Is Hocus Pocus 2 woke?
Movie · Released September 30, 2022
Hocus Pocus 2 has a wokeness score of 7/10, which we rate as Strongly Ideological. Woke messaging is very prominent and often feels forced or shoehorned in. Characters and plot are primarily shaped to serve the ideology. Many viewers feel the agenda overshadows the entertainment.
Key points
- Origin story depicts sisters defying patriarchal church authority for empowerment.
- Diverse teen leads and drag queen contest insert modern inclusion and gender themes.
- Anti-patriarchy jokes and bumbling male characters push feminist and diversity messaging.
Wokeness analysis
Hocus Pocus 2 incorporates prominent progressive messaging through its origin story framing the Sanderson sisters as victims of patriarchal church authority, with young Winifred defying an arranged marriage and religious banishment. This sets up themes of female empowerment and sisterhood against male-dominated institutions. The modern plot features a diverse trio of teen protagonists—Becca (Black actress Whitney Peak), Izzy (Belissa Escobedo), and Cassie—with an explicit anti-patriarchy joke from one lead. A Sanderson sisters look-alike contest includes drag queen performers, advancing gender fluidity representation. Casting includes deliberate diversity in supporting roles, such as a Black Puritan in the 1653 flashback, which critics from conservative outlets noted as anachronistic check-the-box inclusion. Male characters like the mayor and a boyfriend are portrayed as bumbling or idiotic, reinforcing the stupid male trope. While the core story remains a light fantasy comedy about stopping witches, these elements feel shoehorned to appeal to contemporary social agendas rather than emerging organically from the plot. Conservative analyses highlight how the film normalizes occult themes alongside feminist and inclusive messaging, alienating viewers who see entertainment overshadowed by ideology. The updates from the 1993 original amplify representation and commentary on power dynamics, making the agenda noticeable and intrusive to many.
Plot
In 1653 Salem, young Winifred Sanderson refuses an arranged marriage, defies the Reverend, and flees with her sisters to the forest where they gain witch powers from the Witch Mother. In 2022, high school friends Becca and Izzy accidentally resurrect the Sanderson sisters on Becca's 16th birthday using a Black Flame Candle. The teens, along with estranged friend Cassie, must stop the child-hungry witches from destroying Salem before dawn, with help from the Book and allies like Gilbert and Billy Butcherson. The story emphasizes friendship, sacrifice, and sisterhood while the witches seek ultimate power.
Analyzed by AI on October 27, 2026