8 Best Fantasy Movies of the 21st Century (Except for 'Harry Potter' & 'LoTR'), Ranked by RT
There are dark fairy tales for adults, animated masterpieces, and stories in which magic and harsh reality intertwine.
When it comes to fantasy in 21st-century cinema, Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings are the first things that come to mind – these franchises have become pillars of the genre, setting standards that will last for decades.
But lurking behind their vast shadow is a multitude of other magical worlds that are no less vibrant or original and are sometimes even more daring.
8. 'The Fall', 2006
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 64%
Seriously injured after a stunt gone wrong, Hollywood stuntman Roy spends his days in a hospital ward. There, he is visited by a young girl named Alexandria, and an unusual friendship develops between them.
To pass the time, Roy tells Alexandria a captivating story about the Black Bandit, escaped slave Otta Benga, an Indian sage, Italian revolutionary Luigi, and Charles Darwin himself.
Together, they embark on a colorful journey, and each of them finds a chance for salvation and inner healing.
Nearly two decades later, the movie remains an underrated fantasy benchmark, surpassing most modern projects with its visual scope and emotional depth.
7. 'Stardust', 2007
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%
Tristran is a young man who lives in a village surrounded by a high wall and he is forbidden to leave. In order to win the heart of a local beauty from a wealthy family, however, he promises to bring her a fallen star.
After sneaking through the fence, he discovers that the star is actually a living woman.
Stardust impresses with its magical atmosphere and its stellar cast: Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, and Mark Strong make every moment of the movie a highlight.
6. 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe', 2005
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%
During World War II, four children were evacuated from London to a country house to escape the bombings. There, they discover the magical world of Narnia, which is accessible through the back of a wardrobe.
This action-packed, vibrant story about the war between good and evil boasts a strong cast of both children and adults.
The first movie in the epic franchise was a cultural milestone, akin to The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter films.
5. 'Interstate 60', 2002
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
Interstate 60 is an example of magical realism, a genre in which miracles burst into seemingly ordinary life in modern times. The charming and cunning O.W. Grant, played by Gary Oldman, brings about these miracles.
He grants wishes, but not in the way people expect. For example, he sends a man who wishes to find the meaning of life on a journey along a nonexistent highway.
The man travels through fantastical places and meets extraordinary characters, such as a man with a bottomless stomach.
4. 'Howl's Moving Castle', 2004
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Hayao Miyazaki has always been fascinated by European culture, particularly enjoying adapting Western works for film.
Howl's Moving Castle, for example, is based on Diana Wynne Jones' novel of the same name. The story follows a girl who is transformed by magic into an old woman and becomes trapped in the wizard Howl's enormous, mobile castle.
Miyazaki brilliantly captures Jones' vibrant steampunk world, complete with complex steam-powered mechanisms and the clash of magic and Industrial Revolution technology.
3. 'The Green Knight', 2021
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
We know the story of Sir Gawain and the enchanted Green Knight, who can withstand beheading, from a medieval poem.
However, David Lowery transformed the legend of the brave knight into a meditative, avant-garde movie parable about a frightened little man. Dev Patel's Gawain is no hero – he's afraid to fulfill his knightly duties and is helpless in battle.
This transforms the movie from a simple retelling of mythology into an original work with its own ideas.
2. 'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves', 2023
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
The Dungeons & Dragons franchise has produced many excellent games, and it's rife with references in popular culture. For some reason, however, it's had bad luck with adaptations.
Honor Among Thieves wasn't a huge success – it didn't break even at the box office. However, it achieved something more important: it was truly good.
Rather than adapting a game, its creators captured and conveyed the spirit of a tabletop fantasy adventure for a group of friends. The heroes – a thieving bard, a barbarian, a druidess, and a failed wizard – don't set out to save the world, they set out to pull off a grand heist.
1. 'Pan's Labyrinth', 2006
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
Pan's Labyrinth is one of the best examples of dark fantasy, and it's not just about monsters. The movie is also a serious drama about the Spanish Civil War and the horrors of everyday life.
The two realities intertwine and reflect each other, but they are not the fantasies of a girl escaping a harsh reality, as some critics have suggested.
Guillermo del Toro never tires of reminding us that, to him, the miracles unfolding in the film are real – it's just that not everyone has the ability to see beyond.
