I’ll get right to the chase with The Heretiks. The film does not screw around in the slightest. It might look and feel like a Disney Channel Original movie, but it adds in some serious gore, witchy vibes, and some interesting rules for said witchcraft. Kids get stabbed, fingers get broken, faces get bashed in. I do have a serious love of what I’m going to call the Young Adult With An Emphasis On The Adult movie. It feels a lot like those YA 90s novels that are getting more popular these days. So when you combine a look and feel of those classic Disney Channel Halloween movies, but add in some serious adult themes, you get some magic.
The film follows a family who’s lost their mother and a college dropout who is taking care of her siblings now. Cai (Kimberly Epstein) is a witch that has been turned against her coven. She is the guardian of Mabel (played by Ava Mae Seidensticker), but shows herself to be unpredictable. Cai is the ultimate personification of chaos. Neve (Tess Williams) is the leader of the coven who’s trying to bring about the end of the world by the sacrifice of Mabel. Ada (Josie Juliette Wert) is Mabel’s older sister and the person who’s tasked with taking care of her. Finally, Wesley (Luke Speakman) is Mabel’s best friend and sidekick.
A Dreamy Witchy Fairy Tale
So while the movie is about a coven trying to sacrifice a 13-year-old to bring on the end of the world, yes, what is really at the heart of the film is finding your family and finding trust in that family. This is a film with kids, adventure, and fun, but also with kids getting real consequences. The Heretiks does not pull any punches.
While I did enjoy the styling of the film and the overall vibes, the storyline does get a bit convoluted at points, especially with the witchy powers that are going on. There are also some strange shots when people are fighting hand-to-hand, but they seem to cheap out and throw punch sound effects while other people are on camera.
So the weakest portion of the film is definitely the villain and the entire plot. But what makes up for that weakness are the performances and vibes of the film. I had a blast watching The Heretiks as a kid of the 90s. It was like a grown-up version of the books and shows from that era.
Josie Juliette West’s role as Ada is what drives the film and Kimberly Epstein as Cai also does a magnificent job in her role. The kids in the film also perform admirably, especially considering that they get seriously messed up in this movie.
Overall, The Heretiks isn’t for everyone. It might be too cute for some horror hounds out there. It doesn’t provide a lot of gore for people that love that. Hell, even the witchy moments of the film are on the weaker side. But through all of that, it still provides plenty of scares, entertainment, and a hell of a Halloween movie. For those that love a Halloween night movie, because we all know the fun and nostalgia of that night, this movie gives those nostalgic vibes and then some.
The Heretiks premiered at Fantastic Fest 2026 and doesn’t currently have a release date.
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