A Kind of Magic Review (You Cast a Spell on Me)
Welcome to Girls Gone Hallmark, the podcast where we review all your favorite Hallmark movies! Today, we’re bringing you a review that isn’t actually a Hallmark movie, but you wouldn’t know it from the demand we’ve received from our listeners. That’s right, folks, we’re talking about “A Kind of Magic,” starring Nikki DeLoach. Join us as we delve into this witchy and somewhat problematic movie.
More Halloween-season watches: check out our reviews of October Kiss and 3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost, or our full roundup of the best Halloween Hallmark movies.
Listen to Girls Gone Hallmark’s Review of A Kind of Magic
The Synopsis
Matt, son of a prominent witch family, is expected by the witches’ council to marry his good friend Lizzie. But when Matt meets Sara, a psychiatrist, his magic starts failing him, and Sara discovers she’s suddenly gained magical powers of her own. The two actually meet at a Halloween party, which makes this a genuine spooky-season pick, not just a movie with witches in it.
Quick Facts
- This movie goes by two names: “A Kind of Magic” and “You Cast a Spell on Me”
- Originally aired on ION in 2015. Now streaming on Prime Video and Hallmark Movies Now
- Nikki DeLoach plays Sarah Kane. She’s also known for the Curious Caterer series and “A World Record Christmas”
- Ryan McPartlin plays Matt. He’s probably best known for his role on “Chuck,” and also appeared in “Cut, Color, Murder” alongside Julie Gonzalo
- Jenny O’Hara plays the great-grandmother. Hallmark trivia fans will recognize her as Scott Scanlon’s mom from “Beverly Hills, 90210,” and she has 173 acting credits total
- Directed by Tosca Musk, whose other directing credits are mostly adult romance book adaptations, not exactly her usual lane
- Written by Rachel Stuhler (“Correcting Christmas,” “The Baby Proposal”), not a Hallmark writer, which tracks since this isn’t a Hallmark movie
- 6.4/10 on IMDb
What We Loved
Nikki DeLoach is the reason to watch this movie. She’s charming and funny, especially in the scenes where she’s slowly realizing she has powers, cookies floating toward her, her friend accidentally vanishing mid-conversation. Her wardrobe is a bonus, that white pleated skirt earned its own mention in our notes.
We also liked the setup with a male witch (a warlock, technically) at the center instead of the usual female lead discovering powers. The witches’ council drama, complete with a “get married or lose your magic” ultimatum, was more fun than it had any right to be, and we appreciated that Matt’s mom wasn’t pushing the arranged marriage for her own sake, she was trying to help her son keep his powers.
Best twist on the arranged-marriage trope: Matt and Lizzie, the two being pushed together, are both equally uninterested in each other. No one-sided reluctance here, which is a nice break from the usual will-they-won’t-they.
Bottom line: this is a bad movie that we genuinely enjoyed watching. If you liked the cheesy witchy energy of 1999’s “Simply Irresistible,” this scratches the same itch.
What We Wished For
Matt’s magic lets him bend people’s will, and he uses it on women in small, “harmless” ways, like getting free coffee. It’s played for laughs but it’s genuinely uncomfortable, mind control is not a cute magic power, and the movie never really reckons with how gross that is.
We also wanted more imaginative use of the magic overall. Mostly it’s just cups sliding across a table and a blender going haywire. If you’re going to build a plot around magical stakes, do more with it than party tricks.
The double-almost-cheating subplot didn’t sit well either. Sara has a long-distance boyfriend, Matt is engaged to Lizzie, and the two of them kiss. Matt then tells Lizzie “nothing happened,” which, a kiss is not nothing, and the movie never makes him own that lie.
Pacing and sound design needed work too. Several stretches feel too quiet, like the movie is missing transitional music to keep the energy up.
Fun Nitpicks We Can’t Let Go
- There’s a video call scene where the software auto-answers and turns on the camera without anyone accepting the call. No video chat app has ever worked that way, then or now.
- When Matt’s magic misfires, the effects are underwhelming: cups knocked off a table, a blender spinning out of control that he inexplicably doesn’t just use magic to stop or clean up.
Our Ratings
Megan: 3/5 stars Wendy: 1.5/5 stars
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