This film takes the idea that witch craft is real and that in the 17th century those who had acquired this power fled to the US. They ran into trouble with the witch hunts so formed the covenant to keep the secret from the outside world.
The film takes a slightly different track to most witch craft films, in this the power is inherited and only gained by the first born son. On their thirteenth birthday they gain some small measure of power, when they reach 18 they "ascend" gaining their full powers. This power is not without its cost, it is addictive and using it accelerates the ageing process.
Flash forward to modern day New England and the sons of Ipswich are coming of age. They are the direct descendants of the original settler’s families, and the four surviving witch craft practitioners.
Thing start going wrong and for them and the oldest Caleb (Steven Strait) must try to use his powers to stop an outside threat least it destroy him and his tasty new girl friend.
At times this film channels lost boys or elements of the craft but most of the time they seem to have spent more money on the special effects than the story. It has some nice ideas I liked the ageing thing (not a new idea but the first time I've seen it used in a film) and the visuals are ok if a touch generic in parts, but they fail to capitalise on it. The acting is fairly poor, and dialogue they have to work with is fairly unimaginative, the bad guy is pretty terrible.
The New England setting with it fairly spooky old wood buildings, foggy forests, and Gothic boarding school were under used.
You can guess in less than 10 minutes what the outcome of the film will be.
All in all, not brilliant.