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Fantasy is undoubtedly the oldest genre of storytelling. Across the thousands of years of human history, fantasy stories have conjured images of great heroes that we aspire to be like, horrific monsters that represent the dark aspects of the world we must face, and were often used to teach timeless life lessons. Naturally, fantasy was very quick to adapt to cinema, and over the years, new effects and technologies have made it easier for creatives to get what is in their head onto the screen.
Fantastic movies have been through many peaks and valleys over the decades. The last thirty years alone have been full of ups and downs depending on the decade, but fortunately, some films left such an impact that they tend to appear as many people’s examples of the best the genre can offer.
10
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ (2025)
Image via Netflix
Rumi (Arden Cho), Zoe (Ji-young Yoo), and Mira (May Hong), are a trio of KPop idols who secretly protect the world from legions of demons out to consume human souls. Realizing that the support of their fans is the source of their power, the demon king Gwi-Ma (Lee Byung-hun) creates a demon boy band called the Saja Boys to challenge them. As the girls try to maintain the support of their fans, Rumi and the leader of the Saja Boys, Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop), end up growing closer after he learns that she is a half-demon and hasn’t told her friends.
KPop Demon Hunters took the world by a storm, surpassing all expectations for a Netflix film, even drawing in millions of dollars through a limited-released sing-along version despite the fact that the film had been streamable for months already. Audiences couldn’t get enough of the colorful animation, catchy and Oscar-winning songs, relatable characters, and its ability to balance serious moments with over-the-top comedic moments. Speaking of those serious moments, they explore hard-hitting themes of clinging to old shames, the importance of authenticity, and the complicated and fickle world of entertainment.
9
‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’ (2003)
While traveling to Port Royal as a child, Elizabeth Swann (Lucinda Dryzek and Keira Knightley) helps to rescue a young boy named William Turner (Dylan Smith and Orlando Bloom) after his ship was destroyed, and takes his gold medallion, fearing he would be mistaken as a pirate. Years later, Port Royal comes under attack by the dreaded pirate ship, The Black Pearl, and Elizabeth is kidnapped. Determined to save her, Will enlists the help of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), an eccentric pirate who has his own reasons for going after the ship and her crew.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was a gamble of a movie, but it became a massive hit with critics and audiences, leading to one of Disney’s biggest franchises. Thanks to fantastic special effects, well-constructed sets, and dynamic fight choreography, the film captures every aspect of a high-seas adventure, and still manages to sneak in some fun references to the theme park ride that inspired it. The actors all do a great job in their roles, but Depp is by far the best, with his performance helping to cement Jack Sparrow as one of pop culture’s greatest pirates.
8
‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ (2022)
Feline outlaw Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) is distraught to learn that he is down to the last of his nine lives. After a mysterious white wolf (Wagner Moura) draws blood in a duel, Puss is made fully aware of his own mortality, and resigns himself to a domestic life. That is, until he learns about a map that leads to the last Wishing Star in the middle of the Dark Forest, but there are others who seek the wish for themselves.
You wouldn’t think a sequel to a spin-off released eleven years later would receive universal acclaim, but Puss in Boots: The Last Wish did just that. Taking a page from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the movie stylized itself to look like a watercolor picture book come to life, leading to some visually gripping backgrounds and action sequences. As for the story, it takes a very mature look at mortality and appreciating what you have in life, because you never know when you could lose it.
7
‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2010)
Image via Paramount Pictures
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (Jay Baruchel) is the scrawny son of Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), chief of the village of Berk, which is regularly raided by dragons. Before Stoick sets off to attack the dragon nest, Hiccup discovers that he shot down a deadly Night Fury during the most recent raid, yet finds himself unable to kill it. Instead, he studies the dragon, whom he calls Toothless (Randy Thom), and learns that there is a lot more to dragons than he or anyone in Berk initially thought.
How to Train Your Dragon kicked off one of DreamWorks’ biggest franchises, and was their first choice when they decided to jump on the bandwagon of live action remakes. First off, it looks amazing: the dragons are diverse in their designs and personalities, and while technology has advanced a lot since 2010, the flying sequences are still mesmerizing and immersive. The story is a timeless one about overcoming prejudices and the importance of cooperation, demonstrated beautifully through Hiccup and Toothless forming a partnership due to the dragon’s damaged tail fin.
6
‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ (2004)
As Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) prepares for his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he learns that Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), a former follower of Lord Voldemort, has escaped from Azkaban prison. Thus, the Ministry of Magic has dispatched the Dementors—Azkaban’s jailers who feed on positive emotions and spread misery and dread—to hunt him down. Harry tries his best to focus on his studies with his friends Ronald Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), but soon Sirius is sighted within the castle’s grounds, and Harry soon learns of a personal connection between the two.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is widely considered the best of the original eight films, thanks in large part to the creative choices made by director Alfonso Cuarón. The film has a unique style that emphasizes the dark aspects of the story while still keeping moments of magic and wonder, such as Harry’s flight on the hippogriff Buckbeak, and the numerous blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments of magic happening in the background. It also has some of the franchise’s best character-driven moments, particularly between Harry and the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher, Remus Lupin (Davis Thewlis).
5
‘Princess Mononoke’ (1997)
While defending his village from a rampaging demon, Prince Ashitaka (Yōji Matsuda/Billy Crudup) is infected with a curse that grants him superhuman strength, but will eventually kill him, especially if he succumbs to hatred. He follows the demon’s trail to seek a possible cure, and arrives at Irontown, a mining settlement run by the enigmatic Lady Eboshi (Yūko Tanaka/Minnie Driver). The town is at war with the animal gods of the nearby forest, and San (Yuriko Ishida/Claire Danes), a human woman raised by the wolf gods, who is determined to kill Eboshi.
Princess Mononoke is one of the most beloved films by the titan of Japanese animation studios that is Studio Ghibli. This is thanks in large part to its fantastic writing and world building, which crafts a world that feels like it is the end of an era, and while man and nature clash for the right to survive, neither is entirely good nor evil. It’s also a beautiful film, with fluid character animation, lush backgrounds so detailed they almost look real in some shots, and tactful use of CGI to enhance certain shots.
4
‘Shrek’ (2001)
When Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) orders all fairy-tale creatures banished from his lands, they are relocated into a swamp owned by an antisocial ogre named Shrek (Mike Myers). With the aid of a talking donkey (Eddie Murphy), Shrek meets with Farquaad, who agrees to move the squatters if Shrek will do a favor for him. He wishes to become a king by marrying Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), and tasks Shrek with recovering her from a dragon-guarded castle.
Shrek was made as the ultimate challenge to Disney’s monopoly on animated fairy tales, and it was so popular that it changed animated films forever. Audiences fell in love with the raunchy comedy and jabs at Disney, such as giving Farquaad’s castle its own welcome song based on “It’s a Small World After All.” Yet where the film truly succeeds is with the story and characters, which tap into universal experiences and timeless messages, such as self-acceptance, discovering one’s inner beauty, and the dangers of being too quick to assume.
3
‘Spirited Away’ (2001)
After accidentally stumbling into the spirit world, Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi/Rumi Hiiragi) is distraught to find that her parents have transformed into pigs from eating spirit food, and they all become trapped when the sun goes down. She is saved by a young man named Haku (Miyu Irino/Jason Marsden), who helps her get a job at the local bathhouse so she can earn her keep and try to find a way to save her parents. Unfortunately, it’s run by a witch named Yubaba (Mari Natsuki/Suzanne Pleshette), who keeps her employees in line by magically stealing their names.
Spirited Away was the first foreign film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Film, and is seen as the masterpiece of director Hayaou Miyazaki. Magical is the best way to describe it, especially through its ability to evoke powerful emotional responses through the creative designs of the spirits, or atmospheric moments like a silent train ride. The characters also follow Miyazaki’s trend of being multifaceted and relatable, with even Yubaba proving herself to be more than just a greedy witch by the end.
2
‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ (2006)
Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is a young girl living in Francoist Spain, who, alongside her pregnant mother, move to live with her step-father, Captain Vidal (Sergi López). One night, she follows some fairies into an underground labyrinth watched over by a Faun (Doug Jones). He tells Ofelia that she is the reincarnation of the princess of the underworld, and that, to return to her kingdom, she must pass three increasing challenges.
Pan’s Labyrinth is the masterpiece of the king of dark fantasy films, Guillermo del Toro. It masterfully intertwines the fantastical elements with the grim reality Ofelia is living through, which adds a layer of ambiguity as to how much of the story is real and how much is a child attempting to cope with hard times. The practical effects for the creatures is also phenominal, especially for the iconic Pale Man (Doug Jones), a grotesque, aged creature with eyes on his hands who preys on children.
1
The ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy (2003)
Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) is a hobbit from the Shire who has inherited all the possessions of his uncle, Bilbo Baggins (Sir Ian Holm), after he departed on his 111th birthday. Unfortunately, Bilbo’s magic gold ring turns out to be the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron (Alan Howard), and within which is the power to dominate life. Thus, Frodo and a band of companions must set out on a perilous journey to destroy the ring, which can only be done by throwing it into the fires of Mount Doom, in the heart of Sauron’s territory.
Sir Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, like the books by J. R. R. Tolkien, are one epic story stretched over three parts. They remain the pinnacle of fantasy movies thanks to their size, groundbreaking effects, perfectly cast characters, and for how well they translated Tolkien’s themes of friendship, the struggle of good vs evil, and the importance of fighting for the beauty of nature over the fires of industry. They also depict some of the greatest battle scenes ever put to film, and continue to inspire new directors when they create their own fantasy films.
