The villainous Lord Farquaad smiles to himself in Shrek.Image via DreamWorks Animation
By
Tyler B. Searle
Published 36 minutes ago
Born with Autism (formerly classified as Asperger syndrome), Tyler B. Searle has been obsessed with storytelling since he was old enough to speak. He gravitated towards fairy tales, mythology, the fantasy genre, and animated movies and shows aimed at family audiences. When not writing, Tyler enjoys watching more cartoons and reading fantasy books in his home in Ontario, Canada.
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Fantasy is perhaps the most diverse and creative genre of storytelling because it allows us to make sense of the world around us and our emotions through symbolism and metaphors in the shape of everything from talking animals, valiant knights, fire-breathing dragons, and lands where magic and mystery abound. Fantasy allows us to confront the problems in our everyday lives by showing how they can be overcome in an out-of-this-world setting.
Fantasy is also a very malleable genre; any story can be considered a fantasy if it has mystical and supernatural elements. Thus, it can also be paired with other genres, which can help encourage people who might normally overlook fantasy stories to give it a chance. Granted, there's nothing wrong with disliking a genre for one reason or another, but this aversion might be due to a lack of understanding of what fantasy actually is. This list includes several movies that best represent the genre, both high and low, both sweet and sorrowful. They encompass the genre's strongest elements and can make a believer out of those who dislike fantasy the most.
'Stardust' (2007)
Claire Danes and Charlie Cox looking stunned in a scene from Stardust.Image via Paramount Pictures
Tristan Thron (Charlie Cox) is a young man living in the village of Wall on the edge of the magic kingdom of Stormhold, who longs to win the affection of a woman named Victoria (Sienna Miller). One night, they witness a star falling from the sky, and Tristan vows to retrieve it for her in exchange for her hand in marriage. However, the star has taken the form of a human woman named Yvaine (Claire Danes), and others are eager to claim her as well, such as a trio of witches who want to use her heart to regain their youth, and the princes of Stormhold, who want the ruby that knocked Yvaine from the sky in the first place.
Stardust has quite a few differences from Neil Gaiman's novel that help make it a more casual and enjoyable movie. It does down a lot of the darker parts for a more lighthearted rom-com tone, allowing for quirky characters and a very cute romance between Thrstan and Yvaine. The acting also helps add to the charm, with Michelle Pfeiffer giving an enjoyable, wicked performance as the lead witch, Mark Strong beginning his villain career with the evil Prince Septimus, and Robert De Niro stealing the show as the crossdressing and cultured sky pirate, Captain Shakespeare.
'The Dark Crystal' (1982)
A sill image from the 1982 dark fantasy film, The Dark Crystal.Image via Universal Pictures
Jen (Stephen Garlick) is one of the last Gelflings left on the planet Thra, and lives with the wise urRu, mystical ancients who hide from the tyrannical and decadent Skeksis who rule Thra. When their Master (Brian Muehl) dies, he tells Jen to seek out the wise woman Aughra (Billie Whitelaw) and retrieve a shard of the Dark Crystal that the Skeksis use to control Thra and extend their lives. If Jen can repair the crystal before the Great Conjunction of the world's three suns, he can save Thra and bring an end to Skeksis rule.
Few movies reach the same level of immersion as The Dark Crystal. Thanks to masterful puppetry and a lack of human characters, the movie truly feels like you've stepped into a world completely foreign to ours, where nearly everything is alive and active with unique movements. The Skeksis are the standout creatures in the film: they are highly expressive thanks to articulate facial features and flamboyant personalities, making them the perfect allegory for avarice, tyranny, and decadence.
'The Shape of Water' (2017)
Sally Hawkins as Elisa and Doug Jones as The Amphibian Man lock eyes through a tank in The Shape of Water.Image via Searchlight Pictures
Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins) is a mute woman working at a secret government laboratory during the Cold War, whose only friends include her coworker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) and her neighbor, Giles (Richard Jenkins). One day, Colonel Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon) arrives at the lab with a revolutionary discovery: an amphibious humanoid (Doug Jones). As Strickland instructs his scientists to study the creature's respiratory system, Elisa enlists her friends to help free him, and she and the creature develop a romantic connection.
The Shape of Water is Guillermo del Toro's hybridization of Creature from the Black Lagoon and Beauty and the Beast, resulting in one of the most unique romance stories in cinema. Its success comes from how the film deconstructs the idea of "the other" and society's habit of demonizing those who do not fit in with the accepted norm. Thus, the love that blooms between Elisa and the creature demonstrates the power of human empathy as those considered "others" can find solace in one another.
'Everything Everywhere All at Once' (2022)
Image via A24
Evelyn Quan Wang (Michelle Yeoh) is a struggling Chinese American who is juggling the IRS and an estranged relationship with her husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan) and daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu). One day, Evelyn learns about the multiverse, which is under threat of destruction due to the mysterious Jobu Tupaki. Evelyn gains the ability to hop into alternate versions of herself and access their memories and skills, which she uses to try and stop Jobu while trying to find fulfillment in her life choices.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is a visually stunning movie that takes the audience on an absurdist multiversal journey that touches on powerful existential themes. Nihilism is a major theme here, using the multiverse and the concept of infinite choices to question whether anything in existence matters, and if so, what gives life meaning? The actors do a phenomenal job bringing their characters to life, particularly Yeoh, whose balance of comedic timing and emotional pathos anchors the film's emotional core.
'The Secret of Kells' (2009)
Brendan writing in a book with a quill while Aidan looks on in The Secret of Kells.Image via Buena Vista International
Brendan (Evan McGuire) is a young boy living with his uncle, Cellach (Brendan Gleeson), the abbot of Kells, who is focused on building a wall to protect the abbey from invading Northmen. One day, they are visited by Brother Aidan (Mick Lally), a master illuminator who has come from the island of Iona with an unfinished manuscript. Since his age is impacting his ability to illuminate the book, Aidan recruits Brendan to help him, and Brendan also befriends a mysterious girl from the forest named Aisling (Christen Mooney).
The Secret of Kells can best be summed up in one word: magical. Its stylistic animation and vibrant colors do a phenomenal job mimicking the style of a medieval illuminated manuscript come to life, and help to give the film a mystical quality that highlights the more fantastical elements of the story, especially Aisling. It's also not afraid to show off some dark imagery, especially when the Viking soldiers arrive, which helps remind us to enjoy the moments of beauty while they last.
'The Princess Bride' (1987)
Westley stands on guard with his sword while Buttercup stands behind him in The Princess Bride.Image via 20th Century Studios
A grandfather (Peter Falk) reads a bedtime story to his sick grandson (Fred Savage). It follows a peasant woman named Buttercup (Robin Wright), who loses her love, Westley (Cary Elwes), while he is at sea, and is chosen by Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon) to be his bride. However, Buttercup is abducted by a trio of bandits who hope to start a war with Humperdinck's enemies, but their attempts to flee with her are thwarted by a mysterious and highly skilled man in black.
The Princess Bride was a commercial failure on release, but has since developed a large cult following that has elevated it to one of the best fantasy films ever made. It knows exactly what it is: a low-stakes film that embraces classic tropes and is full of heartfelt romance, exciting swordfights, and quirky dialogue. The cast is also a big reason for the film's likability, thanks to their great repertoire and ability to immerse themselves in the role, especially Mandy Patinkin as the Spanish fencer Inigo Montoya.
'Shrek' (2001)
Shrek in the first Shrek movie.Image via DreamWorks Animation
When Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) of Duloc banishes all fairy tale creatures from his land, they are forced into a swamp owned by an antisocial ogre named Shrek (Mike Myers). When Shrek confronts him about this, Farquaad agrees to remove the squatters if Shrek goes to a dragon-guarded castle to rescue his intended bride, Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz). With the aid of a talking donkey (Eddie Murphy), Shrek agrees to the task, but discovers that there is a lot more to this princess than first appears.
Shrek changed the world of animated films on release, and also ushered in a new era of fairy tale satire with its cynical jokes and less-than-appealing visuals. Over 20 years later, the film remains iconic thanks to the emotional weight behind its characters and story. When you get past the hilarious jokes and the jabs at Disney, Shrek is a movie about finding acceptance from yourself and others, as well as a reminder not to judge others before you get to know them.
'Pan's Labyrinth' (2006)
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is a young girl living in Francoist Spain, whose pregnant mother has recently married Captain Vidal (Sergi López), a staunch Falangist. One night, she follows a fairy into a subterranean labyrinth and meets a faun (Doug Jones), who tells her that she is the reincarnation of the princess of the underworld. To re-enter her kingdom, she must complete three dangerous tasks, all while still tending to her ill mother and avoiding Vidal's wrath as he ruthlessly hunts down Maquis rebels.
Pan's Labyrinth is a masterpiece of dark fantasy that weaves its fantastical elements into the day-to-day struggles that Ofelia goes through in such a tumultuous period. The most obvious example is the Pale Man (Doug Jones), a decrepit creature that sits before a lavish feast. Rather than eat it himself, he uses it to lure children for him to devour, much like how vile regimes destroy their youth in the name of ideology. It also delves into dark themes of resistance and self-sacrifice, which lead to a beautifully bittersweet ending open to interpretation.
'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring' (2001)
In the pleasant green land of the Shire, the hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Sir Ian Holm) vanishes during his 111th birthday party, and leaves all of his possessions to his nephew, Frodo (Elijah Wood). Among his inheritance is a magic gold ring that, unfortunately, is identified as the One Ring forged by the Dark Lord Sauron (Alan Howard), and within which is contained a great portion of his power and will to dominate. On the advice of the wizard Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen), Frodo and three companions—his friend Samwise Gamgee (Sean Aston), and his cousins Meriadoc Brandybuck (Dominic Monnaham) and Peregrin Took (Billy Boyd)—make for the elven city of Rivendell to seek council from Lord Elrond (Hugo Weaving), but the servants of Sauron are close at hand.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring marks the beginning of Sir Peter Jackson's legendary film trilogy, which proved that fantasy movies had the punch to be epic blockbusters. It's all thanks to how masterfully it weaves together multiple film techniques and special effects, including specially designed sets to make the Hobbit characters look smaller than everyone else, gorgeous landscapes and map paintings that successfully transport the audience into a fantasy world, and great practical effects, costumes, and CGI to make the creatures feel alive. But it's the emotions of the story that truly hook you: the actors perfectly embody each of their characters, and as such, the weight of the mission and their individual friendships are felt fully.
'Spirited Away' (2001)
Chihiro holding into Haku as he flies above the river in Spirited AwayImage via Studio Ghibli
On the way to their new home, Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi/Daveigh Chase) and her parents stumble into the spirit world and become trapped at sundown. Her parents are turned into pigs, but Chihiro is saved by a boy named Haku (Miyu Irino/Jason Marsden), who helps her get a job at the local bathhouse run by the witch Yubaba (Mari Natsuki/Suzanne Pleshette). If Chihiro wants to save her parents and get back home, she'll have to make friends with spirits who have a low view of humans and make sense of the world's strange laws and customs.
Spirited Away is an animated masterpiece that combines the whimsical, otherworldly feeling of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with Japanese Shintoism and fantastic characters. It's a classic coming-of-age story, with the spirit world and its various obstacles forcing Chihiro to rise to the occasion and mature while never losing sight of her virtues, like kindness and empathy. It's also an artistic marvel, with some of the most detailed animation ever put onto screen, and many moments of quiet atmosphere to let you sit in the scene's emotions and beauty.
Spirited Away
PG
Animation
Family
Fantasy
Release Date
July 20, 2001
Cast
Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takashi Naitô, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Tsunehiko Kamijô, Takehiko Ono, Bunta Sugawara
Runtime
125 minutes
Director
Hayao Miyazaki
Writers
Hayao Miyazaki
Genres
Animation, Family, Fantasy
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