Fantasy is a genre that activates audience imagination and intensifies the artistic possibilities of cinema in a way that is distinct to itself. While the early ’00s had a gluttony of fantasy offerings, from The Lord of the Rings films to Lemony Snicket, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and Stardust, the ’10s haven’t neglected their duty. Simply put, the past five years have seen several fantastic adventures on the big screen, they’ve just been overshadowed by the myriad of action, sci-fi, and superhero films.
Fantasy films allow for permeability in even the most rigid of narrative constructs. Fantasy made Aquaman possible, as well as elements of Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, and even Avengers: Endgame. But for the fantasy purists, here are 10 of the most underrated fantasy films released in the past 5 years that are sure to fill you with wonder and enchantment.
THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING
Director Joe Cornish, who delighted sci-fi fans with his action-packed and hilarious film Attack the Block, has once again positioned young people as his protagonists against overarching obstacles. In The Kid Who Would Be King, he puts a modern twist on the Arthurian legend of The Sword and the Stone.
This is the sort of film that unabashedly appeals to kids in a way that doesn’t infantilize them, opting to treat them like complex individuals capable of savvy resourcefulness, like in The Goonies. While it may feel like an ’80s flick, as Alex and his friends team up with Merlin (Patrick Stewart) to take on the evil Morgana, there are important lessons to be learned about bullying and friendship that are very relevant today.
PSYCHOKINESIS
From the acclaimed South Korean director of Train to Busan comes Psychokinesis, a unique superhero film that premiered on Netflix in 2017. It aired at the same time as Avengers: Infinity War, and while that filmed concerned itself with problems of world-ending proportions, Psychokinesis focuses on the local concerns of a man suddenly gifted with superpowers.
Shin Seok-heon isn’t a billionaire philanthropist playboy or a genius. He’s a bumbling grandfather who, to make up for never being in his daughter’s life, finds out he can make reparations to his granddaughter. Her fried chicken restaurant is in danger of a mob takeover in Seoul, and his powers may be able to prevent it. The film is funny, heartwarming, and manages to have plenty of action.
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS
Featuring an all-star cast and the sort of confectionery magic only Disney can provide, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is a timeless Yuletide tale transformed into a fantasy epic. Like in the famous ballet, Clara is introduced to the world of the Nutcracker Prince by searching for a magical key, bursting with gilded mice armies, sugarplum fairies, and winter wonderlands.
The film suffered from pacing issues and a prevalence of style over substance, but the fact remains that it’s still a beautifully designed film with stunning art direction. For its pageantry alone, which rivals any of Disney’s other multi-million dollar fantasy pictures (Alice in Wonderland, Jack and the Beanstalk), it might just become your next Christmas favorite.
I KILL GIANTS
Sometimes, the pretend games that children play are more than just wholesome fun - they are parables for the demons the pint-sized paladins fight on the inside. When Barbara (Madison Wolfe) spends her nights roaming a creepy forest “fighting giants,” the hulking beasts represent a great trauma from her past she has yet to overcome.
The story for I Kill Giants might feel like it was better told in A Monster Calls, but you’ll still enjoy going on adventures with Babs because the CGI is impressive, the humor is contagious, and it shows what happens when a child is given agency to fight their own battles.
THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS
When a young boy’s parents are unexpectedly and tragically killed, Lewis is whisked off to live with his eccentric magician uncle. As he adjusts to a new town, a new school, and new friends, Lewis must also adjust to the presence of enchantment that infiltrates every aspect of his new life.
Featuring the acting talents of Jack Black and Cate Blanchett, The House With A Clock In Its Walls combines the bizarre, whimsical, and spooky to create something every member of the family will enjoy. It’s Lemony Snicket meets Hocus Pocus.
PETE’S DRAGON
It’s been decades since Disney’s original Pete’s Dragon debuted, combining live-action and animation to create a fun-filled fantasy adventure. The 2016 version maintains the bond between a boy named Pete and his dragon, while also updating it with modern visual effects.
It features Robert Redford as a woodcarver who tells tales of a green dragon that stalks the woods of the Pacific Northwest. His daughter (Bryce Dallas Howard) sets off to divine the source of the fantasy, only to realize everything her father said is true.
CINDERELLA
One of the first live-action remakes that Disney ever made, Cinderella debuted to very little fanfare when compared to Aladdin, The Lion King, or even The Jungle Book. Like the animated classic, Ella’s father dies and she’s left in the care of her cruel stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and the company of her ugly step-sisters.
Ella (Downton Abbey’s Lily James) keeps her spirits up even when she’s forced to be a scullery maid in her own home, and an invitation to a royal ball allows her to leave her troubles behind for one evening. Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) plays Prince Charming, and Helena Bonham Carter has a grand time as Ella’s Fairy Godmother. See it for the amazing costumes and inspirational feeling that dreams really do come true.
THE BFG
There couldn’t be a better match than Roald Dahl and Steven Spielberg, one known as a beloved author of children’s fantasy books and the other a director of fantasy films that tend to bring out the children in their viewers. Dahl’s book The BFG is brought to gigantic life with Spielberg’s attention to detail in this heartwarming adaptation.
Tiny ten-year-old Sophie thinks she has big problems when she befriends a 25-foot tall giant, but the giant isn’t known as the Big Friendly Giant for nothing. Soon they are allies against the evil giants emerging from the English countryside, and the pair must travel to London and appeal to the Queen herself about how to address the problem.
MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL
When it premiered in 2014, Maleficent was an underrated film. One of Disney’s first forays into live-action reboot territory, it strayed from the typical telling of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale. It’s sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil strayed even further, in that it abandoned it all together to tell its own unique story.
One of the great feats of the film is that it took risks. At the moment, Disney has released almost half a dozen live-action remakes, and their paint-by-numbers formula has made them suffer in artistic credibility. The story of a new race of Dark Fairies, mixed with the origins of one of Disney’s most famous villains (played to perfection by Angelina Jolie), combined with a message of loving others despite prejudice, has created one of the most compelling franchises in the Disney brand.
THE MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE
Adam Driver is everywhere these days, thanks to his performance as the dark warrior Kylo Ren in the prolific and omnipresent Star Wars sequel trilogy. It’s buoyed his acting career to such an extent that he can now choose to make almost any film he likes, and who wouldn’t want to work with acclaimed visionary Terry Gilliam?
Gilliam’s most recent film, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, tells the story of an arrogant commercial director (Driver) who gets pulled into an adventure with a schizophrenic cobbler (Jonathan Pryce), who may or may not be the real Don Quixote. The film blends fantasy and reality together to make a whimsical adventure you won’t want to miss.
