Cinema is among the most powerful sources of escapism. Movies let people discover new worlds and forget everyday life for a couple of hours. While all films take creative liberties, a few would be as transportive as fantasy films. Here, characters tend to do unimaginable things, from flying and shooting lasers to talking to plants and animals! Certain movies in this genre have managed to stand out by striking a balance between storytelling and creativity.
1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
All three films in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy—The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of The King (2003)—are critical, commercial, and cultural masterpieces. These films won a total of 17 Academy Awards. That said, only The Fellowship of the Ring makes the list of best fantasy movies ever as it achieves the toughest objective of any film trilogy, i.e., world-building and plot development. This film took its time to breathe life into the concept of Middle Earth and its denizens, the emotional foundations upon which the other two films stood. The story revolves around the protagonist, Frodo, and his quest to destroy the all-powerful One Ring at Mordor’s volcanic Mount Doom—the place where it was forged by the antagonist Dark Lord Sauron. Destroying the ring is meant to rid the world of evil, and to achieve that goal, the hobbit joins forces with eight companions, forming what is called the Fellowship.
The dialogues, special effects, narrative cohesion, and performances from Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, and others were lauded by both critics and fans.
2. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Based on L. Frank Baum’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, this film set an early example of how an iconic fantasy film should be made. Victor Fleming’s 1939 film adaptation follows the character of Dorothy Gale as she is sucked into an intriguing land somewhere over the rainbow. Spoiler alert: in the end, Dorothy wakes up to find herself in a fantasy. The plot revolves around the highs and lows of Dorothy’s journey.
Many elements of this film, including the lead actor Judy Garland’s performance, the musical score, the filmmaking and editing techniques, and the dialogues—“There’s no place like home” and “You’ve always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it yourself”—are considered iconic even today. The Wizard of Oz won three Academy Awards out of its six nominations.
3. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
This film combines elements from several genres, including action, comedy, drama, and fantasy. The central plot revolves around Evelyn Quan Wang (played by Michelle Yeoh, who won an Academy Award for her performance). Wang, an immigrant caught up in an IRS investigation in the given universe, has to take on the herculean task of connecting with parallel-universe versions of herself to save the multiverse after an interdimensional rupture threatens to destroy it.
Everything Everywhere All at Once stands out because of its unconventional storyline, the performances by Yeoh, James Hong, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, and Jamie Lee Curtis. The film was well-received by global audiences and won seven Academy Awards.
4. Excalibur (1981)
Medieval history is full of episodes that warrant a fantasy film adaptation, and Excalibur explores that angle better than most other films that have attempted it. This film traces King Arthur’s life, from his controversial birth to his demise in battle. Excalibur is the name of the sword that shaped his legacy.
This film is still appreciated, especially for the performances of actors Patrick Stewart, Liam Neeson, Ciaran Hinds (this being his first film role), and Gabriel Byrne. John Boorman’s direction also set an example for other filmmakers trying to share similar stories on the big screen. Additionally, the film features one of the most haunting scores, which was composed by Trevor Jones.
5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
One could make a case for the entirety of the Harry Potter film series to be on this list. Still, decorated auteur Alfonso Cuarón’s Prisoner of Azkaban presence here should suffice, as it adequately represents the high point of the critically acclaimed movie series in the fantasy genre.
This movie follows the adventures of Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger, now in their third year at Hogwarts. Here, they confront an escaped prisoner, Sirius Black (played by Gary Oldman), and discover his connection with Potter’s parents. In the film, for the first time, the series explored concepts of time travel and set a more mature tone for its loyal and rapidly growing audience.
6. The Seventh Seal (1957)
While The Wizard of Oz explores the bright and cheery aspects of the fantasy genre, The Seventh Seal stands on the other end of the spectrum. This dark and devastating film, written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, revolves around a medieval knight’s quest against the backdrop of the Black Death in Sweden. The most famous scene of this film portrays Max von Sydow’s knight facing off in a chess match against the personification of Death.
Like The Wizard of Oz, this film was considered ahead of its time in terms of filmmaking techniques, narrative style, and Erik Nordgren’s musical score.
7. Being John Malkovich (1999)
This comedic masterpiece was an existentialist and occasionally confounding tale of a puppeteer who discovers a portal that leads him straight into the head of a famous actor named John Malkovich. The puppeteer uses this event to exploit the actor for his own profit, but things take many interesting turns. Eventually, the story moves in incredibly absurd and imaginative ways.
Directed by Spike Jonze and written by screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, this film blends comedy with themes like individual identity in society and the meaning of life.
Honorable mentions on the list include Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), and Ugetsu Monogatari (1953).