Horror has shown to have not only survived but thrived in the 2020s. Starting off at a rocky start to the decade with a pandemic that took a huge hit on the entertainment industry, horror remained consistently popular during a time of uncertainty. In the last six years, we’ve seen a new era of the genre, marked by tremendous box office success and modern masterpieces. From the meteoric returns of iconic franchises like Final Destination to the rise of more creative, original horror films, it’s safe to say the 2020s are proving to be some of the best years in horror history.

Now, as we move past the mid-point of this exciting time for horror, let’s talk about the best of the best when it comes to 2020s horror. Below are five trailblazing horror movies that are undeniable masterpieces and arguably represent the peak of the genre so far in this decade. Some of these are absolutely terrifying from start to finish, or have shocked audiences with their unique concepts. Most of all, they’ve captivated our minds and shown us that horror is heading in the right direction and will keep getting better in the 2030s and beyond.

‘When Evil Lurks’ (2023)

Image via IFC

Let’s start with an absolute nightmare that will scare you out of your wits for a long time. Released in 2023 and hailing from Argentina, When Evil Lurks is a purely horrifying modern classic that excels at giving you something relentlessly dark and unimaginably freaky. It’s a supernatural thriller where terror feels contagious, following two farming brothers as they unintentionally spread a demonic evil presence wherever they go after unsuccessfully trying to remove a possessed boy from their property.

When Evil Lurks is arguably one of the scariest movies in recent memory, a purely unforgiving nightmare flick where anything scary or shocking can happen at any moment. It’s wildly unpredictable in its premise, and it builds with mounting dread so intense that you’ll never forget how uncomfortable it gets. Along with its brutal kills, disgusting body horror imagery, and heartbreaking finale, When Evil Lurks brings so much to the table. It became a massive standout of the 2020s, raising the bar for horror and pushing for other films to match its level of scares.

‘The Substance’ (2024)

Image via Mubi

Taking the genre to huge heights of acclaim in 2024, Coralie Fargeat‘s The Substance is a unique horror marvel of the current decade, a creative blast that’s full of impressive writing, directing, practical effects, and the most exceptional performances. In the most remarkable role of her career, Demi Moore shines as Elizabeth Sparkle, a lonely television personality laid off from her show due to her age, who seeks to save her career by taking a dangerous experimental street drug that creates a younger body for her, but increasing dependence on this drug slowly leads to disastrous side effects.

The Substance instantly hooks you in with a well-executed setup and its commanding lead performance. Throughout its runtime, you’ll never keep your eyes off the screen as the tension mounts, the body horror becomes more explicit and shocking, and the story becomes more bonkers and off the handle. Its brutal ending is a notable highlight, and it’s honestly one of the best closers in horror this decade so far. The Substance is a modern classic that needs no introduction and will likely transcend the decade to become one of the best horror movies ever, period.

‘Godzilla Minus One’ (2023)

Image via Toho

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Stomping its way into cinema history, next is Godzilla Minus One, the epic, Oscar-winning latest entry in the long-running Godzilla franchise. In a series ranging from historic masterpieces to abominable failures, this one stands out not just in a great way, but for bringing something entirely new to make the next generation fall in love with Godzilla. It is an absolute modern classic, a breath of fresh air that revitalized this iconic movie monster on the big screen and brought him back to his horror roots. Set in a post-WWII Japan, a fighter pilot deserter (Ryunosuke Kamiki) witnesses the rise of the legendary Godzilla from his creation after nuclear testing to his massive, city-wide destruction across the country.

With pulse-pounding action, epic suspense, thrilling music, and award-winning special effects, Godzilla Minus One became an unexpected but massive horror hit that dominated the box office and earned the franchise unprecedented acclaim. Despite having a smaller budget than most Hollywood films, it looks absolutely flawless, breathtaking, and incredibly realistic. It brings the king of the monsters to the big screen in spectacular fashion and makes him look just as epic and intimidating as his first iconic outing in 1954’s Gojira. Honestly, what makes it so special is how it honors Godzilla’s legacy, bringing a fresh new story to the franchise, and keeping a balance between scares and excitement.

‘Sinners’ (2025)

Arguably one of the most compelling and revered modern horror movies in history, Ryan Coogler‘s Sinners is an epic game-changer that defined the year with its fresh take on the genre by blending it with other styles like music, folklore, drama, and action. Michael B. Jordan shines in a well-deserved Best Actor-winning lead dual performance as the SmokeStack twins, two criminal brothers who return to their old hometown in the deep south to open up a juke joint, only for the opening night to be crashed by a trio of bloodthirsty vampires.

Sinners is the horror movie event of the 2020s, an undeniable masterpiece full of perfect writing, exceptional performances, breathtaking cinematography, and memorable songs. It dares to be bold and creative, breaking away from traditional, overdone tropes and storytelling ideas in other horror movies and offering something different. The music will keep you invested, the horror will shock you, the acting will surprise you, and most of all, the film will just keep you coming back again and again to witness its brilliance. Overall, Sinners deserves its place in horror cinema and will shine throughout the 2020s and beyond.

‘Weapons’ (2025)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

2025 has cemented its place as one of the most incredible years for horror, being both the most acclaimed and financially successful genre, as well as producing some stellar hits. Among its many memorable hits was a highlight that shone brighter than others: Zach Cregger‘s Weapons. This wild, intense, and twisted supernatural horror thriller produced the biggest scares and some of the year’s finest movie moments. Josh Brolin and Julia Garner star in this mystery about a worried parent and a struggling school teacher who try to figure out why a classroom full of kids willingly left their homes and ran off into the dark one night.

Weapons brings so much to the table, providing a riveting mystery plot mixed in with a perfect cast, intense suspense, creative storytelling, and epically horrifying scares. It fires on all cylinders to create something legendary, further establishing Zach Cregger as a modern horror icon, thanks to his passionate filmmaking and his desire to tell a unique story. Overall, Weapons is dark and scary, but also perfectly crafted and unforgettable, largely thanks to Amy Madigan‘s Oscar-winning performance. Truly, it represents a peak of the genre this decade.

The past two decades have seen a rise in compelling crime dramas, and one standout is definitely Boardwalk Empire. Alongside The Sopranos and The Wire, Boardwalk Empire helped set the stage for crime dramas to flourish and for HBO to become the home for prestige TV. It did this by squarely placing its story in the middle of the Prohibition era, exploring the bootlegging business and how it intersected with both crime and politics; it also featured an incredible cast headlined by Steve Buscemi as Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, while none other than Martin Scorsese ​​​​​​directed the pilot episode. And while fans of Boardwalk Empire might miss the series, they should definitely stay tuned for the upcoming crime drama, The Westies, on MGM+.

The Westies follows the titular Irish-American street gang at the height of their infamy in the 1980s, as they throw their might behind the construction of the Jacob Javits Convention Center. Constructing the center will bring some much-needed money into the Westies’ coffers, but they face opposition from rival gangs and the police. Already, The Westies feels like a perfect spiritual successor to Boardwalk Empire, both as a period piece and in its exploration of the different ways that crime and politics intersect. But the similarities don’t stop there.

‘The Westies’ Boasts a Star-Studded Cast to Rival ‘Boardwalk Empire’

Image via MGM+

Perhaps the most notable thing about The Westies is its cast, which includes two iconic character actors:J.K. Simmons as Eamon Sweeney and Titus Welliver as Glenn Keenan. While details about the series have been scarce, The Westies will focus on the dynamic between Sweeney and Keenan, with the former as the head of the Westies and the lattera police officer. Further complicating matters is the fact that they’re childhood friends. This is exactly the kind of juicy drama that powers some of the best crime dramas, including Boardwalk Empire.

What makes this potential conflict better is that Welliver is playing against type. While many know him as the titular dogged detective in Bosch, Welliver was quick to point out in an interview with Collider that Keenan is immensely corrupt and walks in “a very, very dark world.” Dark worlds are Simmons’ bread and butter, as anyone who’s watched Invincible or Whiplash knows he’s capable of playing characters with very dark impulses who commit very terrifying deeds. Sweeney sounds no different, as he’s the head of one of the most ruthless gangs in history. In casting Welliver and Simmons, The Westies set the stage for the next big television rivalry.

The Creator of ‘The Westies’ Is Behind Several Iconic Crime Dramas

The Westies is being brought to the screen courtesy of Chris Brancato, who’s brought some of television’s biggest crime dramas to life in the past few years​​​​​​. Not only did Brancato create another hit series for MGM+ with The Godfather of Harlem, but he also created Narcos for Netflix; both series are snapshots of a certain era in crime history, and feature top-tier casting in the form of Forest Whitaker and Pedro Pascal, respectively. What makes The Westies stand out is that it’s a personal project, according to Brancato.

“The Westies has been a passion project of mine, and I can’t wait to bring it to life. This is a story about ambition, loyalty, and power, set against the backdrop of 1980s New York.”

Boardwalk Empire succeeded due to a combination of factors: it premiered at a time when prestige TV was truly taking off, it had an incredible cast, and it stayed true to its historical roots while also using that history to craft compelling drama. The Westies is pulling from the same playbook, and if it follows in Boardwalk Empire‘s footsteps, or even the same path as Chris Brancato’s other work, then MGM+ might truly have the next great crime drama on its hands.

Boardwalk Empire is available to stream on HBO Max. The Westies premieres on MGM+ on July 12, 2026.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 4 seconds ago

With The Mandalorian & Grogu jetpacking its titular duo to the big screen, Star Wars mania is at a fever pitch once more. After all, this is our first film in the franchise since the Sequel Trilogy ended with the disastrous The Rise of Skywalker. Fans can’t help but wonder which enemies and allies Din Djarin and his pint-sized ward will encounter and if they will be as scary as Grand Admiral Thrawn, a villain whose return was first hinted at in The Mandalorian Season 2. Now that Thrawn has returned from the distant depths of the galaxy, fans can’t help but wonder if anyone else will be able to match his villainy.

Of course, what makes Thrawn such a worthy adversary is that he understands more about the Force than even the fans do. By teaming up with the Night Sisters, who are powered by the Dark Side, he intends to use the Force to reshape the galaxy in his image. That means taking out Ahsoka Tano, Ezra Bridger, Luke Skywalker, and any other Jedi who stand in his way. To fans, that makes Thrawn a supervillain, one intent on ridding the galaxy of its most powerful protectors. But it seems that Thrawn has stumbled onto a secret that has escaped the entire fandom: the Force wants the Jedi to die.

The Most Shocking Heel Turn In The Galaxy

In the very first Star Wars movie, Obi-Wan teaches Luke Skywalker (and, by extension, the audience) about the Jedi, a noble order of space monks who have kept the galaxy safe for millennia. He tells the young man about how Darth Vader, a former pupil, turned to evil and helped hunt down the Jedi. Later, we see this dramatized in Revenge of the Sith: Emperor Palpatine lures Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Side, rechristening him as Darth Vader. Driven by a demented desire to save his wife, Vader leads the charge in hunting down and murdering the Jedi, from the mightiest masters to the youngest younglings.

Anakin’s heel turn was particularly shocking to Jedi like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu, both of whom were interested in a prophecy about a Chosen One who would “bring balance to the Force.” After Anakin slaughters everyone in the Jedi Temple, our heroes reach the same conclusion that the audience did: that Anakin clearly isn’t the Chosen One. Later, George Lucas insisted that the prophecy was real and that balance was achieved by Vader killing Palpatine. However, that no longer seems to be canon now that Palpatine (somehow) returned from certain death. Whether you agree with Lucas’ or not, though, one shocking fact is clear: the Force wanted all of those Jedi to die.

The Force Is A Fickle Friend

Weirdly enough, the clearest evidence for this theory is buried in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. There, we see the blind warrior Chirrut Imwe offering a kind of prayer to the Force as he openly walks through a battlefield filled with blaster fire. The film highly implies that these blaster shots miss because it’s the will of the Force; that is, this mystical energy field kept blasters from killing someone they favored. This retroactively explains how our heroes kept getting away back in the Original Trilogy. Stormtroopers don’t actually have bad aim, but their shots rarely connect because characters like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia Organa are protected by the Force.

What does this have to do with Order 66 and the genocide of the Jedi? Everything, really. Once you accept that the Force is capable of deflecting blaster shots and generally choosing who lives and dies in a fight, it changes every aspect of the prequels. The Force wanted Qui-Gon Jinn to die so that Obi-Wan would guilt the Jedi into taking Anakin in. The Force wanted Shmi and Count Dooku to die, easing Anakin’s recruitment into the Dark Side. Incredibly, the Force even wanted Mace Windu and his entourage to die so that Anakin could be christened Vader and help kill almost every Jedi in the galaxy.

The Real Enemy Was Hiding In Plain Sight

Why would the Force want so many Jedi to die? It’s possible this mystic energy field agreed with the Sith that the galaxy had grown too complacent under Jedi stewardship. The Force might even have objections to Jedi practices like abducting children and forcing them into a cult. Whatever the motivation, though, Qui-Gon’s prophecy came true from a certain point of view. When all was said and done, we were left with two prominent Jedi (Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda), two prominent Sith (Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi), and a handful of Dark Side servants (like the Inquisitors) and Light Side allies (like Ahsoka Tano). Sounds pretty balanced to me!

Obviously, none of this removes moral culpability from Vader and Palpatine: these guys committed mass murder on an unheard-of scale, and they deserve their place as the galaxy’s biggest war criminals. They might have decided to kill all those Jedi, but it’s clear that this wouldn’t have worked if the Force hadn’t wanted all those do-gooder space wizards to die. They were betrayed by the very energy field they devoted their lives to understanding, and only after the Force suddenly and mysteriously diminished their power. 

Sorry, Obi-Wan. In addition to binding us and holding the universe together, the Force does penetrate everyone. Not always with ageless space samurai wisdom, though. Sometimes, it just penetrates people with lasers, lightsabers, and way too much sand! 

Newly released dashcam footage is putting one of Britney Spears’ darkest recent moments back in the spotlight. The pop icon’s March DUI arrest is making headlines again after police video surfaced showing Spears undergoing a roadside sobriety test before ultimately being placed in handcuffs. The footage, which comes just weeks after the singer pleaded guilty to DUI, offers a startling glimpse into the chaotic traffic stop that unfolded on a California highway and reveals new details from officers who claimed the singer appeared impaired.

The newly released dashcam video captures what authorities say was the aftermath of Spears allegedly driving erratically at high speeds on the southbound side of US-101 near Newbury Park, California, on March 4 around 9 p.m. In the footage, Spears, wearing what police described as a “worn green dress,” sandals, and a large fedora hat, is seen standing roadside as an officer shines a flashlight into her eyes during a sobriety test.

According to a police report, Spears allegedly struggled to complete portions of the field test and repeatedly moved her head after officers instructed her to keep it still. Also, per the report, Spears said she was not feeling well and expressed discomfort during the roadside evaluation.

“Spears related the lights were hurting her head and did not want to continue the test. Spears was unable or unwilling to follow my finger throughout the test,” the report stated. “Spears continued to move her head throughout the test after being instructed to keep her head still. Spears related that she was blind in her left eye, but was able to see my finger.”

Officers Claim Spears Admitted To Taking Prescription Medications Before Driving

According to the California Highway Patrol, Spears was arrested on “suspicion of driving under the influence of a combination of alcohol and drugs.” A police report later revealed the singer allegedly admitted to taking multiple prescription medications before getting behind the wheel, including Adderall and Prozac.

Authorities claimed officers detected “a distinct odor of an alcoholic beverage” coming from Spears’ BMW after pulling her over. Spears allegedly told police she had consumed “one champagne mimosa” earlier in the day and had taken medication, including Lamictal, Prozac, and Adderall.

Per the report, officers also allegedly discovered a bottle of pills labeled Adderall in Spears’ purse that they claimed was not prescribed to her, along with an empty wine glass inside the vehicle. At one point during the interaction, Spears allegedly told an officer: “I could probably drink four bottles of wine and take care of you, I’m an angel.”

Britney Spears Was Eventually Handcuffed After Allegedly Refusing To Exit Her Car

The footage also reportedly shows Spears being handcuffed after what officers described as a lengthy roadside interaction. According to the report, Spears initially refused to exit her vehicle, allegedly telling officers she had “been pranked and harassed in the past” and wanted to speak to a lawyer.

Police claimed Spears remained inside the car for roughly 10 minutes before eventually stepping out. “[The officer] instructed Spears to exit the [car], but she initially refused. Spears related she had been pranked and harassed in the past and did not want to exit.”

After she was placed in handcuffs, Spears is reportedly heard asking officers if they had taken her phone, with police assuring her it remained in her purse. Authorities further alleged the singer displayed “drastic mood swings” throughout the arrest and at times appeared confrontational before becoming more animated.

The Singer Later Pleaded Guilty And Entered Rehab

Earlier this month, Spears pleaded guilty to a DUI charge tied to the March arrest and was sentenced to 12 months’ probation. Following the incident, the singer reportedly checked into a substance abuse rehab facility for three weeks.

At the time, a representative for Spears addressed the arrest in a statement to the Daily Mail. “This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable,” they said. “Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law, and hopefully this can be the first step in the long-overdue changes that need to occur in her life.”

“Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time,” they added. “Her boys are going to be spending time with her, and her loved ones are going to come up with an overdue plan to set her up for success and well-being.”

Britney Spears’ Latest Headlines Add To Ongoing Concerns

The resurfaced footage comes amid continued concern surrounding Spears, who has faced very public personal struggles over the years following her highly scrutinized conservatorship, which ended in November 2021.

Most recently, Spears reportedly made headlines again after allegedly causing a chaotic scene at a Los Angeles restaurant just days after leaving rehab. However, her representative pushed back on the claims, saying, “This is completely blown out of proportion.”

Love Is Blind alum Alexa Lemieux is over criticism of her near-final divorce from Brennon Lemieux.

“I get so frustrated because I get a lot of commentary of people saying, ‘Broken home, broken home.’ I’m like, ‘Are y’all … for real? Like, it’s 2026,’” Alexa, 31, said on the Thursday, May 21, episode of the “He Said, G Said” podcast. “My parents [are] divorced, and I was the kid that was like, ‘Please get a divorce.’ You know, everyone was happier afterward and I think that a broken home is not when two parents are apart.”

Alexa and Brennon, 35, tied the knot in 2021 after meeting sight unseen in the Love Is Blind pods during season 3. They split in fall 2025, one year after welcoming daughter Vienna and after nearly five years of marriage.

“Obviously [being together] would be the goal and everyone’s happy and whatever,” Alexa explained on Thursday. “If that’s not what’s happening, then keeping something that’s clearly not working, that’s the broken home.”

Related: What to Know About Love Is Blind’s Alexa and Brennon Lemieux’s Divorce

Love Is Blind season 3 couple Alexa and Brennon Lemieux were married for four years before going their separate ways. “After much reflection and many heartfelt conversations, we have made the difficult decision to end our marriage,” Alexa wrote via Instagram in December 2025. “This choice was not made lightly, and it comes with a […]

She added, “It’s such, like, an outdated thing and babe, you get one freaking life to live. And it’s just like, ‘Why not be happy doing it if something’s not working out?’ Everything happens for a reason, and I have my child that I love more than anything in this life out of it and I’ll always be grateful for the time that was shared and then now I get to live the rest of my life.”

According to Alexa, her divorce from Brennon is “essentially” finalized.

“I think it’s just waiting to be, like, filed into the system, I guess, is really what it is,” she stated. “Even through my divorce process, I did mine [in] a very loving way. I genuinely do not want to take our daughter from you. Like, I want you to be in her life.”

Alexa stressed that it is important for her and Brennon to be able to amicably coparent their 21-month-old daughter.

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“I want to find something that works for everyone,” she stated. “I want holidays to make sense, I want her to truly experience both parents and I want what’s going to make sense and what’s the healthiest decision with everything. … [Because] we have a child together, we’re going to be in each other’s lives for the rest of our lives because of our shared daughter [and] I’m hoping eventually we’ll get to a good place of really, really healthy coparenting.”

At the moment, Alexa revealed that she and Brennon are “still figuring out” their post-split dynamic.

“[He is] someone who’s going to be in my life for the rest of my life, and I commend myself for how much I’ve seen [the] big picture of this entire situation,” Alexa said. “It’s so easy to get caught up. All I need from him is to be a good parent, and he does that, so I’m good.”

Mackenzie Shirilla referred to herself as the “third victim” of the fatal car crash that killed her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and their friend Davion Flanagan while she was behind the wheel.

Shirilla, 21, made the comment while speaking to her mother, Natalie Shirilla, during a phone call from the Cuyahoga County Corrections Center. At the time, the pair were discussing her lawyer’s decision to not let her take the stand and testify during the 2023 murder trial.

“I was asking him if I could just testify to show them that like, I have nothing to hide, and he was like, ‘I don’t know if that’s a good idea at this point,’” Shirilla told her mother after her bench trial, according to a phone call obtained by People.

Shirilla later argued it would benefit her case to testify in court. “If they see the truth, then they’ll know that this was nothing but a car accident,” she said. “They’ll just see that there’s a third victim, and it’s me, and I lost the love of my life and a good friend, and now I have to deal with this grief the rest of my life.”

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She went on to say that she also had to “deal with” being “scared to drive and stuff like that.”

Shirilla also said she felt the bench trial had not gone well and admitted she was afraid she would have to spend another year in custody before she could be granted an appeal.

Also during the conversation, Shirilla accused the prosecutors of having “henchmen go and lie on the stand” during the trial. However, she did not specify what may have happened during the bench trial to make her feel that way.

Later in the conversation, Shirilla asked her mother to “pay my bond and get me out of here.” She continued, “Like, go to a bail bondsman and see if they can pay the 10 percent.” At the time, she was being held on a $500,000 bond.

Following the request, Shirilla acknowledged that the bond would be revoked in the next few days once the judge ruled on her case.

“I’m getting very irritated like, and I need to get the f*** out of jail because they’re just trying to f*** me over bad as f***,” Shirilla told her mother.

As Shirilla predicted, her bond was revoked a few days after the call when she was convicted of four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault, two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and one count each of drug possession and possessing criminal tools. She was ultimately handed two concurrent sentences of 15 years to life in prison.

Shirilla was arrested and charged following a car crash that took place on July 31, 2022, in Strongsville, Ohio. At the time, she was driving Russo, 20, and Flanagan, 19, home after they went to a graduation party and visited a friend’s house.

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The car was traveling over 100 mph when they crashed into a brick wall, killing Russo and Flanagan.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that the crash was a botched murder-suicide attempt. Meanwhile, the defense said that Shirilla suffered from POTS, a condition that can cause dizziness and fainting, and she blacked out.

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Shirilla also wondered if her medical diagnosis was the reason for the crash in Netflix’s documentary The Crash, which was released on May 15. Shirilla appeared in the documentary from behind bars and expressed remorse for the crime.

However, the interest in the case has only intensified after one of her former inmates came forward with claims that she was a mean girl and didn’t appear remorseful behind bars. In a series of TikTok videos, Mary Katherine “Kat” Crowder claimed that Shirilla was involved in many prison hookups.

“If she was grieving or remorseful, she would not have gone to prison and jumped into prison relationships over the next six months,” she said.

Fantasy films tend to have high production values. They need to in order to immerse an audience in their fanciful and fantastic worlds, often created through some combination of sets, locations and, especially in the 21st century, digital effects. There are numerous fantasy films that have been produced at this high level of production, from classics like The Wizard of Oz to modern franchises like Harry Potter. The gold standard for the genre, however, is Peter Jackson‘s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. One of the most massive film productions of all time, the three adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien‘s seminal fantasy novels were shot back-to-back, mostly on location in New Zealand to take advantage of the country’s vast landscapes. The combination of those locations, along with miniature work, landmark CGI, intricately detailed costuming and makeup, and so many other elements makes the films essential fantasy productions. There’s a reason why the final film, The Return of the King, won a record-tying eleven Academy Awards.

As impressive as the production values on The Lord of the Rings are, they aren’t completely without equal, and have, on a rare few special occasions, even been bettered. There are not many fantasy films that could compete with the budget and size of Jackson’s trilogy, but there are those that have put every single cent on the screen. These are films by visionary filmmakers whose keen sense of visuals and dedication to practical effects work make them singular experiences that have no true equal within the genre, even those made by the same filmmakers. Three incredibly special fantasy movies with incredibly high production values that are all classics, cult or otherwise, and which are the only ones better than The Lord of the Rings.

‘The Dark Crystal’ (1982)

Image via Universal Pictures

The ’80s were an especially fertile time for imaginative fantasy films with high production values. The boom of practical makeup effects, coupled with studios attempting to recapture the space fantasy blockbuster success of Star Wars, led to some truly outstanding films. Ridley Scott‘s Legend was shot entirely on soundstages, giving it an otherworldly quality, and features incredible makeup effects by the legendary Rob Bottin. Excalibur is possibly the most gorgeous-looking version of the Arthurian legend ever put to film, and The Neverending Story puts most modern family fantasy movies to shame. All of these ’80s fantasy films have high production values, but there’s only one better than The Lord of the Rings, and it’s also one that could have only come from its filmmakers. The Dark Crystal was co-directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, features a cast made up entirely of animatronic characters, and is unlike any other fantasy film ever made.

In the fictional world of Thra, the splitting of the titular crystal caused the formation of two distinct races, the peaceful Mystics and the villainous Skeksis. The film follows a young Gelfling named Jen, who is tasked by the Mystic Master to heal the crystal to restore balance to their world. Every single creature, location and effect of the film is lovingly hand-crafted. Made in a pre-digital effects era, the film relies entirely on practical effects and was designed to showcase its advanced animatronics. No filmmaker understands the artistry of puppetry like Henson and Oz, and the film is easily the most astounding showcase of that skill. While the Muppet films all featured impressive production value that often went overlooked because of their simple character designs and family-friendly nature, no one could deny the incredible visuals of The Dark Crystal. While the prequel series that premiered on Netflix admirably maintained the use of puppets enhanced with minimal digital effects, it can’t match the impossible magic of the original film, where everything was captured in camera.

‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ (2006)

Guillermo del Toro is a filmmaker with an idiosyncratic and instantly recognizable style. Look at one frame from a film of his, like Hellboy, The Devil’s Backbone, or Crimson Peak, and it’s immediately apparent who the filmmaker behind it is. While many fantasy films of the 2000s and 2010s tried to emulate the visuals of either The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, del Toro’s work always remained distinct. He was regularly courted to direct a Harry Potter film and was handpicked by Peter Jackson originally to direct The Hobbit prequels, but fate and choice prevented him from ever working within either franchise. While that decision might haunt some directors, it is clear that del Toro’s magic touch is missed more from those films than they are from his filmography. In 2006, the director delivered the dark fantasy masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth, which is arguably better than the best film from both franchises and features the highest production values.

Set in Francoist Spain in 1944, the film follows young Ofelia (Ivan Baquero) as she moves into a new home with her mother and stepfather, who is an officer with the Armed Police Corps who leads a violent campaign against a guerrilla army. The film beautifully dovetails the harsh violence of the real world with the dark fantasy world, which Ofelia discovers after she meets a mythical Faun (Doug Jones), who believes she is the reincarnated princess of the Underworld. As with all of del Toro’s films, Pan’s Labyrinth features a seamless blend of digital effects and practical effects, including Academy Award-winning makeup and production design. The film also won the Oscar for Guillermo Navarro‘s breathtaking cinematography, every frame of which could be a spellbinding painting. Pan’s Labyrinth immerses its audience in a dark fable that is fully realized. It’s del Toro’s magnum opus, and its high production values will allow it to remain timeless.

‘The Fall’ (2006)

Image via Roadside Attractions

Director Tarsem Singh is known for films whose visuals often far outpace their narratives, such as the mindbending serial killer thriller The Cell or the Greek myth action epic Immortals. His films all undoubtedly have high production values, but none are more staggering or stunningly beautiful than his fantasy adventure epic The Fall. The film originally premiered in 2006 to acclaim at the Toronto Film Festival, before receiving a minor theatrical release two years later. It then quietly began to fade into obscurity until it was recently rescued and given a proper restoration on streaming. It has since developed a devoted following of fans, including Peter Jackson, who cast lead actor Lee Pace in The Hobbit based on his performance.

In Los Angeles in the 1920s, stuntman Roy Walker (Pace) is hospitalized after an accident, where he meets young Alexandria (Catinca Untaru). Roy begins to tell her an epic fantasy tale, which is visually realized through Alexandria’s imagination. The film was shot in twenty-four different countries, using the majesty of the real world to provide production value that is impossible to replicate artificially. The Fall was a passion project for Tarsem and took over four years to complete due to its epic scope, but there are no fantasy films that can compete with it in visual terms, especially in the modern era. It is a film whose production does not fit within the current studio or streamer model, but which makes its fantasy come to life in a way far more vivid than the most recent Middle-earth effort, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which has an astronomical budget for its first season. Money might be able to buy some production value, but there’s no accounting for passion.