8 Fantasy Movies That Give The Lord of the Rings a Run for Its Money
Diego Pineda has been a devout storyteller his whole life. He has self-published a fantasy novel and a book of short stories, and is actively working on publishing his second novel.
A lifelong fan of watching movies and talking about them endlessly, he writes reviews and analyses on his Instagram page dedicated to cinema, and occasionally on his blog. His favorite filmmakers are Andrei Tarkovsky and Charlie Chaplin. He loves modern Mexican cinema and thinks it's tragically underappreciated.
Other interests of Diego's include reading, gaming, roller coasters, writing reviews on his Letterboxd account (username: DPP_reviews), and going down rabbit holes of whatever topic he's interested in at any given point.
There's no way around it: Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy consists of what may very likely be the three greatest fantasy movies in the history of cinema. That is not, however, a universally accepted fact. Though it's undeniable that it's the most universally praised fantasy movie trilogy in film history, there are a few particularly exceptional movies from the same genre which very reasonably give Jackson's adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's legendary novel a run for its money.
One important note to make is that, in order to reasonably say that a movie gives The Lord of the Rings "a run for its money," it's important for that movie to be substantially similar to Jackson's films in at least some way. Whether we're talking about another epic, another high-fantasy movie, or another fantasy action film, these eight movies rival The Lord of the Rings by operating on a considerably similar playing field.
8 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' (1975)
They certainly do have a sense of humor, but it would be ridiculous for anyone to make the argument that the Lord of the Rings films are comedies by any stretch of the imagination. Even in spite of that, seeing as to how important Arthurian legend was in Tolkien's literary formation—and, by proxy, how influential it was to Jackson's movies—it's by no means a stretch to compare the films to Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Of course, the goals of this shoestring-budget comedy are vastly different to those of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but it achieves those goals with the same delightful gusto. It's far and away one of the funniest movies of the last 75 years, as well as one of the most creative fantasy movies of the 20th century. It's just as much of a love letter to Arthurian legend as it is a parody of the entire fantasy genre, and that's why it's a must-see for anyone and everyone who loves the genre.
7 'The Odyssey' (2026)
Recency bias be damned: Enough time has passed that Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey being among the highest-rated fantasy movies in history on both Letterboxd and IMDb is not just because it's one of the latest box office-breaking blockbusters, but because it's genuinely one of the best sword-and-sandal epics of all time. Audiences around the world have already gotten used to Nolan pushing the envelope, but The Odyssey really doesn't feel quite like anything else the director has made.
In fact, in terms of scale, technical quality, and sheer ambition, The Odyssey actually feels unlike anything else the entirety of Hollywood has seen throughout the last couple of decades. Though Homeric purists may not be entirely on board with the changes to the traditional epic that Nolan has to offer, the film as a whole is a love letter to the art of storytelling itself, and those changes are essential in its hard-hitting themes.
6 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939)
There's a remarkably strong argument to be made that Victor Fleming's The Wizard of Oz is the single most influential fantasy movie in history, the effects of whose legacy can be seen across the entirety of the genre after 1939. Based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, this wonderful musical is movie magic in its purest form, a cult classic that's also just about as mainstream as Hollywood classics get.
It's one of the best fantasy movies based on books, with some of the most memorable tunes, most iconic performances, and most unforgettable visuals that fantasy cinema has ever produced. Unlike The Lord of the Rings, this isn't high fantasy of the epic variety; but it's every bit as well-written, well-directed, and well-crafted. It's one of the most groundbreaking motion pictures of all time, and certainly one of the most important from Hollywood's Golden Age.
5 'Princess Mononoke' (1997)
There are those who would go so far as to praise Hayao Miyazaki as not only the greatest anime filmmaker of all time, but even the king of animated cinema as a whole. To understand why, one only needs to look at masterpieces like Princess Mononoke, one of the most perfect animated movies of the 1990s. It's one of the most emotionally and thematically mature films in Miyazaki's whole filmography, and as such, it's a must-see for anyone who loves animated fantasy.
Set during a stylized version of Japan's Muromachi period, it's some of the best historical epic fantasy that the big screen has ever seen, giving The Lord of the Rings a run for its money in terms of thematic scale, visual impressiveness, and writing quality. On top of being so gorgeous to watch that its mere animation is enrapturing enough to keep anyone's eyes glued to the screen, Princess Mononoke is a powerful love letter to environmentalism and a scathing critique of hyper-industrial capitalism.
4 'The Green Mile' (1999)
It's no coincidence that one of the best prison dramas since The Shawshank Redemption is another Stephen King adaptation directed by Frank Darabont. Indeed, Darabont and King seem to get along like peanut butter and jelly, as perfectly demonstrated by The Green Mile. Though it's over three hours long, each second of this beautifully character-driven low fantasy drama is infused with the most profound emotion imaginable.
Proof that the melodrama genre can make for an immensely powerful fantasy film, The Green Mile is easily one of the greatest low fantasy movies of all time. Audiences over the years have come to adore it just as much as they do The Lord of the Rings, and even though these are vastly different stories with vastly different intentions, they're quite similar in terms of runtime and scope. But while the scope of Lord of the Rings is turned outward toward its plot and its world, The Green Mile's vast scope is turned inward toward its deeply complex and endearing characters.
3 'Pan's Labyrinth' (2006)
Calling Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth the greatest dark fantasy movie of all time is such an ice-cold take that you practically need to put on a winter jacket in order to say it. This Spanish-Mexican co-production is, indeed, an absolute masterpiece through and through. Much like the rest of del Toro's work, it's both a potent anti-war statement against authoritarianism and a surprisingly beautiful twist on traditional fairy tale tropes.
On top of offering audiences some of the best monsters in the history of fantasy movies, Pan's Labyrinth also has intricate world-building, nuanced characters, and thought-provoking themes profound enough to rival The Lord of the Rings. It's not quite the same in terms of epic high fantasy scale, but it's such a deeply human and irresistibly emotional cinematic experience that nobody would blame any fantasy movie fan for preferring del Toro's magnum opus over Peter Jackson's.
2 'Spirited Away' (2001)
As if Princess Mononoke weren't enough to show why Hayao Miyazaki is deemed by many to be the best thing ever to happen to animated cinema, there's also Spirited Away, the film that many like to call the best animated feature film ever created. Winner of the second-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, it's a coming-of-age far more magical, atmospheric, and emotionally compelling than almost anything else the fantasy genre has ever delivered.
Just like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it's one of the best-looking movies of the 21st century, which is on top of its enrapturing musical score and wonderfully intricate script. It's an original fairy tale that could have only been produced by the cinematic medium, and a film so imaginative and easy to lose inself inside that any fan of The Lord of the Rings who somehow still hasn't checked out Miyazaki's crown jewel is seriously missing out.
1 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1980)
Most people tend to think of them as science fiction epics, but there's no denying that the Star Wars films are also fantasy. That makes it so that The Empire Strikes Back, universally regarded as the best installment in the franchise and one of the best epic sci-fi movies of the last 100 years, also happens to be one of the greatest fantasy epics in the history of cinema. As far as science fantasy on film goes, it doesn't really get any better or more iconic than this.
If there's any one franchise that's comparable to The Lord of the Rings—at least in terms of pop-cultural relevance and level of influence—, it's Star Wars. And if there's any one Star Wars film perfect enough to give any The Lord of the Rings installment a run for its money, it's Empire. Incredibly exciting; full of grand set pieces that have aged like fine wine; and with some of the most universally entertaining plotting and character writing in the history of genre films, it really is essential viewing for anyone who loves Lord of the Rings, or even just epic fantasy in general.
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