For fans of fantasy films, it can be hard to find the right ones to quench their thirst. That’s because fantasy films tend to either be great or really miss the mark. The best fantasy films take time to set up their worlds and build up their characters’ backstories. It can be hard to get this right, and if the audience doesn’t buy in right away, it can be hard to win them over. Even though it’s an emerging genre for both TV and film, if it’s too weird, it might not grab people.
However, some of the best fantasy films go on to have second lives, just like some of the characters in those movies. While a fantasy film may not hit in theaters, despite coming from reputable distributors like A24 or Studio Ghibli, it can find new life on streaming services or even on VHS or DVD back in the day. A lower box office total doesn’t mean people will never find the film. While a big debut does help, there is hope for a fantasy film to be found if it is good enough. There are plenty of examples of fantasy films missing the mark initially, but they are actually good films that people should seek out.
10
‘Beautiful Creatures’ (2013)
A gothic romance set in the Deep South may seem like an interesting idea for a movie, but audiences weren’t buying into it in 2013 when Beautiful Creatures came out. Based on the novel that was released four years prior, Beautiful Creatures focuses on Lena Duchannes (Alice Englert) and her relationship with Ethan Wate (Alden Ehrenreich). Lena’s family are casters aka witches and she will have her full powers unleashed on her 16th birthday and she’ll be pushed towards either dark or light powers.
It earned $60.1M at the box office, working against a budget of somewhere between $50 and $60M, meaning it didn’t recoup its production money. But, the movie is an entertaining teen romance with some good special effects. Is it the best movie ever? No. Is it entertaining enough to stream? Yes. That’s mostly because it has an amazing cast, featuring Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum, Emma Thompson, Rachel Brosnahan, and Thomas Mann. For a lazy Sunday or a rainy Saturday, there are worse movies to watch.
9
‘Highlander’ (1986)
In the age of big fantasy and sci-fi films like The Terminator, E.T., The Thing, and more, many studios were trying to find the next big fantasy film. Highlander came out in 1986, a year that saw Top Gun, Crocodile Dundee, and Platoon as the top three films in terms of gross. It just simply couldn’t find its footing, mostly because people just didn’t buy into the plot. Set in the 16th century as well as present day, The immortal Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) must battle Clancy Brown’s The Kurgan who is trying to claim “The Prize.”
Sean Connery is strangely miscast as an Egyptian immortal who teaches MacLeod swordplay and helps him get ready to battle The Kurgan. The movie only grossed $12.8M on a budget of $19M. But it found huge audiences on home video and has spawned four sequels. Nobody is quite sure what really drives this movie to be fun. It’s a bit of a mess. But the battles are clever and the 1980s nostalgia hits if you can put aside disbelief in the plot. Plus, can a movie that spawns this many side projects really be that bad? Did we mention the new reboot features Henry Cavill and is currently in production?
8
‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ (1975)
When people talk about a cult film, they might very well be talking about the cult film. That would be The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Released 50 years ago, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is still in theaters today. It has the longest release of any film in history, thanks to 20th Century Fox’s policy that any of its archived movies be available to be shown in theaters at any time. Because of its cult status, theaters regularly have screenings of the film monthly.
But that doesn’t mean that it was a success when it debuted. It was released in small theaters in London and the U.S. before it started being shown during midnight showcases. At that time, Fox was seeing a popularity in double feature showcases late at night and Rocky Horror found its fans through that. The movie is a musical that features Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a trans scientist who wants to create a man and bring him to life a la Dr. Frankenstein.
When a couple, played by Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick, have their car break down in front of his mansion, Dr. Frank-N-Furter invites them to stay the night. What ensues can’t really be described but only seen and, if it is watched amid an audience of rabid fans singing “The Time Warp,” it is sure to be appreciated much more.
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7
‘Hocus Pocus’ (1993)
While it wasn’t the biggest bomb of all time or anything like that, Hocus Pocus only enjoyed modest success at the box office. That might have been because of what it was released against. It was released in July 1993, which probably wouldn’t happen today because it’s a movie set during Halloween and was released in July. Executives said they wanted to take advantage of kids being off for the summer, but it came out at the same time as Jurassic Park (over $1B at the box office), In the Line of Fire ($187M at the box office), The Firm ($270M at the box office) and Free Willy (over $153M at the box office.) Hocus Pocus earned a total of $53.2M at the box office (adjusted after a re-release in 2020) but it fell from the box office top 10 after two weeks because of its stiff competition.
The film starred Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters who are summoned back to Salem, Massachusetts where they had been killed for witchcraft hundreds of years prior. The film, set in current times, saw the witches from the 1600s adjusting to life in the present and trying to find souls to steal to keep them young. There are hilarious gags, terrific characters, and great performances by the three main actresses. The film became a huge hit on home media and was run yearly on The Disney Channel and ABC during Halloween. It spawned a sequel in 2022.
6
‘The Princess Bride’ (1987)
Arguably one of the most beloved fantasy fairy tales, The Princess Bride wasn’t a huge box office smash. It only grossed $30M at the box office against a $16M budget. While this isn’t exactly a flop, it had the makings of a massive hit and, in time, has become a cherished classic. 20th Century Fox messed up the marketing a bit, failing to release a trailer for the film, which minimized its broad appeal.
It also advertised it as a wacky comedy rather than a fantasy film, which doesn’t do the film justice. Director Rob Reiner was upset by the marketing, but the film went onto big success through home video rentals. It is also one of the most quotable films of all time, making it one of the perfect films to watch on a sick day or just about any time you want.
5
‘Labyrinth’ (1986)
A musical starring David Bowie, directed by beloved Muppets creator Jim Henson, and executive produced by George Lucas can’t be bad, right? That is not what audiences thought when Labyrinth premiered in 1986. The film features many puppets from Henson’s production company and a script from Terry Jones from Monty Python. It’s a bit of a bizarre film that feels so ’80s to anyone who watches it. It stars Bowie as Jareth, the King of the goblins, and Jennifer Connolly as Sarah, who must traverse a labyrinth to get her baby brother back.
It has become a cult classic, as kids who grew up with it have revisited it over and over again. It also became a big hit on home video, reaching a much wider audience than those that contributed to its worldwide box office gross of $34M against a $25M budget. It severely underperformed in the U.S., only taking in $12.9M. it features some incredibly magical scenes and Jim Henson’s vision and style, much of which was seen in The Dark Crystal a few years earlier, shines through.
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4
‘Zathura’ (2005)
After the massive success of Jumanji in 1995, which grossed over $262M at the box office, a sequel to the film was released a decade later. Zathura: A Space Adventure came out in 2005 and was directed by Jon Favreau. It was his follow-up to Elf and the film he directed before Iron Man. The film is based on the book with the same title written by Chris Van Allsburg as a sequel to his novel, Jumanji. The movie is about two brothers who, you guessed it, find a board game.
This time, instead of causing all kinds of havoc in their town, it transports their house into outer space. The movie stars Josh Hutcherson, Jonah Bobo, Kristen Stewart, Dax Shepard, and Tim Robbins. The movie was met with decent reviews, as the film is a great film for a family movie night. There are plenty of cool scenes and jokes for everyone to enjoy. But it isn’t anywhere as good as the original film and it lacks the star power of someone like Robin Williams to bring audiences in. It earned $65M at the box office against a $65M budget.
3
‘The Seventh Seal’ (1957)
- Release Date
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February 16, 1957
- Runtime
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96 minutes
- Director
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Ingmar Bergman
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Max von Sydow
Antonius Block
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Gunnar Björnstrand
Jöns
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Widely accepted as one of the greatest fantasy films of all time, The Seventh Seal was directed by Swedish film icon Ingmar Bergman. It starred Max von Sydow as Antonius Block, a knight returning from the Crusades. He is met by Death, played by Bengt Ekerot, who challenges him to a game of chess. Antonius, realizing that Death has come for him, agrees to play and believes that the longer the game lasts, the longer he will live and this will allow him to complete any deeds he wishes to before his death.
The film is heavily influenced by religion, and the eerie black-and-white shots make it a stunning achievement for the mid-1950s. However, the film only grossed $311,212 worldwide during its multiple runs, as it has been rereleased in 4K restoration for screenings over the years. It is an iconic film that deserves to be seen by film enthusiasts and fantasy fans alike.
2
‘The Green Knight’ (2021)
David Lowery is a fascinating director who has worked with Disney and has made a movie where one of the main characters hides behind a sheet the entire film. The Green Knight isn’t represented by either of those descriptions, as it is based on the 14th century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Dev Patel plays Sir Gawain, who is the nephew of King Arthur and wants to gain valor. He agrees to battle the titular Green Knight and defeats him with the promise that a rematch will take place at Christmas. The film follows Gawain’s travels to the rematch and how fame can go to one’s head.
The film, while stunningly shot by Lowery and featuring a star turn from Patel, only earned modest returns at the box office. The film grossed $20M against a $15M budget. Critics loved the film but audiences didn’t buy in. It received an average score by polled audiences of a C+. The film earned numerous award nominations as one of the best independent films of that year.
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1
‘A Monster Calls’ (2016)
A movie about a child dealing with death and grief is a hard sell for any marketer. But J.A. Bayona’s A Monster Calls is a true achievement in filmmaking, as it balances tricky themes with gorgeous direction and animation. The film follows Conor, played by Lewis MacDougall, whose mother (Felicity Jones) is dying. As he watches his mother’s condition worsen, the tree outside a nearby church turns into a monster, voiced by Liam Neeson. The Monster befriends Conor while also forcing him to come to grips with his situation.
It is an enrapturing and underrated film that is stunning to look at. Unfortunately, it only took in $3.7M at the U.S. box office and a total of $47.3M worldwide against a budget of $43M. MacDougall, Sigourney Weaver, who plays Conor’s grandmother, Neeson, and Jones are all excellent in the film; it should be sought out by many as the adult themes it deals with in an illuminating way are impressive.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
