In The Witches (1990), Erica’s family finds their missing daughter inside a farmhouse painting hanging in their home. As the years pass, she grows older within the picture, where they can see her but can’t bring her back.
Luke hears her story from his grandmother, Helga, played by Mai Zetterling, near the beginning of the film. Erica was Helga’s childhood best friend.
A neighbor who was secretly a witch lured her away, and she disappeared. Her family later discovered her likeness at a window in a painting her father owned.
Directed by Nicolas Roeg and adapted from Roald Dahl’s book, the film tells Erica’s story through a brief flashback with very few special effects. Her position in the painting sometimes changes. She stays trapped as she ages, until she finally fades from the picture altogether.
