Fantasy has been one of the most beloved movie genres ever since its inception. Ever since the work of artists like Georges Méliès, lauded as the father of fantasy cinema, the genre has seen great development over the decades. With its use of complex magic systems, mythical creatures, and inventive magical concepts, fantasy can delight and shock, bringing audiences to new worlds and drawing powerful parallels to the real one.
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There are many ways to classify fantasy, but the most popular classify it into two categories: “Low fantasy” and “High fantasy.” Whereas high fantasy brings its fantastical elements (such as magic and fictional creatures) to a parallel world, low fantasy places them in everyday situations, quite literally bringing fantasy to the real world. From the iconic, like the Harry Potter franchise, to the underappreciated, like Wings of Desire, low fantasy has a kind of charm that no other subgenre of fantasy can replicate.
10 ‘Army of Darkness’ (1992)
Raimi’s delightful horror gem
Image via Universal Pictures
Horror lovers and fans of campy movies will find the perfect marriage of both in Sam Raimi’s 1992 classic Army of Darkness, the third installment in Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead trilogy. It also happens to be a dark fantasy film, where Ash is transported to the year 1300 and must retrieve the Necronomicon and battle his way back home.
By far the most absurd, outlandish, and, arguably, funniest of the three installments, Army of Darkness sees Raimi at his Raimi-est. In many ways, Army of Darkness is a hilarious satire of big fantasy blockbusters and traditional horror movies. It’s an experience that’s vastly different from its two darker, gorier, scarier predecessors, but in a delightfully fun way.
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9 ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ (1988)
Miyazaki’s timeless classic
Image via Toho
Known for his ability to create immersive, enchanting, fantastical worlds that anyone would love to visit, Hayao Miyazaki has dominated the modern anime industry for years. My Neighbor Totoro is among his most wholesome and highly acclaimed works, following two girls who move to the country to be closer to their ailing mother, where they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live there.
Funny, sweet, and touching, My Neighbor Totoro is simply humanly impossible to hate. It exudes magic and wonder as only the best family fantasy movies can, and the fact that it all happens in the scenic Japanese countryside makes it all the more delightful. With some fun interactions with the real world, such as a big chubby creature standing under the rain with an umbrella at a bus stop, Totoro is a masterclass in low fantasy done right.
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8 ‘The Green Mile’ (1999)
Darabont’s Stephen King adaptation
Image via Universal Pictures
Doubtless one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work, Frank Darabont’s The Green Mile is one of the most singular and moving prison movies ever made. Set on death row in a Southern jail, it follows the lead guard who realizes a gentle giant awaiting his execution has the mysterious power to heal people. Michael Clarke Duncan is magnificent in the role that gave him his only Academy Award nomination, and Darabont – who also directed The Shawshank Redemption, another top-tier adaptation of a Stephen King story set in prison – does a beautiful job behind the camera.
The Green Mile is a tearjerker like few others, with potent social commentary on prejudice and racism and beautiful themes of spirituality, magic, and healing. Its fantasy elements are simultaneously the foundation of the story and a subtle detail to boost the power of its deeper message, which is precisely what low fantasy is all about.
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7 ‘Wings of Desire’ (1987)
Wenders’ marriage of fantasy and romance
Image via Orion Classics
Known for his austere, almost poetic approach to filmmaking, Wim Wenders has made some really magical movies, even those that aren’t fantasy. One of his most acclaimed works is the criminally underrated Wings of Desire, a slow-burn low fantasy drama about an angel who, tired of merely overseeing human activity in Berlin, longs for the pleasures of physical existence when he falls in love with a mortal.
Poignantly romantic and philosophically profound, Wings of Desire has some of the most beautifully composed scenes of any ’80s film and two of the best angel characters in media.Wings of Desire is an arthouse film that requires patience and attention. However, audiences willing to grant them will be graced with one of the most beautiful fantasy movies they’ll ever see.
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6 ‘The Tale of the Princess Kaguya’ (2013)
Takahata’s melancholic masterpiece
Image via Toho
Though he’s the face of Ghibli – and arguably contemporary Japanese cinema in general – Miyazaki isn’t the only exceptional Japanese filmmaker. Isao Takahata has made some of the most bewitching animated films of all time, including the enrapturing The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. It’s about an old bamboo cutter and his wife discovering a tiny girl in a shining bamboo stalk, who they raise as their child as she rapidly grows.
Set during Japan’s Heian period, the film is based on an iconic piece of Japanese folklore. It’s extremely easy to get emotionally invested in the story and characters, following a deeply moving story of womanhood and parenthood that makes perfect use of its fantastical elements and historical setting.
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5 ‘Princess Mononoke’ (1997)
One of Ghibli’s greatest triumphs
Image via Studio Ghibli
Princess Mononoke is a surprisingly mature and violent action fantasy drama about a confident young warrior who, on a journey to protect his village from a demon, finds himself in the midst of a war between a mining colony and the forest gods. Miyazaki’s exploration of the eternal humans-versus-nature conflict and how harmony can be found within is a film that has aged like fine wine.
Although Princess Mononoke was set up for failure in the US, it became an international success. Visually striking and with a timeless story, Princess Mononoke offers as many constant thrills as it does thoughtful scenes of world-building. Its story is set in the late Muromachi period of Japan’s history, introducing fantasy elements like gods, demons, and spirits. A fascinating slice of history with its director’s signature magic touch, Mononoke is a must-see for Japanese history buffs, low fantasy fans, and animation lovers.
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4 ‘Harry Potter’ Franchise
Low fantasy’s magical reinvention
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
Entering a hidden platform through a wall in King’s Cross Station; driving a flying car through the skies of the Scottish Highlands; going down to the Ministry of Magic through a London phone box. These are some of the magical things that only low fantasy can offer, and the Harry Potter movies make the best use of them. Taking place over seven years, the eight movies follow the adventures of a trio of young sorcerer friends.
Harry Potter is one of the most popular fantasy franchises of all time. From Chris Columbus’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stoneto David Yates’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2, the films beautifully grew and matured alongside their loyal fanbase. Each Harry Potter installment has something unique to offer, and together, they form one of the most beloved sagas cinema has ever seen.
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3 ‘The Seventh Seal’ (1957)
Bergman’s iconic historical fantasy
Without a doubt, Ingmar Bergman is the most famous and influential Swedish filmmaker that ever lived. Bergman’s movies were outstanding, powerful and often melancholy meditations on life, death, and identity. The Seventh Seal is perhaps his best-known work, a potent study of the different attitudes one can take toward mortality and the silence of God.
With one of the best personifications of death in mainstream media, Bergman’s masterpiece moves the heart and brings the mind food for thought, impeccably made and beautifully written. The Seventh Seal’s fantasy elements are understated and smartly used, crafting a piece of low fantasy unlike any other. Those looking to get familiar with the master of Swedish cinema will find The Seventh Seal a great place to start.
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2 ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ (2006)
Del Toro’s breathtaking fairy tale
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
No filmmaker’s mind works quite like Guillermo del Toro’s. One of the main exponents of low fantasy in modern cinema, del Toro’s work always has something fascinating to say about the real world through monstrous and magical elements while staying strongly tethered to familiar environments. Pan’s Labyrinth is usually agreed to be his magnum opus, a captivating and visually impressive dark fairy tale. Set in 1944 Falangist Spain, the plot follows the young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer who escapes into an eerie but captivating world of fantasy.
Masterfully portraying the themes that have always bugged del Toro – childlike innocence, monstrous beauty, and the dangers of violence and authoritarianism – Pan’s Labyrinth represents its director’s skills at their very best. Pan’s Labyrinth is perfect for fans of dark fantasy, resonating strongly with all those who enjoy the genre when it’s at its scariest and most disturbing.
1 ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (1946)
Capra’s beloved Christmas classic
Image via RKO Pictures
Whatever fans could want in a movie, Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life has plenty of. Touching romance, a universally relatable and uplifting story, amazing performances, and just the right dose of fantasy and magic all populate this charming tale. It tells the story of George Bailey, a frustrated businessman who’s shown by an angel from Heaven what life would have been like if he’d never existed.
With utmost sincerity and without an ounce of cheesiness, It’s a Wonderful Life celebrates everything that makes each person unique, valuable, and capable of great kindness. Its treatment of low fantasy is a masterclass in what the genre should be: A subtle and charming way of empowering a real-world story through the universally adored language of magic.
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NEXT: The 10 Best High Fantasy Movies, Ranked