Practical Magic 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Practical Magic 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Randy Miller III August 21, 2026

Normally I'd wonder why Warner Bros. would bring Griffin Dunne's romantic fantasy film Practical Magic to 4K UHD at this point in time: it didn't strongly connect with audiences or critics back in 1998, and this year doesn't exactly mark a significant anniversary. However, there's a sequel right around the corner and, as much as I'm surprised by that too, it'll at least reunite stars Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman with three of its four returning writers: Adam Brooks, Akiva Goldsman, and of course Alice Hoffman, who wrote the original 1995 novel as well as its recent sequel Book of Magic, upon which the sequel will be based. But for now, fans of Practical Magic can finally revisit it in lovely UHD thanks to Warner Bros.' brand-new remaster and Dolby Atmos audio, which brings the film's alternately cozy and spooky New England atmosphere to life like never before. A Limited Edition 4K Steelbook is also available.

Which one to buy...?

Practical Magic has earned several home video releases, all of which have contributed to its growing cult status, and these even date back to a 1999 DVD that was later replaced by a Special Edition DVD a decade later. WB delivered its only outing on Blu-ray the next year as part of a Double Feature with The Witches of Eastwick (a superior supernatural film, by most metrics), which shoved both of 'em on a VC-1 encoded disc with no special features. Casey Broadwater's linked review of that disc provides a plot synopsis and, while my slightly higher rating for Practical Magic indicates that I like it a little more, it's still very a much a mixed bag and falls victim to a lot of jarring tonal shifts.

Nonetheless, WB's welcome 4K edition may slightly increase your appreciation for Practical Magic thanks to its much-improved sights and sounds, and a handful of DVD-era bonus features finally make their return as well. The only thing it's missing, per usual, is a remastered Blu-ray copy of the film. I guess WB doesn't like money?

Practical Magic 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These screenshots are sourced from the UHD disc but downscaled to 1080p/SDR and should not be considered an accurate representation of true 4K picture quality in terms of detail, color, and brightness levels.

Compared to the previous DVD and Blu-ray editions, this new 2160p/HDR10/Dolby Vision transfer of Practical Magic looks like a breath of fresh air. Although not explicitly advertised as being a recent scan of the original negative, this master surely comes from a better source element as it exhibits a much more film-like appearance than its predecessor while looking like an authentic product of its time period. Andrew Dunn's intentionally soft and hazy cinematography relies more on subtle textures and color ambiance than ultra-fine detail... but even within those limitations it should obviously look quite a bit more crisp than previous presentations, since the costume designs, candlelight, furnishings, and other elements of the production design exhibit a soft but supple radiance that helps to reinforce Practical Magic's cozy and occasionally creepy New England atmosphere. (It was actually filmed in Washington state, but I digress...) The HDR layer is often supportive as well with a pleasing thickness to the film's occasionally vivid color palette, no obvious signs of bleeding, and deep blacks that only slightly fall victim to black crush in the film's darkest moments. Sporadic special effects, like the exorcised spirit of Gillian's abusive ex-boyfriend Jimmy, still look as questionable as ever and perhaps stick out even more due to their grain-free appearance, but these distractions are few and far between. Ultimately, this is a great-looking presentation that die-hard fans are sure to appreciate.

Practical Magic 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As fate would have it, Practical Magic gets a courtesy bump to Dolby Atmos (or DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio, if that's more in line with your setup) as the default option on this 4K disc. It's not necessarily a transformative presentation but still offers a few nice advancements to the original 5.1 mix, which is also included here as a secondary option. The best way to describe the differences between these two tracks is that the Atmos sounds like you're standing a few feet closer to the middle of the action, whereas the 5.1 is like more of a front-forward presentation with occasional swirling surround effects. Predictably, that means there's a little more juice in the Atmos track's side and rear channels, which includes obvious examples such as Practical Magic's stray supernatural and ethereal sequences as well as Alan Silvestri's original score and a soundtrack that features Faith Hill, Bran Van 3000, Nick Drake, Stevie Nicks & Sheryl Crow, Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell, Elvis, and more. Height channel usage is sparing, often only kicking in during its more magical moments, but overall these subtle revisions seem to work in its favor. Of course, the original 5.1 track is very solid too and will appeal to purists, but both are great options and contribute to an equally excellent audio score.

Optional subtitles, including English (SDH), are included during the main feature and BTS extras listed below.

Practical Magic 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with poster-themed cover artwork and a matching matte-finish slipcover. The bonus features are ported over from WB's 2009 Special Edition DVD (minus the trailer gallery, which is a bummer), and this is a nice little touch since their Blu-ray edition didn't include any extras at all. But the lack of a retrospective with its cast/crew, or even some kind of sneak peek for the upcoming sequel, is honestly kind of baffling.

• Audio Commentary - This lightweight legacy track features director Griffin Dunne, producer Denise Di Novi, actor Sandra Bullock, and composer Alan Silvestri, and it offers your usual mix of scene-specific details, stories from the set, personal memories and contributions, shout-outs, and a couple lapses into silence here and there. It's nothing Earth-shattering, of course, but fans should enjoy (re)listening to this one.

• Casting the Spell (9:46) - This brief promotional featurette, shot during the making of the film back in 1998, features a handful of bite-sized interviews with key members of the cast and crew as well as a few behind-the-scenes clips. Along with "Making Magic" (see below), this piece was last seen on WB's 2009 Special Edition DVD after winning a bewitching player-based game. This way's more efficient but less fun.

• Making (5:55) - More of the same, but with focus on its adaptation from Alice Hoffman's novel.

Practical Magic 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Griffin Dunne's Practical Magic means well and should still excite nostalgic fans of this 1998 romantic fantasy film, and if nothing else it's got two great leads in Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. For my money, though, it's always felt a bit uneven with a conclusion that doesn't stick the landing, although I'm still curious to see where the returning cast and crew take some of these characters for the upcoming sequel. For now, though, Warner Bros.' new 4K disc (which is also available in a Limited Edition 4K Steelbook) makes the original look and sound like new... which is great, since its last home video release was a single-layered Blu-ray with VC-1 encoding. Recommended to the right crowd.