Like Middle-earth or the Wizarding World, the fantasy genre has allowed audience members to escape into fantastical worlds because of film’s ability to visualize the unimaginable. Core elements include mythical creatures like wizards, orcs, and evil witches. In this list are ten fantasy films that have paved the way for future films that strive to entertain while giving mythological stories a modern twist, like The Crow (1994).
Many of these fantasy films, like The Old Guard (2020) and Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (2002), have thrilling action sequences that expand the genre’s capabilities. However, these ten films have been praised not only because of their innovation and creativity, but also for paying homage to ancient mythologies across several cultures. This list is based on the critic ratings and the impact on the fantasy genre.
10 ‘Willow’ (1988)
Directed by Ron Howard
Set in a fantastical world, the film follows an aspiring sorcerer dwarf named Willow (Warwick Davis) who sets on a journey with a mercenary (Val Kilmer) to return a missing infant royal to her kingdom and restore peace from the reign of the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda of Nockmaar (Jean Marsh). While the film received mixed to negative reviews from critics, it soon became a cult classic among audience members. In contrast to a 53 percent rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, it maintains a solid 80 percent audience score. As a result of its success among fans and cult followers, a sequel series of the same name was released in 2022 on the streaming platform Disney+. Additionally, Willow received two Academy Award nominations for Visual Effects and Sound Effects Editing.
The film’s success among fantasy fans can be attributed to its homage and loyalty to classic fantasy story elements derived from British and Celtic folktales. The inclusion of mythological story elements, such as intense battle scenes with swords and magic, is primarily because of acclaimed director George Lucas. Willow was a 15-year passion project created by Lucas because he wanted to introduce younger audiences, specifically teenagers, to classic mythological stories.
9 ‘Stardust’ (2007)
Directed by Matthew Vaughn
Based on Neil Gaiman’s 1999 novel, Stardust follows a missing Prince Tristan (Charlie Cox), who offers to save a magical fallen star named Yvaine (Claire Danes) from the evil witch Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) and her two sisters. The film also stars Mark Strong, Henry Cavill, Ricky Gervais, and Robert De Niro. Along with positive reviews from critics, it received moderate success at the box office, earning $137 million with a $70 million budget. While a sequel is not likely to be developed anytime soon, in 2023 at New York Comic-Con, Vaughn has stated that he has ideas for a modern twist on the story.
Before Vaughn signed on to direct, Gaiman claimed Stardust was in development hell because the film rights were constantly negotiated between various production and distribution companies. However, after Vaughn joined, significant changes were made to the plot and characters from the novel to make the film more mainstream and accessible to international audience members. Despite the notable differences in tone and narrative, Stardust maintains an exciting pace with intense chase and magic fight sequences. The film’s action scenes and fight choreography testify to Vaughn’s later successes with the dark comedy action Kingsman franchise.
8 ‘The Mummy’ (1999)
Directed by Stephen Sommers
Set in 1920s Cario, Egypt, The Mummy revolves around a librarian and Egyptologist, Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz), and an American Adventurer, Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser), who accidentally awaken an ancient high Egyptian priest out for revenge. The film is a remake of Karl Freund’s 1932 American film of the same name. The Mummy was a major critical and commercial success, earning $417.4 million at the box office with a budget of $80 million. The film is followed by a prequel, The Scorpion King (2002), two sequels, The Mummy Returns (2001) and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), and a 2017 reboot.
Like other films on this list, The Mummy suffered from development hell. It struggled to secure a stable script, director, and cast. The script switched genres from horror and historical to eventually settle on Sommers’ adventure romance mashup. The list of potential directors included Clive Barker, Mick Garris, Joe Dante, George Romero, and Wes Craven. The film’s issues did not end with pre-production as it was reported that the cast and crew were injured due to animal attacks and harsh weather conditions on set in the Sahara Desert. Despite all the problems, Sommers managed to conjure a thrilling balance of action, adventure, and romance.
7 ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch, and The Wardrobe’ (2005)
Directed by Andrew Adamson
Based on acclaimed British author C. S. Lewis’ 1950 children’s novel, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch, and The Wardrobe follows four siblings through a magical wardrobe into a fantasy world where a war wages on between Aslan the Lion (Liam Neeson) and Jadis the evil White Witch (Tilda Swinton). During its theatrical release with a budget of $180 million, the film earned a generous $745 million. The film is succeeded by two sequels: Prince Caspian (2008) and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010). Barbie (2023) writer-director Greta Gerwig is set to direct two Narnia films, which are rumored to be released in 2025 or 2026.
While The Lion, Witch, and The Wardrobe is viewed as a children’s novel, the film elevates the stakes by adopting a darker tone, focusing on large and intense battle sequences. Producer Mark Johnson explained that movie franchises like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potterpaved the way for young adult fantasy films to have a darker world plagued with war rather than the stereotypical fairytale utopia. Additionally, movies like Harry Potter set the precedent that American audiences were open to stories surrounding British characters based in the United Kingdom.
6 ‘Doctor Sleep’ (2019)
Directed by Mike Flanagan
Adapted from the 2013 Stephen King novel and sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980), an adult Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor), is haunted by the events of 1980 and by spirits because of his “shining” psychic ability. Torrance soon comes into contact via the shining with a little girl, Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran), and must save her from a cult of psychic vampires led by Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson). Despite praise from fans and critics, the film had mild success at the box office, earning $72.4 million from a $45 million budget.
Although Doctor Sleep is mainly based within the horror genre, the inclusion of psychic vampires adds elements of fantasy. Ferguson was highly praised for her performance in the film. Her performance is successful because it is reminiscent of other vampiric figures in classic gothic folktales like Dracula or Count Orlok, yet adds a modern twist. Also, like most fantasy folklore antagonists, Rose and her cult specifically target young children.
5 ‘The Old Guard’ (2020)
Directed by Gina Prince-Blythewood
The Old Guard follows four ancient warriors led by Andromache of Scythia, also known as Andy (Charlize Theron), who utilize their regenerative healing abilities to work as mercenaries throughout time. The group is joined by U.S. Marine Nile Freeman (Kiki Layne) to get revenge on a CIA operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor). The film is based on a graphic novel of the same name by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez. While the film was released exclusively on Netflix, critics were pleased with it and gave it an 80 percent fresh rating on RT.
The Old Guard combines action, superhero, and fantasy elements due to its immortality feature. The concept of immortality and the quest for it are seen throughout countless folktales across the world. For example, the most commonly known folktale that features immortality is The Epic of Gilgamesh from ancient Sumeria and the quest for the Holy Grail from Medieval Europe. A sequel by Victoria Mahoney, The Old Guard 2, is currently in production and will feature new cast members such as Uma Thurman and Henry Golding.
4 ‘The Crow’ (1994)
Directed by Alex Proyas
Based on a 1989 comic book series by James O’Barr, The Crow revolves around a rock musician (Brandon Lee) resurrected by a crow spirit in hopes of avenging his murdered wife and killing crime boss Top Dollar (Michael Wincott). The film was critically and commercially successful, earning $94 million from a budget of $23 million. It is also infamously known due to the accidental and tragic death of Lee while filming on set. A reboot starring Bill Skarsgård and FKA Twigs is currently out in theaters.
While the film adds a modern twist to the revenge tale with its gothic and punk aesthetics, The Crow pays homage to one of the oldest and most ominous animals used in folklore: the crow. In several cultures, the crow (and subsequently ravens) in mythology is often seen as harbingers of death, tricksters, and messengers from the spiritual world. The combination of mythology, punk rock visuals, and fight sequences makes The Crow a thrilling watch.
3 ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ (2006)
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro
Set in 1944 Spain during the fascist Francoist regime, a young girl named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is tasked with completing three missions to prove she is the missing Princess Moanna. Due to its profound worldbuilding and loyalty to old fairytales, Pan’s Labyrinth is considered one of Guillermo Del Toro’s greatest films. The film currently stands at a 95 percent rating from critics on RT.
Similar to other entries in this list, like Doctor Sleep, Pan’s Labyrinth belongs to the dark fantasy genre as it uses serious subject matters from real life and turns them into allegories. Specifically, the Pale Man is a metaphor for the Catholic Church’s complicity in perpetuating fascism. The Pale Man and the Faun are some of the most iconic creatures in the fantasy movie genre that Ofelia encounters on her perilous journey. Both creatures, played by the acclaimed Doug Jones, harken back to mythological creatures like the Japanese urban legend Tenome and mischievous satyrs in Greek mythology.
2 ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’ (2011)
Directed by David Yates
As the final film in the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 follows wizard Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends at the wizard academy Hogwarts, who must fight and destroy all of Lord Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) cursed magical objects. Despite having a large fan base, the film garnered positive reviews from critics and other audience members. It was also commercially successful, earning $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office which made it the highest-earning movie released by Warner Bros. until Barbie (2023).
The distinguishing aspect from other fantasy films is the distinct wizarding world and the dark tone. The franchise’s main antagonist, Voldemort, is finally allowed to show off his true power, which creates raises the stakes for Harry to save his friends. This is most seen in the electric wand battle between Harry and Voldemort. Such scenes would not have been possible if it had not been for the visual effects teams that were nominated for an Academy Award.
1 ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’ (2002)
Directed by Peter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is the second film in Jackson’s LOTR trilogy. It follows hobbits Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) as they journey to Mordor to destroy a magic ring. On the other side of Middle-earth, their friends Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), and Gimli help fend off an army of orcs at a fortress in Helm’s Deep. The film was a major critical and commercial success, earning a whopping $951.6 million from a budget of $94 million at the box office. The film also received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.
The film was monumental in the contemporary revival of the fantasy genre and the style in which large fantasy battle sequences are filmed. It paved the way for other fantasy franchises like Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Game of Thrones. While the intense battle sequences of Helm’s Deep focus primarily on the sword-fighting action scenes, this high fantasy film does not shy away from its magical elements. For example, the uniqueness of each type of fantasy creature, whether a hobbit, elf, or wizard, is highlighted as a character strength and utilized as a plot device.
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