As any movie buff knows, there’s nothing like a good fantasy flick. People have been fascinated by this genre since the beginning of time, as one of the oldest genres in storytelling. Fantasy movies can be traced back to the silent era when French director Georges Méliès released Le Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip To The Moon) in 1902. Despite this, fantasy movies didn’t get their real breakthrough until the 1980s, when high-tech filmmaking techniques increased the audience’s interest and made the genre flourish.
There’s no limit on what you can do with fantasy films, which only increased their popularity among the audience and producers. You can go anywhere or any time and do anything you want because it doesn’t have to be realistic! This allows filmmakers to really let their imaginations run wild, creating some truly innovative stories that take viewers on a fantastical journey through time and space. The success of Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter spurred a movement in film adaptations of fantasy literary works, like The Chronicles of Narnia, Eragon, and The Golden Compass. Since then, there have also been dozens of successful original stories, such as Avatar, the second highest-grossing film of all time (adjusted for inflation) after Gone With The Wind.
What kind of fantasy film do you like? Are you into epic adventures with fantastical creatures, or do you prefer a more modern story with a twist? Whatever your likings are, these fantasy adventure movies should be on every cinephile’s watchlist!
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#1 Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2
2011 | 2h 10m | Directed by David Yates
The final part of the Harry Potter series, this movie ties up all the loose ends from the previous films and gives fans a satisfying ending to one of the most popular franchises in history. Based on J.K. Rowling’s best-selling book series, this movie follows Harry, Ron, and Hermione preparing for their final battle against Lord Voldemort, who has now obtained the powerful Elder Wand.
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46points
#2 Pan's Labyrinth
2006 | 1h 58m | Directed by Guillermo Del Toro
Five years after the Spanish civil war, a young girl fascinated with fairytales escapes from her sadistic stepfather into a fantasy world where she’ll have to prove her worth as the legitimate princess. Guillermo del Toro worked on the English subtitles himself after encountering problems with his previous subtitled movies. Pan’s Labyrinth won multiple international awards, including three Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, and seven Goya Awards.
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46points
#3 The Princess Bride
1987 | 1h 38m | Directed by Rob Reiner
Included for preservation in the Library of Congress, this comedy movie follows the story of a young woman, chosen by Prince Humperdinck to become his consort despite her refusal, in a quest to reunite with her true love. The story is presented in the style of a fairy tale being read by a grandfather to his sick grandson, preserving the novel’s metafictional narrative method.
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44points
#4 The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
2003 | 3h 21m | Directed by Peter Jackson
Visually breathtaking and emotionally powerful, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a satisfying conclusion to a great trilogy. The saga’s popularity made it the most highly anticipated event of 2003. With its predecessors having won several awards, it had a lot to live up to, and it certainly did not disappoint. The final installment in Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy centers on the War of the Ring, with Frodo Baggins close to completing his quest to destroy the One Ring. You’ll never miss it among movie recommendations lists!
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41points
#5 The Wizard Of Oz
1939 | 1h 42m | Directed by Victor Fleming
The Wizard of Oz is a classic story that everyone knows. The plot has all the magical elements you could ask for: young Dorothy and her dog get swept away by a tornado and end up in the land of Oz. Here, she’ll have to look for the Wizard, the only one who can get her back home. Popular for its musical score and memorable characters, The Wizard of Oz has become the source of many quotes referenced in contemporary popular culture and is one of the few films included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.
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40points
#6 The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers
2002 | 2h 59m | Directed by Peter Jackson
The Lord Of The Rings trilogy is one of the most successful movie franchises in history. The second entry of the trilogy, The Two Towers, sees Frodo and Sam continue their quest to destroy the One Ring, joined by Gollum. This epic masterpiece was a hit at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing movie of 2002 and the third highest-grossing movie ever made at the time of its release.
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40points
#7 A Monster Calls
2016 | 1h 48m | Directed by J.A.Bayona
If you prefer a darker fantasy movie, A Monster Calls never disappoints. The story follows Conor, a young boy struggling to cope with the looming loss of his mother, who’s going to die soon due to a terminal illness. One night, a monster tree visits him, saying it will tell Conor three stories during their next meetings, after which Conor must tell the monster a fourth tale in return.
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37points
#10 The Jungle Book
2016 | 1h 46m | Directed by Jon Favreau
The Jungle Book, released in 2016, is the live-action adaptation of Disney’s beloved animated classic movie of the same name. Mowgli, an abandoned boy raised in an Indian jungle by a pack of wolves, is forced to leave his home when fearsome tiger Shere Khan threatens his life. Fans loved the movie so much that the studio has started working on a sequel!
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32points
#12 The Beauty And The Beast (1946)
1946 | 1h 33m | Directed by Jean Cocteau
A classic of French cinema, Beauty and the Beast tells the story of a young woman kept as a prisoner by a beast who wishes to marry her. Walt Disney was also interested in adapting the fairytale, but when this movie was released, he felt discouraged and believed it wouldn’t be as good as what Jean Cocteau did. Eventually, Disney Pictures released an animated adaptation in 1991, which became an immediate success.
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31points
#13 The Green Knight
2021 | 2h 10m | Directed by David Lowery
David Lowery’s epic medieval fantasy follows the journey of King Arthur’s reckless nephew, who embarks on a quest to battle against the legendary Green Knight. The movie was critically acclaimed for its cinematography, music, and acting, as well as for Lowery’s originality, direction, and writing.
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29points
