Entertainment
10 Greatest Fantasy Movie Masterpieces of the Last 50 Years, Ranked
The world of fantasy has brought our greatest imaginations onto the silver screen. A genre that’s wide-ranging, fantasy films have served as a wonderful escape through story. Fantasy movies can celebrate the journey toward love between star-crossed lovers, or they can take us to magical worlds beyond our wildest dreams. No matter the story, the genre has boasted some of the greatest films of all time.
Ever since we journeyed over the rainbow with Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, we’ve had an affinity for similar stories, or even tales that were even grander. Over the past 50 years, we’ve witnessed a renaissance in fantasy, during which some of the boldest films and franchises were born. From an epic in Middle-earth to a rescue mission for one’s true love, the ten masterpieces that have made this list have been celebrated and passed down for generations.
10
‘Hugo’ (2011)
When you think of Martin Scorsese, you think of his dark and gritty crime thrillers, but in 2011, he let his imagination run wild with the spellbinding Hugo. Based on Brian Selznick‘s 2007 book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the film tells the story of an orphaned boy, Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), who lives in a 1930s Paris train station. There, he maintains clocks and works to fix a broken automaton left by his father, leading him to a bitter toy merchant who is secretly a pioneering filmmaker, Georges Méliès (Ben Kingsley).
Focusing on the importance of preservation, the magic of cinema, and the search for one’s purpose, Hugo is a celebration of early film history made by a legendary filmmaker in honor of another. Hugo is a brilliant work of cinema that captures the spirit of imagination. The immersive steampunk atmosphere unites the fantastical with the mechanical, creating a romantic world. Scorsese allows Hugo to be a work that honors the “sorcerer of cinema” by blending historical fiction with whimsical, adventurous fantasy. Perhaps not as boisterous as other entries on this list, Hugo deserves a place with the best of the best.
9
‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ (1988)
In 1964, live action and animation came together in Disney’s Mary Poppins, and a trend of mixed-media films followed. In 1988, another revolutionary live-action animated mash-up arrived with Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film is set in an alternative-history Hollywood in 1947, where humans and toons coexist. Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins), a private investigator with a grudge against toons, must help exonerate Roger (Charles Fleischer), who has been framed for murder.
Far from a completely family-friendly romp, the film’s dark cartoon world was a masterpiece of visuals, humor, writing, and performance, made possible by advances in blended media. Even with a mix of IP beyond Disney characters in the film, Who Framed Roger Rabbit was praised for the creations that made an immediate impact, including the seductive Jessica Rabbit (Kathleen Turner), the naughty and raunchy Baby Herman (Lou Herschel), and the terrifying eyes-bulging-out Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd). For movie and cartoon lovers, the film was a wonderful homage to the Golden Age of the Silver Screen.
8
‘The Princess Bride’ (1987)
We may have to blame certain fantasy films for our high expectations of romance, and no fantasy romance has made us want to experience love quite like The Princess Bride. Directed by Rob Reiner, the classic 1987 masterpiece adapts William Goldman’s novel for the big screen. The story tells of Westley (Cary Elwes), a swashbuckling farmhand, as he embarks on a journey to rescue his true love, Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright), from the odious Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon).
Using a metafictional narrative in which a grandfather (Peter Falk) tells the tale to his grandson (Fred Savage), The Princess Bride has become a film passed down through generations thanks to its timeless themes. It was a film that gave audiences a chance to escape to a fantasy world beyond our wildest dreams. The Princess Bride has stood the test of time as it became the blueprint for future romantasy films that followed, not to mention an extremely quotable movie! A masterpiece of a tone blending satire with fairy-tale charm, The Princess Bride is simply a delight.
7
‘Spirited Away’ (2001)
Studio Ghibli has produced an array of pioneering animated masterpieces, but none have been as extraordinary as Spirited Away. The wonderful coming-of-age story follows Chihiro “Sen” Ogino, who, after her parents are turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba, must work in a bathhouse for spirits to find a way to free them and return to the human world. There, she encounters a variety of spirits and learns about hard work, courage, and the importance of her identity and past.
With a specificity in mood and narrative, Spirited Away is a fearlessly imaginative work of art, shattering expectations and resonating deeply with audiences of all ages worldwide. Gorgeously drawn, this enchanting story is a daring adventure that showcases Hayao Miyazaki at his finest. It finds a way to tell a culturally specific story that evokes nostalgia, and the characters have become so visually impactful that they are synonymous with the film. Through immersive world-building and emotional complexity, Spirited Away has bridged the gap between Japanese and Western cinema.
6
‘Edward Scissorhands’ (1990)
A variety of stories about a romance between a human and a beast exist, many of them tackling the theme of the beast in question as a societal construct. That’s the premise in Tim Burton’s masterful gothic fairy tale Edward Scissorhands, which follows an unfinished artificial humanoid named Edward (Johnny Depp) who has scissors for hands. After his creator dies, Peg Boggs (Dianne Wiest), a suburban saleswoman, takes him in and raises him with her family. Edward falls in love with Kim (Winona Ryder), but faces prejudice and betrayal from the neighborhood.
A poignant story with masterful visual storytelling, it’s not only Depp and Burton’s greatest collaboration but the entry point for those seeking dark fantasy films. This 1990 classic marries the eccentric with the terrifying for a story that isn’t afraid to explore how society admonishes those who are different, seeking any excuse to villainize those who may not be like them. By redefining the monster trope, the story became one of misunderstanding, with Edward standing as a symbol of innocence, alienation, and artistic beauty.
5
‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ (2006)
The further we get from Pan’s Labyrinth‘s 2006 debut, the more reverence it commands. Why? As Guillermo del Toro continues to invite us into amazing fantasy worlds, it’s that film that stands out as the most unique. Set in 1944 Spain, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) escapes the brutal reality of her fascist stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi López), by entering a magical, perilous underworld where she must complete three dangerous tasks to prove she is a lost princess and reclaim her mythical kingdom, blurring the lines between fantasy and the violent historical world around her.
A truly remarkable work of cinema, Pan’s Labyrinth is epic in scale and marries grim realities with extraordinary monsters that reflect the world around them. Here, we have a multi-layered film, poetic in nature and highly regarded as one of the best dark fantasy movies ever. Del Toro’s unique vision indulges our adult imagination through our connection to childhood fairy tales, giving them a chance to live in their own place and striking a balance between darkness and vibrancy, fear and intrigue. A creation of wonderful imagination, Pan’s Labyrinth owes its impact to its emotional depth and allegory of power, innocence, and morality.
4
‘Shrek’ (2001)
In 2001, the entire landscape of animated fantasy storytelling changed forever. The DreamWorks film introduced audiences to Shrek (Mike Myers), a temperamental ogre who finds his swamp home overrun by fairy-tale creatures banished by the obsessive ruler, Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow). With the help of a fast-talking donkey (Eddie Murphy), Shrek strikes a deal with Farquaad to rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) in exchange for regaining control of his swamp.
Shrek wasn’t just a kids’ film; with adult humor and sensibility, it brought families together for a new kind of story that made us all believers again. Based on the children’s picture book by William Steig, the newfound classic parodied many of the fairy tales that DreamWorks’ rival brought to life, subverting the genre while remaining charming with a strong story of its own. A visually stunning film, Shrek shifted audiences’ preferences toward computer-generated animation, altering the entire game in one fell swoop and becoming the new gold standard in animation.
3
‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ (2004)
If we were discussing the franchise as a whole, this slot likely would be given to the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, but, when it comes to the entire franchise, no film is better than Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. In this installment, while at Hogwarts for his third year, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) learns that Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), a convicted supporter of Voldemort, has escaped from Azkaban and is on the hunt. Eventually, Harry discovers that Black is actually his innocent godfather, and that Ron’s (Rupert Grint) rat, Scabbers, is secretly Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall), the true traitor.
Less wholesome than the first two films, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban captured the magic of the Wizarding World while documenting the character’s maturity and the evolution of the overall arc. What this film does better than the rest is delve into the psychology of this universe, moving beyond popcorn flick territory by dealing with complex themes of fear, trauma, and memory. It also expanded upon the mythology and lore of the cinematic universe gloriously. Director Alfonso Cuarón’s masterful shift toward a darker, more mature tone also led to a sensational, stylized cinematic wonder.
2
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ (2003)
Like Harry Potter, the first film in Peter Jackson‘s masterpiece franchise may be the most influential, but the strongest entry is the third: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The sprawling epic showcases the final confrontation between good and evil as the fight for control of Middle-earth rages. Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) reach Mordor in their quest to destroy the One Ring in Mount Doom, while Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) leads the forces of good against Sauron’s evil army at the stone city of Minas Tirith. A large-scale battle culminates in the destruction of the Ring by Gollum (Andy Serkis), the coronation of Aragorn, and a bittersweet return to the Shire.
Based upon J.R.R. Tolkien‘s final chapter, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King received immense praise from audiences and critics alike. It swept the Academy Awards, winning all 11 categories in which it was entered, including Best Picture. Emotionally triumphant, visually enthralling, and technically sublime, the finale was a more-than-satisfying conclusion to a legacy trilogy, redefining cinema and sequels in an unprecedented manner. With unrivaled scale, wondrous craftsmanship, and an emotional narrative that completed the long journey, Return of the King broke the fantasy barrier through unparalleled splendor.
1
‘Beauty and the Beast’ (1991)
When you hear the words “tale as old as time,” it’s not just a reference to some of the greatest lyrics; it epitomizes why a film like Beauty and the Beast is the greatest fantasy film of the last 50 years. The first animated feature to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, Beauty and the Beast was a story that captured our hearts and instantly reversed the curse. Bringing a fairy tale to life, the film transports viewers to 18th-century France, where an enchantress transforms a selfish prince into a monster for his cruelty. Years later, Belle (Paige O’Hara) finds herself trapped in the Beast’s (Robby Benson) castle in exchange for her father’s freedom. To reverse the curse and break the spell, the Beast must earn Belle’s love before the final petal drops from the enchanted rose.
Filled with enchanting characters, a stunning score by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, and an everlasting legacy, Beauty and the Beast was an animated game-changer whose impact reverberates still today. For Disney, it successfully continued the Renaissance after the success of The Little Mermaid. From a filmmaking perspective, it combined traditional 2D animation with pioneering computer-generated elements; “Be Our Guest” and the titular song outright redefined animated production numbers. With a sensational score, a feminist heroine, a complex yet heartwarming love story, and a cast of characters voiced by an array of legends, there’s simply no single flaw within the film. There isn’t another fantasy film like Beauty and the Beast, and chances are, there never will be again.
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