Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
In 17th century New England, witch hunter Giles Redferne captures an evil warlock, but the conjurer eludes death with supernatural help. Flung into the future, the warlock winds up in the 1980s and plans to bring about the end of the world. Redferne follows the enchanter into the modern era and continues his mission, but runs into trouble in such unfamiliar surroundings. With the help of a young woman, can Redferne finally defeat the warlock?
Warlock is a solid late-80s genre horror-action hybrid with an entertaining fish-out-of-water premise blending Puritan witch-hunter mythology with time-travel into contemporary America. The concept is genuinely fun and Julian Sands delivers a memorably menacing villain with real screen presence, while Richard E. Grant's Redferne provides likable comic-culture-clash energy. The plot is episodic and road-movie-ish, which keeps momentum but sacrifices depth. Cinematography is workmanlike and unremarkable for the era. The ending is abrupt and somewhat anticlimactic given the buildup. Novelty earns a modest bump for the specific combination of Puritan mythology and modern setting, which gives it a distinct identity among its peers.