The 33 best fantasy films of the 21st century

Do you like stories that take place in an imaginary space and time, in which worlds that are governed by their own laws reign? Do you love movies where animals, mythological creatures or other beings take on human dimensions? Then maybe you need this list with the best of fantastic cinema.

We offer you the 33 best fantasy films of the 21st century, a fascinating genre that can be overlaid with science fiction, horror or adventure films.

1. Spirited Away (2001)

Direction: Hayao Miyazaki
It's great because:

• Classic anime that contains a compendium of western myths and an effective story for both young and old.
• This film is often regarded as one of the best Japanese animation films of the 21st century.
• It is a very poetic film and contains great lessons about personality and society.

Chihiro is a 10-year-old girl who thinks that everything revolves around her. When her parents decide to move, she does not want to accept it and protests. On the way to her new house, the family takes the wrong path and goes into a mysterious cul-de-sac, where there is a strange building with a tunnel. The passage leads them to a ghostly town inhabited by gods and mythological beings. Soon, the girl's parents turn into pigs.

2. Harry Potter film saga (2001-2011)

Direction: Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell and David Yates
It's great because:

• These films have marked an entire generation and are mandatory viewing, the series becomes a magnificent plan to make viewing a “marathon”.
• It is curious to see how the quality of the special effects has evolved from the first to the last installment. It is something that will surprise you.

The first decade of the 21st century has seen how this film series began and ended, which, to this day, continues to have a great impact worldwide. Based on the series of seven novels by J.K. Rowling, the films follow the adventures of Harry, Ron and Hermione at Hogwarts School of Magic.

3. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003)

Direction: Peter jackson
It's great because:

• It is one of the most relevant film projects of the beginning of this century that marked a before and after in the fantasy and adventure genre.
• This film trilogy is incredible because of the great media display it represented, because of the special effects and the spectacular locations in New Zealand.

The story focuses on Frodo and his companions, whose mission is to destroy the One Ring, for this they will have to face Saurón, Lord Ocuro.

4. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Direction: Guillermo Del Toro
It's great because:

• It takes the viewer into a world full of adventures that seamlessly introduces fantasy into realistic events.
• The incredible design of the Faun and its characterization, the staging, the costumes are effective elements today.

The Pan's Labyrinth It is a movie set in the postwar years. In 1944, at the beginning of Franco's dictatorship, the young Ofelia and her mother left for a small village, surrounded by forest, along with Vidal, her mother's husband, a ruthless army captain Francoist.

One night, the girl goes out to the forest and there she discovers a mysterious labyrinth, where a strange being claims that Ofelia is a princess.

5. Donnie Darko (2001)

Direction: Richard Kelly
It's great because:

• This cult classic seamlessly blends Thriller and fantasy by featuring supernatural creatures like the rabbit.
• As an experiment, this film has the peculiarity of having different readings, so it is advisable to see it on more than one occasion.

The film revolves around Donnie, a young man challenged by a strange supernatural creature, dressed as a rabbit, which tells him that the world is ending. The adolescent will have to deal with the different hallucinations that he experiences and with his parents who send him to the psychiatrist thinking that he has schizophrenia.

You can also read: Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko movie

6. The Song of the Sea (2014)

Direction: Tomm moore
It's great because:

• This gem of animated cinema, based on Irish folklore, contains a wonderful fable, which starts from a simple story, in which magic dominates and with which it is impossible not to get excited.
• They contain a beautiful soundtrack that transports you directly to the Irish world.

The song of the sea tells the adventure of two brothers, Ben and Saoirse, who live with their father in a lighthouse. One day, her father decides to send them to live with his grandmother to protect their children from the risks of the sea. Soon Ben realizes that her sister Saoirse of hers is a "fairy of the sea" and, together with her, goes on a journey in order to free magical beings from the spell of the Witch of the Owls.

7. Beasts of the Wild South (2012)

Direction: Benh zeitlin
It's great because:

• It is a film that contains great life lessons from the point of view of a girl and that is worth seeing on more than one occasion, since it is a film that manages to move her soul.
• It is striking the performance of the young Quvenzhané Wallis, who got the Oscar nomination for her incredible role as Hushpuppy.

This film tells the life of Hushpuppy, a 6-year-old girl who is about to be orphaned. From a very young age, the protagonist has learned to fend for herself in the small community where she lives surrounded by animals. Soon, a storm threatens the place and raises the waters around the town and the girl is willing to do the impossible to survive and save the town from her.

8. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Direction: Hayao Miyazaki
It's great because:

• This classic anime presents some very special characters, villains and heroes, who manage to hypnotize the viewer.
• Wonderful film in which not only the animation will catch you, but also its soundtrack.

A young orphan is the victim of a witch's curse that turns her into an old woman. The girl is on a mission to find Wizard Howl, the only one capable of undoing the spell. The magician travels in a castle with legs in a remote area of ​​the city. On her journey, Sophie will meet magical and captivating characters.

9. The Secret of the Book of Kells (2009)

Direction: Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey
It's great because:

• An attractive film that immediately takes the viewer into Celtic culture, especially through its soundtrack.
• It presents a visual style that is inspired by medieval manuscripts in which the carefully illustrated geometric figures stand out.

This animated film revolves around the adventures of young Brendan, a 12-year-old monk living in Ireland in the 11th century. When the Vikings invade the place, Brendan is tasked with protecting the community from him and the Book of Kells that the monks are creating.

10. Avatar (2009)

Direction: James Cameron
It's great because:

• Film that marked a before and after thanks to its 3D effects, due to the use of stereoscopic cameras, capable of capturing three-dimensional photographs.
• Although the narrative level of this film is not its strong point, if it is enjoyed on the big screen it becomes a visual spectacle.

In the year 2154, in the midst of the energy crisis on earth, an ex-marine without mobility in his legs has the task of traveling to a planet, Pandora. The mission is to get a mineral that could save planet Earth.

Then, the protagonist collaborates in the Avatar program, through which he will get to have the alien appearance of the inhabitants of Pandora.

11. Coraline's Worlds (2009)

Direction: Henry Selick
It's great because:

• The film contains a world as fantastic as it is sinister that is loaded with great teachings, which is why it is ideal for both children and adults.
• A "horror" movie that discovers a parallel world that reminds us of classic stories like "Alice in Wonderland".

Coraline, an 11-year-old girl, moves to a new home with her parents. There, he discovers a secret door that, when he goes through it, allows the young woman to live a parallel life, where her parents are much more attentive to her and her neighbors are friendlier to her. Soon, the adventure starts to get a bit sinister and dangerous and Coraline must do her best to get home.

12. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Direction: David Fincher
It's great because:

• The film is based on an unpublished story based on the original story by Francis Scott Firzgerald.
• Visually, the film is impeccable and stands out for its narrative complexity that proposes inverted temporality, and makes us reflect on the passage of time and death.

Daisy is an old woman who is lying in a hospital bed. Very ill, the woman decides to tell her daughter the story of a watchmaker who created a watch whose hands worked in the opposite direction. the lord wanted to get his son who died in the war back home alive. Benjamin Button is a man who is born at the age of 80 in the body of a baby and rejuvenates over time.

13. The Shape of Water (2017)

Direction: Guillermo del Toro
It's great because:

• Despite the fact that this film has had very opposite opinions, it cannot be denied that photography and its color palette are a pleasure to behold.
• The film tells an unconventional love story that adds a romantic tinge to this fantastic film and, at times, also encompasses the musical genre.

In the early 1960s, during the Cold War, Elsa, a cleaning employee in a government building, discovers a secret experiment. A man-fish lives locked up in a laboratory and is subjected to different tests. Soon, the girl begins to empathize with that being until she falls in love with him.

14. The Little Prince (2015)

Direction: Mark Osborne
It's great because:

• It is an animated and independent version of the Saint-Expery story, which becomes the first adaptation of this book using the stop motion technique and computer animation.
• The tape preserves the essence of the original work and is a great fable ideal for children and adults.

The film takes as its starting point Antoine Saint-Exupéry's masterpiece. Using relevant elements and phrases, the director creates the story centered on a girl whose mother is obsessed with her growing up fast and wants to prepare her to live in the adult world.

When the girl meets her neighbor, a kind man, a great friendship arises between them. The man discovers a world in which everything is possible, where he meets the Little Prince, and will discover great teachings about life and human relationships.

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15. The Jungle Book (2016)

Direction: Jon favreau
It's great because:

• It contains a great story about self-discovery that teaches us the value of friendship, that the family is not always "by blood" and the importance of living connected to nature.
• This is undoubtedly one of the great film adaptations of the book, since it manages to perfectly merge the animation technique with the real image.

The film tells the adventures of Mowgli, a boy who is raised in the jungle by a pack of wolves. Soon, the boy is threatened and forced to leave what has been his home. Along the way, Mowgli must overcome different obstacles and dangerous animals.

16. A monster is coming to see me (2016)

Direction: Juan Antonio Bayona
It's great because:

• Thanks to the special effects and technique performance capture, this film makes the viewer feel that he is immersed in a story.
• It combines melodrama and fantasy in order to thrill the viewer at different moments in the film.

This film adapts the homonymous novel by Patrick Ness. The story focuses on the story of Conor, a 12-year-old who has to deal with the abuse of his classmates and his mother's illness, who suffers from terminal cancer.

One night, the yew tree in his garden turns into a mysterious creature, a monster that will help the boy escape his own fears.

17. Big Fish (2003)

Direction: Tim Burton
It's great because:

• This film with a visual style typical of the Tim Burton universe, recalls the importance of fantasy to disguise the complexities of real life.
• The film has the strangest stories told by the protagonist and all kinds of wacky characters.

Will returns home after years of absence to attend the last days of his father's life, with whom he is not closely related. Edward Bloom is a magnificent storyteller, which his son is tired of hearing because they are exaggerated. Sandra, Will's mother, has decided that father and son reconcile.

18. Snow White (2012)

Direction: Paul berger
It's great because:

• Its viewing is essential for its aesthetics and black and white photography, also for the music and costumes.
• The film offers a gothic version of the traditional tale of Snow White.

In Spain, during the 1920s, Carmen (Snow White) is a young woman whose childhood has been diminished because of her stepmother, Encarna de ella, from whom she tries to flee from her. To do this, the protagonist begins a journey with some scenic bullfighting dwarfs who become her most faithful friends.

19. Uncle Boonmee Remembers His Past Lives (2010)

Direction: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
It's great because:

• The film is unconventional and although it was highly acclaimed by critics, it is not suitable for all tastes as it is open to different interpretations.
• What is undoubted is that it presents a beautiful cinematography filmed in 16 mm, recovering the essence of the analog cinema, and which is loaded with symbols that raise, among others, the issue of the transmigration of the soul.

Uncle Boonmee has acute kidney failure. This fact makes the protagonist want to spend the last days of his life in the field surrounded by his relatives. Among them is the ghost of his deceased wife and the presence of his missing son, who is now turned into a monkey.

Then, the man and his loved ones will go through the jungle until they reach the cave where he was born for the first time. There the protagonist will relive his previous lives.

20. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Direction: Tim Burton
It's great because:

• Based on the eponymous children's book published in 1964, this story may appear to be shot specially for the little ones, however, it keeps touches of black humor, typical of Burton better understood by the public adult.
• It is a film for visual and sound enjoyment due to the play of colors, decorations, characterization of the characters and music.

This film tells the story of a boy named Charlie Bucket who, after winning a contest, has the opportunity to visit the chocolate factory of the well-known brand Wonka. There's Willy, the bizarre factory boss, and his workers, the Oompa Loompa.

21. The Chronicles of Narnia (2005)

Direction: Adrew Adamson, Michael Apted
It's great because:

• It is not the first time that the story of Narnia has been adapted on the screen, previously the series was made, the film at its premiere managed to be one of the highest grossing in history.
• One of the strengths of the film is the music and the visual effects, which manage to recreate that fantasy world and make up an attractive film to enjoy with the family.

The story begins with the experiences of four children who, amid the chaos of the War, they find in a closet the entrance to a fantastic world called Narnia, which is dominated by White Witch. Soon, the children team up with the lion Aslan to save Narnia and bring peace to the kingdom.

22. Where the monsters live (2009)

Direction: Spike Jonze
It's great because:

• The film contains great teachings about childhood and the power of imagination during this stage of life.
• The tape is loaded with symbolism, the creatures that appear represent the inner monsters. Max teaches us how to control them without having to kill them.
• Thanks to the use of the camera on the shoulder, the viewer has the sensation of accompanying the protagonist in this fantasy universe.

Max is a restless and lonely boy who feels misunderstood by members of his family. That is why he is always immersed in a fantasy world. One day, after having an argument with his mother, the boy runs away from home in search of a place inhabited by strange creatures, monsters that are desperately searching for a king. Max tries to take the reins of the place and proclaims himself king, but with this experience he discovers how complicated it is to hold the position.

23. Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Direction: Bill condon
It's great because:

• This Disney live action has similarities to the 1991 animated version of the same name and features the incredible participation of Emma Watson in the role of Bella.
• It is a very successful film in terms of costumes and production design.

Young Bella lives in a small village with her father Maurice hers. One day, he goes on a journey and ends up immersed in a secluded castle. There, the man discovers that the mysterious place is inhabited by a Beast, who, upon noticing the presence of the old man, leaves him locked up.

Soon, Bella goes to look for her father and decides to exchange for him and be the one who remains locked in the place. During his stay, Beauty discovers that the Beast was, in fact, a handsome and arrogant prince who was the victim of a curse, but who, deep down, has a good heart.

24. The wind between the reeds (2017)

Direction: Arnaud Demuynck, Nicolas Liguori, Anaïs Sorrentino, Rémi Durin and Madina Iskhakova.
It's great because:

• Film that contains the essence of the classic fables, whose mission is to entertain and offer a moral.
• Discover five adventures that revolve around freedom and tolerance. It not only teaches the little ones, even if it is the audience it is intended for, but also adults.

This film integrates five short films directed by different directors and tells: the story of a girl who wants to play knights and meets a dragon (Lace and Dragon).

On the other hand, the adventure of a princess who befriends a dragon (The Dragon Hunt). The story of a girl who fights against the dark (The girl and the night). The adventure of a young queen who sympathizes with a unicorn (The Unicorn).

Finally, the story of Elite, a girl who lives in a place where music has been forbidden by the king and has a mission to free her people from tyranny (The wind between the Reeds).

25. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

Direction: David yates
It's great because:

• The first prequel to the Harry Potter film series. It is recommended to follow the magical universe of movies inspired by J.K. Rowling if you stayed wanting more, but can also be seen as a standalone film without knowing Harry's movies Potter.

This film revolves around the wizard Newt Scamander who, after being expelled from Hogwarts, begins a journey around the world with the mission of finding different varieties of creatures.

26. The tale of tales (2015)

Direction: Matteo garrone
It's great because:

• This movie converts The Pentameron by Giambattista Basile, a 17th century work, in a fantastic story with Gothic overtones.
• This children's film is surprising especially for its scenery.

The film, set in the 18th century, tells three stories based on three different kingdoms and their members. That of Queen Longtrellis and her husband, that of the two sisters and King Strongcliff and that of King Highhills, who lives haunted by a large flea that leads to breaking the heart of his daughter.

27. Scarlet Peak (2015)

Direction: Guillermo del Toro
It's great because:

• It is a compendium of film genres, it presents terror, suspense, romanticism and fantasy.
• It draws attention especially for its incredible staging with gothic tints, also for the use of color.

A young American aspiring writer named Edith Cushing tries to run away from her past. When the girl falls in love with Thomas Sharp, an Englishman she has just met, she gives up the love of her childhood friend. She soon moves into Thomas's mansion, a large estate hidden away in a remote part of England. The mansion is shrouded in mystery and is full of spirits.

28. The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

Direction: Mark Waters
It's great because:

• The film full of emotion, fantasy and action in which extraordinary fantastic creatures appear and the house becomes one more character.
• It is a story that works both as a fairy tale for children and as a family history for adults.

Brothers Jared, Simon and Mallory move with their mother to their uncle Spiderwick's house. Despite the fact that the young people disagree with the change of home, they finally agree. Soon Jared discovers that strange events occur in the place and begins to investigate with his brothers. Little by little, the young people discover the truth about Spiderwick's house and the creatures in the place.

29. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)

Direction: Tim Burton
It's great because:

• It is a film that, apart from containing the very peculiar stamp of Tim Burton, contains self-references to films such as Sleepy hollow, Big fish or Eduardo Scissorhands.
• Especially noteworthy is the interpretation of Eva Green playing the role of Miss Peregrine.

The film revolves around Jacob Portman, a 16-year-old young man who sets out on a journey to a distant island to find the orphanage where his grandfather was as a child.

In his adventure, Jacob finds Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, a house inhabited by young people with strange abilities and led by Miss Peregrine.

30. Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Direction: Tim Burton
It's great because:

• Contains a novel plot by Tim Barton, which covers the classic book Alice in WonderlandFor this reason, it has been both criticized and praised at the narrative level, especially when compared to the original work.
• This film stands out, and a lot, for its settings, the characterization of its characters, costumes and artistic direction.

At 19, Alicia is about to receive Hamish Ascot's marriage proposal. The girl, unprepared for the event, decides to chase the White Rabbit and arrives in Wonderland, a place that she had already visited a decade ago.

You can also read: Alice in Wonderland

31. Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

Direction: Rupert sanders
It's great because:

• We are witnessing, with this film, a radical change in the character of Snow White, who leaves aside the traditional and stereotyped role of her to become a true heroine.
• The film stands out especially for its effects and locations, the role of Charlize Theron playing the queen is also incredible.

Snow White has to escape the threats of the queen, who has been determined to end her life. However, what the evil queen does not know is that the hunter entrusted with the mission of killing the young woman will be the one who teaches him to defend himself against her.

32. Gretel and Hansel: A Dark Fairy Tale (2020)

Direction: Oz perkins
It's great because:

• It is a journey through the German tale of the Brothers Grimm, whose setting makes it a fearsome nightmare.
• Highly recommended for fans of classic stories and horror movies.

Two young people aged 13 and 9 have lived immersed in poverty since the death of their father. Her mother is married to a cruel man who terrifies children. Gretel and Hansen go on an adventure hoping to find a better future, however, in the forest they cross with all kinds of people until they reach the house of Holda, a woman whose escape.

33. Maleficent (2014)

Direction: Robert Stromberg
It's great because:

• With this new plot based on the Disney production, it shows the viewer what lies behind the evil villain Maleficent.
• Although Maleficent is not a perfect film, and has divided audiences and critics, it is a visually and aesthetically beautiful film.

Maleficent is a caring young woman who, after growing up in an idyllic environment, suffers an unexpected betrayal that will harden her heart to stone.

Suddenly, Maleficent wants revenge on her and starts a battle against the king in order to protect the kingdom from her. To do this, the protagonist casts a spell on the newborn Aurora, the king's daughter, which takes effect when the girl turns 16.

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