She’ll Put a Spell on You: 'Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale' Revels in Womanhood

In the AMC+/Sundance Now limited series Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale, the small UK town of Sanctuary is home to “registered” witch Sarah Fenn (Elaine Cassidy) in a reality where magic is real and witchcraft is regulated by the law. Based on the novel by V. V. James, a murder investigation ensues when the most popular boy in town is killed and witchcraft is blamed. A tense, bewitching drama that also plays with horror aspects, Sanctuary has a richly woven plot where the mystery is teased out in a very satisfying way.

Sarah is the only witch in Sanctuary, earning her living by working spells for the townspeople. She is best friends with town mover and shaker Abigail (Amy De Bhrún). Together with two other nonmagical friends, the four women are a coven who meet regularly to charge Sarah with their energy. Tragedy strikes when Abigail’s son, Daniel (Max Lohan), falls to his death at a warehouse party. Things get complicated when Sarah’s daughter Harper (Hazel Doupe) is accused of using magic to kill him. Although Harper is nonmagical, Abigail’s staggering grief drives her to believe the accusations. She mounts a campaign against magic and, ultimately, Sarah and Hazel.

Following Daniel’s death, Abigail spirals. She endures the worst loss a parent can experience, and it destroys her. She cannot contain her pain and inflicts it outwards. She is also clearly shown to have an unhealthy hero-worship relationship with Daniel, as does all of Sanctuary. Everyone mourns Daniel, and when Abigail leads a literal witch hunt, she has the support of pretty much the entire town. There’s a point where the townspeople collectively lose their minds, and mob mentality takes over. This has plenty of parallels to modern society, particularly in social media.