With major blockbusters and tentpole franchises taking up most of our attention these days,
it can be easy to lose track of all the great movies sneaking under the radar — but these
2018 fantasy movies are well worth seeking out.
Annihilation
Based on the first book in Jeff VanderMeer's The Southern Reach trilogy, Annihilation marks
Alex Garland's second outing as a director after his successful debut with 2015's Ex
Machina — and he’s delivered once again.
The story is told from the perspective of Lena, an army vet and cellular biology professor.
She joins an intrepid band of women as they enter "The Shimmer," a mysterious area in
the swamplands of Florida where some abnormal activity has been taking place after a recent
meteor strike.
Lena's primary goal is to find out what happened to her husband Kane, the comatose lone survivor
of a doomed expedition into the Shimmer.
As the team pushes on into the heart of the Shimmer, strange things begin to unfold and
evolve, as the group finds themselves fighting against the environment, each other — and
even themselves.
“You’re saying we get out by going deeper then.”
“Yeah, if you like.”
“No.
I don’t like.”
Annihilation is a fascinating workout for the imagination, simultaneously pushing the
viewer to freakish levels of stress and wonder.
I Kill Giants
Using the imagination to escape the pain of reality is a common theme in childhood stories.
But it can be hard to capture in a movie — which makes Anders Walter's I Kill Giants even more
of a gem.
In his smashing feature directorial debut, Walter has successfully brought Joe Kelly's
graphic novel to life, offering viewers a mesmerizing tale of heartache and adventure.
Barbara Thorson is a restless 12-year-old girl living on Long Island, where she's an
outcast at school in spite of attempts made by her school counselor to reach out to her.
But rather than bury herself in video games or books, she takes on a different hobby:
giant slaying.
The film beautifully weaves together childhood sorrow and thrilling escapism, along with
an epic dose of fantastical action.
With solid directing, acting and CGI, this all-around high-quality feature has a kind
of Pan's Labyrinth feel to it, and is sure to appeal to the giant-slayer inside you.
The Endless
Blockbusters can be fun and full of eye candy, but there's always something extra special
about a well-made movie that didn't have access to a gargantuan budget.
Case in point: Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead's The Endless, a not-quite-sequel to 2012’s
Resolution.
Benson and Moorhead directed, shot and starred in The Endless, joining forces to deliver
a shocking fantasy-tinged story of cultish fear to disturb even the most stalwart horror
fan.
The film's storyline follows Justin and Aaron Smith as they warily return to the death cult
they’d once escaped.
Once there, the seemingly unnatural peace is slowly and masterfully broken down in a
series of revelations that expose a Lovecraftian underbelly of horror.
“It shows us what it sees.
There’s a powerful elegance to that.”
Tastefully terrorizing, this film blends elements of fantasy, sci-fi and horror, all without
relying on an inflated budget or A-list actors — neither of which stopped The Endless from
attracting near-universal critical acclaim.
Psychokinesis
How do you think you gain telekinetic powers?
Well, by drinking water from a mountain spring hit by a meteor, of course.
At least that's what Train to Busan’s director Sang-ho Yeon had in mind when he made one
of the most refreshingly unusual superhero movies of the year.
Written and directed by Yeon, Psychokinesis is a good reminder that superhero movies don't
always have to be about saving the world.
The story is inwardly focused, following the origin of the unlikely hero Seok-heon, who
accidentally gains telekinetic powers.
It's all just in time to receive a distress call from his estranged daughter Roo-mi, informing
him that an aggressive, mob-run construction company is threatening her trendy fried chicken
restaurant in Seoul.
Launched into the action as he's still just beginning to understand and control his own
abilities, Seok-heon comes across as a perfectly illegitimate superhero, frustrated by his
own powers and often unable to think on his feet.
Simple and refreshingly light, it's a superhero movie of down-to-earth proportions — and
a welcome change of pace in a Marvel and DC-dominated world.
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
Before the turn of the millennium, director Terry Gilliam set out to film an adaptation
of Miguel de Cervantes' classic 1615 novel Don Quixote.
His pursuit of that goal became the stuff of Hollywood legend as Gilliam battled through
a seemingly endless series of production delays, cast turnovers, and legal and financial fiascos.
It even inspired its own documentary, 2002's Lost In La Mancha, which followed the futility
of an early attempt that included Johnny Depp cast as Sancho Panza.
But Gilliam's vision for his comically romanticized film was set with gritty determination, and
literally decades later the movie has finally arrived in the form of The Man Who Killed
Don Quixote.
The films plot progresses through an absurd and fantastic series of events, with Adam
Driver playing a simple yet perfect foil to Jonathan Pryce's wide-eyed, ludicrously charming
shoemaker — who believes he is the real Don Quixote.
It's a fun movie with a great story behind it, which only serves to make it that much
more interesting to watch.