Original fantasy movies are sadly rare these days. Most of the films that dominate the genre are based on books and other IPs. It’s no surprise: Fantasy movies require big budgets, so studios are making a gamble when producing scripts that aren’t based on existing franchises. It’s a shame because the original fantasy movies are some of the best films of the last decade, like Kubo and the two ropes and The shape of water.
On the bright side, 2023 looks like a better year for fantasy movies than 2022, at least, thanks to upcoming releases like The little Mermaid, Renfield, and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Thieves. A good original fantasy film is one of cinema’s purest pleasures, and IMDb’s user ratings have made it easy to determine the best.
‘Labyrinth’ (1986) – 7.3
muppets Creator Jim Hensonis followed The dark crystal with this wacky magical adventure. It features Jennifer Connelly as Sarah, a teenage girl on a quest to reach the center of a large maze, so she can save her brother (Toby Froud) from the clutches of the evil Goblin King Jareth (david bowie).
Labyrinth wasn’t a huge hit upon release, but it got a second life on home video and eventually developed a cult following. It remains an immersive and family entertainment. See it for Bowie’s delightfully over-the-top performance and impressive puppets made by Henson’s Creature Shop.
‘Onward’ (2020) – 7.4
This Disney-Pixar film follows two elven brothers, Ian (Tom Holland) and barley (Chris Pratt), living in a modern fantasy world that has largely abandoned magic in favor of technology. Ian’s sixteenth birthday, their mother Laurel (Julia Louis Dreyfus) gives them a staff, a gem and a letter describing a visitation spell that can bring their deceased father Wilden (Kyle Bornheimer) back for a day.
The boys cast the spell, but it goes awry, only summoning Wilden’s lower half, so they embark on a mission to complete the enchantment and return their father whole. It’s a charming, touching, and thrilling film with a unique aesthetic, especially in the way it portrays magic.
‘The Goonies’ (1985) – 7.7
This ’80s classic follows a gang of kids after they find an old map that supposedly leads to a pirate’s hidden treasure. They embark on a quest to find the loot, and along the way encounter traps, mobsters and, of course, pirates. It’s a high-energy fantasy adventure directed by Richard Donnerwritten by Chris Columbus (who would lead the first two Harry Potter movies), and produced by Steven Spielberg.
The Goonies unfolds at a breakneck pace and packs an absurd amount of jokes, characters, and action sequences into a span of just two hours. He does not reach the heights of HEY. Where The Raiders of the Lost Arkbut in terms of kid-friendly thrills, it doesn’t disappoint.
‘The Holy Mountain’ (1973) – 7.8
The Holy Mountain is a film by an eccentric visionary Alexander Jodorowsky. It follows an alchemist who leads a group of characters up a mountain in search of enlightenment. It’s a psychedelic movie in both story and visuals.
The Holy Mountain was produced by The Beatles’ manager Toddlerafter John Lennon and george harrison had become fans of Jodorowsky’s 1970 western The mole. It’s definitely not for everyone, but good viewers will enjoy it. Jodorowsky fans, or anyone looking to learn more about him, should also check out Jodorowsky Dunethe excellent documentary on the unique filmmaker.
‘The Fall’ (2006) – 7.8
Set in a hospital in 1915, this quirky fantasy follows Walker (Lee Pace), an injured stuntman who encounters Alexandria (Catinca Untaru), a young girl who broke her arm. To make the hours pass faster, Walker regales her with a story about five heroes on an epic quest. The film brings Walker’s story to life and the line between fact and fiction begins to blur.
The fall is brimming with interesting ideas and striking imagery, and Pace gives a solid lead performance (he actually prompted peter jackson to cast it like the elf Thranduil in The Hobbit). However, the film was a disaster at the box office, but deserves reappraisal today.
‘Wings of Desire’ (1987) – 8.0
wings of desire is a romantic fantasy directed by German filmmaker Wim Wenders. It is set in Cold War-era Berlin, where invisible angels watch and comment on the lives of the city’s inhabitants. Angel Damiel (Bruno Ganz) falls in love with a human woman and gives up his immortality to be with her.
wings of desire won Best Direct at Cannes and has since been widely acclaimed, with Roger Ebert including it in his list of great movies. An American remake starring Nicholas Cage came out in 1993, but it doesn’t come close to the haunting black-and-white original.
‘My Neighbor Totoro’ (1988) – 8.1
In post-war Japan, two girls, Satsuki (Noriko Hidaka) and Mei (Chika Sakamoto) move to the countryside to stay with their mother, who is ill. There they go on a series of adventures with the spirits that live in the nearby forest.
It is easy to see why the public has embraced My Neighbor Totoro almost since its inception. Its hand-drawn watercolor-inspired animation is beautiful, especially the cute/spooky spirits. It’s also slow-paced and meditative, more about emotion and atmosphere than plot. More than that, it’s a warm and vibrant animated adventure with three-dimensional characters and terrific voice acting. What’s not to like?
‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ (2006) – 8.2
Pan’s Labyrinth is easily Guillermo del Toroscariest movie. It is set in Spain during World War II and follows a young girl living with her cruel stepfather, an officer in the Spanish army. She finds an escape in the woods near her property, where she stumbles upon a dark parallel world inhabited by various bestial creatures. It’s a beautifully filmed allegory, anchored by a fine performance by Ivana Baquero in the lead role.
It’s also notable for including some of the most imaginative movie monsters of the past two decades. Even more impressively, the creature’s design is mostly hands-on, relying on makeup and animatronics. Del Toro would work on a larger canvas with Hellboy and Pacific Rimbut Pan’s Labyrinth remains its visual crowning glory.
‘Princess Mononoke’ (1997) – 8.4
Prince AshitakaYoji Matsuda) defeats a demon in battle, but not before it bites and curses it. On his journey to find a cure, he encounters all sorts of bizarre characters and finds himself in the middle of a war between a mining colony and the gods of the forest.
Princess Mononoke is a classic Studio Ghibli film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and perhaps his most visually striking work. It mixes traditional hand-drawn animation with 3D rendering for some effects, like Ashitaka’s demon arm. It also features more action and a faster-paced plot than most of his other films. It’s a true fantasy epic and a sophisticated allegory about humanity’s relationship with nature.
‘Spirited Away’ (2001) – 8.6
Chihiro, 10 years old (Rumi Hiiragi/Daveigh Chase) and her family move to the suburbs, where she stumbles upon the magical spirit world known as Kami. However, she has a dark side: the witch Yubaba (Mari Natsuki/Suzanne Pleshette) turns Chihiro’s parents into pigs and forces him to work in Yubaba’s bathhouse. In secret, Chiro begins to plan a way to save his parents and return to the mortal world.
Taken away as if by magic is undoubtedly Miyazaki’s most iconic film. It builds on the foundations laid by My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke but is grander in almost every way. Visually, the film is endlessly imaginative – there’s no shortage of distinctive and memorable magical creatures, from the dragon Haku to the masked ghost No-Face. An authentic feel pervades the entire film, from the images to the characters. It’s a mature and moving tale that audiences are sure to return to for many decades to come.
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10 Best Fantasy Movies Based On Original Scripts, According To IMDb – GameSpot
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