creepy. There is a scene with the afterlife. A child is abducted. Some witchcraft is used. Witches are hung as part of the Salem Witch Trials but nothing super graphic is shown. A child is killed by having her soul sucked out of her. A character tries to sacrifice themselves for another. 

There are some jump scares. The Sanderson Sisters want to kill children.

Hocus Pocus Age Rating

Is Hocus Pocus Appropriate for Kids Under 8?

Although Hocus Pocus is rated PG, it probably should be rated closer to PG-13. While overall there is no sexual content or severe language that would tip it in that direction, some of the content seems too mature for children. 

Hocus Pocus is a cult classic. Usually you love it or you hate it. Hocus Pocus is weird, strange, and totally bizarre. That’s why I like it. However, I don’t think it’s for everyone. I’m a Halloween lover, and so it did make my list for best Halloween movies for teens

You have to have an acquired taste for Hocus Pocus, and I’d recommend it more for tweens and teens than kids, but it isn’t too scary for kids. There will be some parents who not appreciate the devil, dark magic, and witchcraft references. As always, I recommend screening a film first if you have questions about whether it’s appropriate for your family. 

These popular Hocus Pocus quotes will give you an idea of some of the content, too.