The 15 Most Thrilling Fantasy Movies, Ranked
Updated
Mariah Starks is a former writer at Collider, where she covered film, television, and pop culture through features, lists, and commentary. With a keen eye for both new releases and timeless classics, she brought fresh insights to stories that resonate with fans. Outside of writing, Mariah is passionate about exploring how movies and TV shape culture and connect audiences around the world.
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Like Middle-earth or the Wizarding World, the fantasy genre has allowed audience members to escape into fantastical worlds because of film’s ability to visualize the unimaginable. Core elements include mythical creatures like wizards, orcs, and evil witches. In this list are ten fantasy films that have paved the way for future films that strive to entertain while giving mythological stories a modern twist, like The Crow (1994).
Many of these fantasy films, like The Old Guard (2020) and Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (2002), have thrilling action sequences that expand the genre's capabilities. However, these fantasy films have been praised not only because of their innovation and creativity, but also for paying homage to ancient mythologies across several cultures. This list is based on the critics' ratings and the impact on the fantasy genre.
15 'Willow' (1988)
Set in a fantastical world, the film follows an aspiring sorcerer dwarf named Willow (Warwick Davis) who sets out on a journey with a mercenary (Val Kilmer) to return a missing infant royal to her kingdom and restore peace from the reign of the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda of Nockmaar (Jean Marsh). While the film received mixed to negative reviews from critics, it soon became a cult classic among audience members. In contrast to a 53% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, it maintains a solid 80% audience score. As a result of its success among fans and cult followers, a Willow sequel series was released in 2022 on the streaming platform Disney+. Additionally, Willow received two Academy Award nominations for Visual Effects and Sound Effects Editing.
The film’s success among fantasy fans can be attributed to its homage and loyalty to classic fantasy story elements derived from British and Celtic folktales. The inclusion of mythological story elements, such as intense battle scenes with swords and magic, is primarily because of acclaimed director George Lucas. Willow was a 15-year passion project created by Lucas because he wanted to introduce younger audiences, specifically teenagers, to classic mythological stories.
14 'Stardust' (2007)
Based on Neil Gaiman’s 1999 novel, Stardust follows a missing Prince Tristan (Charlie Cox), who offers to save a magical fallen star named Yvaine (Claire Danes) from the evil witch Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) and her two sisters. The film also stars Mark Strong, Henry Cavill, Ricky Gervais, and Robert De Niro. Along with positive reviews from critics, it received moderate success at the box office, earning $137 million with a $70 million budget. While a sequel is not likely to be developed anytime soon, in 2023 at New York Comic-Con, Vaughn stated that he has ideas for a modern twist on the story.
Before Vaughn signed on to direct, Gaiman claimed Stardust was in development hell because the film rights were constantly negotiated between various production and distribution companies. However, after Vaughn joined, significant changes were made to the plot and characters from the novel to make the film more mainstream and accessible to international audiences. Despite the notable differences in tone and narrative, Stardust maintains an exciting pace with intense chase and magic fight sequences. The film’s action scenes and fight choreography testify to Vaughn’s later successes with the dark comedy action Kingsman franchise.
13 'The Mummy' (1999)
Set in 1920s Cairo, Egypt, The Mummy revolves around a librarian and Egyptologist, Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz), and an American Adventurer, Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser), who accidentally awaken an ancient high Egyptian priest out for revenge. The film is a remake of Karl Freund’s 1932 American film of the same name. The Mummy was a major critical and commercial success, earning $417.4 million at the box office with a budget of $80 million. The film is followed by a prequel, The Scorpion King (2002), two sequels, The Mummy Returns (2001) and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), and a 2017 reboot.
Like other films on this list, The Mummy suffered from development hell. It struggled to secure a stable script, director, and cast. The script switched genres from horror and historical to eventually settle on Sommers’ adventure-romance mashup. The film’s issues did not end with pre-production, as it was reported that the cast and crew were injured due to animal attacks and harsh weather conditions on set in the Sahara Desert. Despite all the problems, Sommers managed to conjure a thrilling balance of action, adventure, and romance.
12 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' (2005)
Based on acclaimed British author C. S. Lewis’ 1950 children’s novel, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe follows four siblings through a magical wardrobe into a fantasy world where a war is waged between Aslan the Lion (Liam Neeson) and Jadis the evil White Witch (Tilda Swinton). During its theatrical release with a budget of $180 million, the film earned a generous $745 million. The film is succeeded by two sequels: Prince Caspian (2008) and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010). Barbie (2023) writer-director Greta Gerwig is set to direct two Narnia films, which are rumored to be released in 2025 or 2026.
While The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is viewed as a children’s novel, the film elevates the stakes by adopting a darker tone, focusing on large and intense battle sequences. That sense of danger reaches its peak during the climactic battle, where sweeping cavalry charges and the confrontation with the White Witch give the film the kind of large-scale spectacle that makes it thrilling.
11 'Doctor Sleep' (2019)
Adapted from the 2013 Stephen King novel and sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980), an adult Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) is haunted by the events of 1980 and by spirits because of his “shining” psychic ability. Torrance soon comes into contact via the shining with a little girl, Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran), and must save her from a cult of psychic vampires led by Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson). Despite praise from fans and critics, the film had mild success at the box office, earning $72.4 million from a $45 million budget.
Although Doctor Sleep is mainly based within the horror genre, the inclusion of psychic vampires adds elements of fantasy. Ferguson was highly praised for her performance in the film. Her performance is successful because it is reminiscent of other vampiric figures in classic gothic folktales like Dracula or Count Orlok, yet adds a modern twist. Also, like most fantasy folklore antagonists, Rose and her cult specifically target young children.
10 'The Old Guard' (2020)
The Old Guard follows four ancient warriors led by Andromache of Scythia, also known as Andy (Charlize Theron), who utilize their regenerative healing abilities to work as mercenaries throughout time. The group is joined by U.S. Marine Nile Freeman (Kiki Layne) to get revenge on a CIA operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor). The film is based on a graphic novel of the same name by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez. While the film was released exclusively on Netflix, critics were pleased with it and gave it an 80% fresh rating on RT.
The Old Guard combines action, superhero, and fantasy elements due to its immortality feature. The concept of immortality and the quest for it are seen throughout countless folktales across the world. For example, the most commonly known folktale that features immortality is The Epic of Gilgamesh from ancient Sumeria and the quest for the Holy Grail from Medieval Europe.
9 'A Monster Calls' (2016)
When authors write the screenplays for the adaptations of their books, you know you're in for a good time. Such is the case with Patrick Ness' A Monster Calls, the story of a young English boy named Conor O'Malley (Lewis MacDougall) struggling to come to terms with his mother's terminal illness. He is visited one night by a tree-like monster (Liam Neeson), who offers to tell him stories that can help him, but after he has told three, Conor must tell the monster a fourth based on his greatest fear.
A Monster Calls sadly didn't perform well at the box office, which stings especially because it's a fantastic fantasy movie full of emotional highs and fantastic acting. It tackles grief in a very mature way that doesn't talk down to kids, and shows that grief never exists in a vacuum and can spiral into something worse if not properly addressed. The film also knows to keep the fantasy elements to a minimum, ensuring that they never steal the spotlight from the human story, and instead help to contextualize Conor's turbulent emotions.
Collider Exclusive · Middle-earth Quiz
Which Lord of the Rings
Character Are You?
One Quiz · Ten Questions · Your Fate Revealed
The road goes ever on. From the green hills of the Shire to the fires of Mount Doom, every soul in Middle-earth carries a destiny. Ten questions stand between you and the truth of who you are. Answer honestly — the One Ring has a way of revealing what we most want to hide.
💍Frodo
🌿Samwise
👑Aragorn
🔥Gandalf
🏹Legolas
⚒️Gimli
👁️Sauron
🪨Gollum
01
You are handed a responsibility that could destroy you. What do you do? The weight of the world falls on unlikely shoulders.
02
Your closest companion is heading into terrible danger. You: True loyalty is revealed not in comfort, but in crisis.
03
Enormous power is within your reach. Your instinct is: Power corrupts — but only those who reach for it.
04
What does "home" mean to you? Where we long to return reveals who we truly are.
05
When a battle is upon you, your approach is: War reveals what we are made of — whether we like it or not.
06
Someone comes to you for advice in their darkest hour. You: Wisdom is not knowing all the answers — it's knowing which questions to ask.
07
How do you see yourself, honestly? Self-knowledge is the most dangerous kind.
08
Which of these best describes your relationship with the natural world? Middle-earth speaks to those who know how to listen.
09
You encounter a wretched, pitiable creature who has done terrible things. You: How we treat the fallen reveals the height of our character.
10
When the quest is over and the songs are sung, what do you hope they say about you? In the end, we are all just stories.
The Fellowship Has Spoken Your Place in Middle-earth
The scores below reveal your true character. Your highest number is your match. Even a tie tells a story — the Fellowship was never made of simple people.
💍 Frodo
🌿 Samwise
👑 Aragorn
🔥 Gandalf
🏹 Legolas
⚒️ Gimli
👁️ Sauron
🪨 Gollum
You carry something heavy — and you carry it alone, even when you don't have to. You were not born for greatness, and that is precisely why greatness chose you. Your courage is not the roaring, sword-swinging kind; it is quiet, stubborn, and terrifying in its refusal to quit. The Ring weighs on you more than anyone can see, and still you walk toward the fire. That is not weakness. That is the rarest kind of strength there is.
You are, without question, the best of them. Not the most powerful, not the most celebrated — but the most essential. Your loyalty is not a trait; it is a force of nature. You would carry the person you love up the slopes of Mount Doom if it came to that, and we both know you'd do it without being asked. The world needs more people like you, and the world is lucky it has even one.
You were born to lead, and you have spent years running from it. The crown is yours by right, but you know better than anyone that right means nothing without the will and the worthiness to back it up. You are tempered by loss, shaped by long roads, and defined by a code of honour you hold to even when no one is watching. When you finally step forward, the world shifts. Because it was always waiting for you.
You have seen more than you let on, and you say less than you know — which is exactly as it should be. You are a catalyst: you do not fight the battles yourself, you ignite the people who can. Your wisdom comes not from books but from an age of watching what happens when it is ignored. You arrive precisely when you mean to, and your presence alone changes what is possible. A wizard is never late.
Graceful, perceptive, and almost preternaturally calm under pressure — you see things others miss and act before others react. You do not need to make a scene to be remarkable; your presence speaks for itself. You are loyal to those you choose to stand beside, and that choice is not made lightly. You have lived long enough to know that the most beautiful things in this world are also the most fragile, and that is why you fight to protect them.
You are loud, proud, and absolutely formidable — and beneath all of that is one of the most fiercely loyal hearts in Middle-earth. You don't do anything by half measures. Your friendships are forged like iron, your grudges run as deep as mines, and your courage in battle is the kind that makes legends. You came into this fellowship suspicious of everyone and ended it willing to die for an elf. That is not a small thing. That is everything.
You think in centuries and act in absolutes. Order, dominion, control — not because you are cruel by nature, but because you have decided that the world left to itself always falls apart, and you are the only one with the vision and the will to hold it together. You were not always this. Something was lost, or taken, or betrayed, and the version of you that stands now is the answer to that wound. The tragedy is that you're not entirely wrong — just entirely too far gone to course-correct.
You are a study in contradiction — pitiable and dangerous, cunning and broken, capable of both cruelty and something that once resembled love. You are defined by loss: of innocence, of self, of the one thing that gave your existence meaning. Two voices war inside you constantly, and the tragedy is that the better one sometimes wins, just not often enough, and never at the right moment. You are a warning, yes — but also a mirror. We are all a little Gollum, given the right ring and enough time.
8 'The Crow' (1994)
Based on a 1989 comic book series by James O’Barr, The Crow revolves around a rock musician (Brandon Lee) resurrected by a crow spirit in hopes of avenging his murdered wife and killing crime boss Top Dollar (Michael Wincott). The film was critically and commercially successful, earning $94 million from a budget of $23 million. It is also infamously known for the accidental and tragic death of Lee while filming on set.
While the film adds a modern twist to the revenge tale with its gothic and punk aesthetics, The Crow pays homage to one of the oldest and most ominous animals used in folklore: the crow. In several cultures, the crow (and subsequently ravens) in mythology is often seen as harbingers of death, tricksters, and messengers from the spiritual world. The combination of mythology, punk rock visuals, and fight sequences makes The Crow a thrilling watch.
7 'The NeverEnding Story' (1984)
Based on the first half of the book of the same name by Michael Ende, The NeverEnding Story follows Bastian Balthazar Bux (Barret Oliver), who reads a book about the fantasy land of Fantasia and how it is at risk of being destroyed by an abstract force called The Nothing. As Bastian reads about the adventures of the hero Atreyu (Noah Hathaway) and his quest to stop The Nothing, events in the book start to feel a little too real. While only a modest hit on release, The NeverEnding Story gained a cult following over the years and is now regarded as one of the best fantasy films of the 1980s.
The film's success comes from how well all of its components fit together, from the impressive practical effects that make Fantasia feel like a truly fantastical world to the characters, all of whom possess likable and memorable personalities that represent classic archetypes. Yet its biggest success is how effectively it tugs at the heartstrings. Many of the obstacles Atreyu faces, including The Nothing itself, are representations of depression and mental numbness—the death of creativity and imagination—and lead to many chilling and heartbreaking scenes that burned themselves into the collective memory of a generation.
6 'Dragonslayer' (1981)
When you picture a live-action Disney film, you probably aren't imagining a grim dark fantasy world where young maidens are offered to an ancient dragon to save their kingdom from fire and ruin. Yet that is what can be found in Dragonslayer, a joint picture with Paramount that follows Galen Bradwarden (Peter MacNicol), apprentice to the last great sorcerer, Ulrich of Cragganmore (Ralph Richardson). After his master dies, Galen inherits his magic amulet and offers his services to the kingdom of Urland to rid them of the dragon, Vermithrax Pejorative, unaware of the greater conspiracies that threaten his life.
One of the earliest examples of the fantasy boom of the 1980s, Dragonslayer stands out thanks to its gritty world and impressive effects. This isn't your typical fairy tale: characters are morally gray and complex, sometimes going against their allegiances for the greater good, and not everyone makes it out alive. Then there is Vermithrax itself, which stands as perhaps cinema's greatest dragon thanks to the groundbreaking effects that brought it to life, from stop-motion puppets to giant animatronics and authentic World War II flamethrowers.
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