A good fantasy film can transport you to breathtaking new worlds and invoke a sense of wonder in
even the most jaded person.
If you think you've seen all the best films in the genre, try one of these hidden gems.
In the realms of fantasy, anything is possible - even finding a brand new favorite.
Fantasy is a genre ready-made for surprisingly powerful coming-of-age stories.
Stories about the mundane meeting the magical have a natural appeal to adolescent fans.
The Spiderwick Chronicles - featuring Freddie HIghmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Andrew McCarthy,
and the voices of Seth Rogen and Martin Short - has mostly flown under the radar since hitting
the big screen in 2008.
But it's a worthy entry in this grand tradition.
Based on the children's book series of the same name, The Spiderwick Chronicles is the
story of a family that moves into an old mansion, soon discovering that its grounds are home
to a host of goblins, ogres, and trolls.
Much like Harry Potter and The Hobbit delighted fans of all ages, The Spiderwick Chronicles
is an adventure that appeals to both kids and parents.
If you like the films of Studio Ghibli, you may find a lot to love about Studio Ponoc,
an anime collective founded in 2015.
In 2017, they released their first feature film, Mary and the Witch's Flower.
Based on a children's book, Mary and the Witch's Flower is a gentle story of nature and magic,
brought to life with lush animation in the timeless Ghibli tradition.
Mary Smith is a young girl who's struggling to adjust to a new life in the English countryside.
Her boredom is broken by the discovery of a magic flower deep in the woods, opening
up a world of wonders and dangers she never dreamed was right outside her door.
Even if you're a die-hard Tim Burton fan, there's a good chance you missed 9.
Burton served as a producer on this imaginative project from director Shane Acker.
The movie explores a world in which machines have wiped out humanity.
Before he died, an inventor split his soul into nine ragdoll creations he called "stitchpunks,"
who now find themselves on a quest to end the mechanical reign and bring life back to
the planet.
The stitchpunks are brought to quirky life by a cast of wonderful actors like Elijah
Wood, John C. Reilly, Crispin Glover, and Jennifer Connelly, and Acker's visuals are
unlike anything you've ever seen.
If you loved the spooky animation of Coraline but you're looking for something a little
edgier, dive into the world of 9.
Are you a fan of musician, spoken-word artist, and shorts-enthusiast Henry Rollins?
Do you enjoy supernatural horror comedies featuring buckets of blood and a healthy dose
of cannibalism?
Well, good news: He Never Died was made specifically for you.
You're welcome.
He Never Died follows the exploits of an immortal weirdo named Jack, a bingo-loving hermit who
tries keeping to himself to avoid the temptation of eating his friends and neighbors.
When he discovers he has an adult daughter, the result of a previous relationship from
years ago, he gets sucked into a series of misadventures and fights, all culminating
in a crazy revelation about Jack's true identity... and just why he can't die.
Starring former Black Flag lead singer Henry Rollins and character actor Steven Ogg, He
Never Died will delight and disgust you - as all the best movies should.
Among the many challenges faced by child stars who've grown up in the spotlight, typecasting
can be hell.
There was always a chance that Daniel Radcliffe's post-Harry Potter career would continue to
be defined by fantasy, but no one could've quite predicted Horns.
This twisted tale stars Radcliffe as Ig.
Falsely accused of murdering his girlfriend Merrin, Ig suddenly begins sprouting large,
devilish horns from his head.
As he tries to get to the bottom of Merrin's death, Ig also realizes his horns come with
supernatural powers, magically compelling people to offer up their darkest secrets.
Horns is polarizing, to be sure, with reviewers split on the movie's quality when all is said
and done.
Its unusual blending of tones - part fantasy, part horror, part comedy, part crime drama
- will either fascinate you or may turn you off, depending on your tastes.
Regardless, it's without a doubt a daring and fascinating experience, headlined by a
particularly compelling performance from the man who is no longer the Boy Who Lived.
Some fantasy stories capture the transition from youth to adulthood, using magic or dragon
quests as metaphors for self-discovery and exploration of a larger world.
But if you're feeling truly adventurous, you could check out Errementari: The Blacksmith
and the Devil.
This dark delicacy has its roots in folklore, but the director has cited '80s movies like
The Dark Crystal and Legend as inspiration for Errementari's tone.
The tale concerns a blacksmith who just so happens to have captured a demon.
Blaming the creature for his own misfortunes, the blacksmith has long been torturing it
in secret.
But after a little girl unwittingly frees the captive beast, an entire village finds
itself in the path of otherworldly vengeance.
The girl and the old blacksmith must join forces for a quest that will take them all
the way to the gates of hell.
The Sydney Morning Herald called this wild ride, quote, "quite entrancing, in a delightfully
bonkers way."
It may seem like a bit of a stretch to call Pan's Labyrinth a "hidden gem."
After all, Guillermo del Toro is a household name, especially after The Shape of Water
took home the Oscar for Best Picture in 2018.
But if you've never taken a deep dive into the filmography of the man who brought us
that fish romance, the monster-on-mech battles of Pacific Rim, and two Hellboys, you're missing
out.
Del Toro's earlier career was defined by a trio of Spanish-language fables that blend
history and fantasy, all about finding light in the darkest of times.
Cronos and The Devil's Backbone are excellent in their own right, but the undisputed masterpiece
of the three is Pan's Labyrinth.
Set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War during the rise of fascism, Pan's Labyrinth
is unflinching in its depiction of violence and real-world horrors - it thoroughly earns
its R rating.
But it's also a delicate fairy tale about a lost princess, some gruesome monsters, and
a mysterious faun, played by The Shape of Water's lead actor, Doug Jones.
The elements all come together for a one-of-a-kind experience that's guaranteed to break your
heart and lift your spirit in equal measure.
Thanks for watching.
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