When it comes to different movie genres, fantasy movies take the win for being some of the most fascinating and visually beautiful movies out there. This genre of movies brings us tales of kings and queens, dragons, sorcerers, witches, talking animals, and whatnot. This genre is the perfect pick if you are looking forward to watching something with your kids or your family. So, here, find out about the 15 best fantasy movies that you should definitely check out in 2024.
1. The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia is probably one of the most loved fantasy movies of all time. This movie revolves around four children named Lucy, Peter, Edmund and Susan. They leave their hometown to escape from the bombings of World War 2. A professor and his wife take them in.
During a game of hide and seek, Lucy discovers a closet that leads to a mystical land called Narnia where their fate to ally with a talking lion named Aslan and defeat the White Witch awaits them. This movie won an Oscar at the 78th Academy Awards and is to date a classic.
2. The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is probably one of the most well-known novel adaptations in the world. This movie revolves around a powerful ring created by the Lord of Darkness named Sauron who created it to rule the world. A king and his son named Isildur allied with the elves and led a glorious battle that destroyed Sauron. The king died in battle and Isildur took the ring to destroy it but the ring’s power corrupted him and he kept it with him. After ages, the ring falls into the hands of a Hobbit named Frodo Baggins who along with Gandalf and some other allies, embarked on an adventure to destroy the ring.
The Lord of the Rings was way ahead of the time from a cinematic perspective when it came out. A total of six titles emerged from the franchise. The Lord of the Rings won a total of 17 Oscars as a franchise and bagged a whopping number of 30 nominations. So if you have not familiarized yourself with this fantasy movie franchise, now is the time you do it.
3. Alice in Wonderland
Alice was a young girl when he first visited Wonderland. However, as she grew up, her memories of the place remained only in her dreams. Years later when she was 19 years old, she saw a rabbit in a blue coat and followed it down a hole leading her back to the Wonderland. There, she meets the Mad Hatter and discovers her destiny to be the one who will end the Red Queen’s evil reign and return the Wonderland to its former prosperity.
The setting of this movie is as beautiful as it gets and the performances of both Mia Wasikowska and Johnny Depp are truly commendable. Alice in Wonderland bagged three nominations at the 83rd Academy Awards, and won the award for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design as well.
4. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Set in the Harry Potter universe, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them takes place in New York City in the year 1926. A young British wizard Newt Scamander arrives in the city with a suitcase full of magical creatures or “Fantastic Beasts”. However, in the city at the same time, infamous wizard Gellert Grindelwald is plotting to lift the veil between the magical world and the muggle world to cause havoc.
In the midst of all this, Newt’s suitcase goes missing and his beasts are loose on the famous 5th Avenue. Now, it’s upon him and his colleagues to save New York City from Gellert Grindelwald and get the beasts back into the suitcase before anyone could be harmed. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them bagged two nominations at the 2017 Academy Awards and won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design.
5. Damsel
If you are someone who is really into Dragons, Damsel is a fantasy movie that will bring you exactly what you want. This movie brings us Lord Bayford, who receives a proposal of marriage for his daughter, Elodie, from the Kingdom of Aurea. Initially, as they travel to Aurea everything seems to be a fairytale but as soon as the wedding takes place, it turns out to be an absolute nightmare. Elodie finds out that the marriage was a hoax just so the king and queen could sacrifice her to a firebreathing dragon.
Just to make it clear, Damsel is not a movie about a damsel in distress and is something that will leave you with goosebumps by the end. This movie is an absolute delight to watch and will keep you on the edge of your seat till the very end.
6. Harry Potter
If there’s one franchise that literally everybody would have at least heard of once, it would be Harry Potter. This franchise brings to life a novel series of the same name written by J.K Rowling. These movies bring us the tale of Harry, Ron, and Hermoine who are wizards in training at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Each movie brings in a new adventure these three protagonists undertake. This franchise is really one of a kind and has generated a fanbase that is growing to date. the Harry Potter franchise could easily be called the Star Wars of the fantasy genre.
Even though Harry Potter is a beloved and cherished franchise quite literally all over the world, the franchise has never bagged a single Oscar the reason for which, is beyond me. So, if you are someone who has not watched Harry Potter movies, I highly recommend you give it a shot.
7. Aladdin
Aladdin reboots the beloved story of “Aladdin and Magic Lamp” in the form of a musical. This movie revolves around a petty thief who under certain circumstances, bumps into a magic lamp. When he rubs the lamp, a Genie appears and gives him three wishes but eventually the genie and master become friends and try to save Jasmine the princess, and her father from being overthrown by the evil wizard Jaffar.
This movie is a visual spectacle that will leave you awestruck for good. The musical scores are quite literally magical and the plot of this movie is also well made. Overall, if you are a fantasy movie fanatic, Aladdin will successfully tickle all your nerves.
8. The Jungle Book
I’m sure that you might have watched or read the tale of Tarzan, but did you know that Tarzan was inspired by another novel published way back in 1894? The Jungle Book was a novel written by Rudyard Kipling set in ‘Pench National Park’ in Madhya Pradesh, India. This book was adapted into an animated movie and back in 2016, a live-action movie based on this book “The Jungle Book” was released.
This movie brings us the tale of Mowgli, a boy raised with a pack of wolves. In the movie, we see that the Jungle is his home and he befriends a panther named Bagheera. This movie revolves around Mowgli taking a stand against Sherkhan who is trying to kill him. The Jungle Book is an absolute visual delight that you should check out.
9. Jumanji
The first Jumanji movie was released in 1995 and was a massive success back then and was left with a cliffhanger. Years later a sequel to Jumanji was made with Dwayne Johnson in the lead role. Originally Jumanji revolved around a board game which when played unleashes real-life horrors on the players which can only be sent back into the game if one of the players manages to finish the game.
Jumanji is probably one of the most immersive fantasy movies out there even in 1995, the practical effects and VFX done on this movie were way ahead of its time. If you are someone who has watched the newer parts of Jumanji, watching the first movie is an absolute must for you.
10. Slumberland
Slumberland might not be the best-rated fantasy movie out there but it indeed is a really fun watch. This movie revolves around a young girl who has moved in with her uncle after her father gets lost in the sea and is presumed to be dead. She discovers a path to a place called Slumberland. There she befriends Flip, played by Jason Momoa, and embarks on a journey to bring her father back. This movie is a visual extravaganza and is something you can enjoy with your family.
11. Dolittle
A new age adaptation of the beloved character Dolittle brings us Doctor John Dolittle who lives a solitary life. However, he has a special gift because of which he can speak with animals of any species. Even though he lives in solitude, he is kept company by his furry friends. One day, a young Queen Victoria becomes severely ill and Doctor Dolittle is asked to help save her life. So, to save the young queen, Doctor Dolittle and his furry friends embark on an epic adventure to an uncharted island in search of a cure to save her life.
Robert Downey Jr. is phenomenal in the role of John Dolittle and the VFX and visuals of this movie along with the plot are very well done. The tale of Doctor Dolittle has been told a lot of times before but this movie has a charm of its own and surely deserves your time.
12. Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the longest-running franchises in the fantasy genre. This franchise could be said to be the project that brought Johnny Depp to the heights of his fame. This franchise revolves around a crew of pirates who were turned into undead led by Captain Jack Sparrow. Each movie brings us a different adventure the crew embarks on but you have been warned, once you watch Pirates Of the Caribbean, there is no going back and you will find yourself hooked unless you finish all of the movies.
Pirates of the Caribbean is not just a fun watch but features some of the best visuals you will ever witness in a movie. Along with that, the charm of Captain Jack Sparrow is unmatched and is to date the crown jewel of this franchise. Even though Pirates of the Caribbean has not won any Oscars, it has bagged five nominations for itself.
13. Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children
Based on the novel “Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children” written by Ransom Riggs, this movie brings us a young boy named Jake who discovers a magical place named Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children after following the clues his grandfather left for him. He learns that all the children who live there have a set of “Peculiarities” or abilities that are superhuman.
Jake is yet to discover his powers but he has to do it soon as this utopia for kids the world refused to accept is threatened by a terrifying enemy. This movie is somewhere between a kid’s and a thriller movie. It has its ups and downs and brings you the best of comedy, emotion, and a bit of horror as well in the perfect balance.
14. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice brings us Dave Stutler, an average guy whose life is turned upside down when Balthazar Blake, a sorcerer played by Nicholas Cage, appoints him as his apprentice. He wished to teach Dave the ways of a good wizard to help Balthazar fight against Maxim Horvath, an evil sorcerer to protect Manhattan from being destroyed.
There’s not a lot to be said about this movie because it’s pretty straightforward in its approach. Although I would like to say that the combat sequence between Balthazar and Maxim is pretty awesome. This might not be the greatest movie out there but if you are looking for a light watch where you can just chill and watch something where you don’t have to put in effort to understand what is happening, this fantasy movie is the perfect pick for you.
15. Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves
This movie has everything you would expect from a proper fantasy movie. It has wizards, monsters, and thieves, and it follows the age-old formula of a band of misfits embarking on an epic quest where each of them gradually becomes the best version of themselves.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves might not have the most complex of plots but will give you a worthwhile and entertaining 2 hours 14 minutes. There is nothing that special about this movie but it still is an entertaining watch that you can enjoy with your kids and family.
Aparna Ukil
