Table of Contents
Bloodsucking vampires, fearsome giants, mighty dragons, enchanting witches, and invincible gods are the stuff of fantasy cinema. From comedies to romances to action films, you’ll find everything the genre has to offer on Netflix.
1. I Kill Giants (2018)
15-year-old Barbara escapes her gray everyday life into fantasy worlds filled with magic and mysterious creatures, where she alone is responsible for saving her small coastal hometown from giants and titans. As a nerdy outsider, she is shunned by her classmates, and at home, there are constant quarrels with sister Karen, who has to take care of Barbara and their common brother alone. Only Sophia, who has just moved here from England, gets through to the young girl, as well as gradually the school psychologist Mrs. Mollé.
With spectacular CGI effects, the film sensitively and touchingly tells about the challenges of growing up between reality and fantasy. “I Kill Giants” is based on an award-winning graphic novel and is particularly convincing due to the impressive acting performances of the teenage leads.
2. Bright (2017)
Los Angeles is in an alternate universe. The city is populated by elves, which form the upper class, by humans, and by hip hop-listening orcs, who make the streets unsafe as gangs. Human police officer Daryl Ward returns to duty after being shot. Responsible for this, in his eyes, is his scatterbrained partner Nick Jacobi, the town’s first orcish police officer. The situation between them is tense when they are called out on a mission. On the spot, they meet a desperate elf in possession of a powerful magic wand.
“Bright” is a study of racism, discrimination, and social justice in the U.S. that illuminates these phenomena by transposing them into a fantastical context. Will Smith as Ward and Joel Edgerton as Jacobi are convincing as a team in the successful mix of fantasy and action.
3. The Old Guard (2020)
Gina Prince-Bythewood’s adaptation of Greg Rucka’s comic book series is a superhero film with a soul. It stars Charlize Theron as Andy, a.k.a. Andromache, a warrior who has lived for six millennia and doesn’t really see the point of living anymore. But she and her team of other immortals are drawn back into conflict when they are hunted by a pharmaceutical company that wants to use them as test subjects. At the same time, a new member joins them, Nile (KiKi Layne), who is accepted into the strange club.
Prince-Bythewood combines insanely fun fight sequences – Theron is a joy to watch slam – with groundbreaking moments of tranquility, including a homosexual romance like you’ve never seen in an action movie before.
4. 7 Dwarfs – Men Alone in the Woods (2004)
The seven dwarfs have sworn off the women who have brought them only misery and despair and have retreated into the depths of the fairytale forest as a men’s commune. On the run from her evil stepmother, Snow White arrives at the house of the dwarves, who gladly give the beautiful girl shelter. When her stepmother kidnaps her, the dwarves set out to rescue their new friend.
Otto Waalkes’ entertaining fairy tale parody is cast with well-known German actors and comedians down to the smallest role. In addition to Nina Hagen as the evil queen and her daughter, Cosma Shiva Hagen as Snow White, Heinz Hönig, Christian Tramitz, Atze Schröder, Helge Schneider, and Harald Schmidt are also convincing in this gag firework in an appealing cinema look.
5. Okja (2017)
Director Bong Joon-ho offers a unique, sometimes quirky parable with “Okja,” a fantasy film that flirts with science fiction. Okja is the name of a creature that looks like a cross between a pig and a hippopotamus but is somehow even bigger than the latter – it is actually a “super pig” that the Mirando Corporation has genetically modified as a new meat product.
Okja has been living a peaceful life in the countryside of South Korea with Mija (Ahn Seo-hyun) for 10 years, and the two have become best friends. But their happiness is shattered when the corporation comes to take Okja away – she is to be slaughtered in New York City, where the corporation’s offices are located. Mija teams up with the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), led by Jay (Paul Dano), to save Okja.
You might think that “Okja” is a kid-friendly family film. However, its repeated swear words and disturbing images of flesh processing make it more suitable for mature viewers.
6. Army of the Dead (2021)
While a Zombie movie sounds more like horror and sci-fi, Zack Snyder’s “Army of the Dead” contains neither scares nor a proper scientific explanation for the zombie apocalypse. As a goofy zombie heist movie, it most likely falls into the realm of fantasy: nothing about the film is grounded in reality, and Snyder has more fun making the undead explode into a thousand pieces than spreading terror or provoking thought.
A spiritual successor to Snyder’s 2004 “Dawn of the Dead,” “Army of the Dead,” is set in Las Vegas after a zombie escapes from a military convoy en route from Area 51. He infects the soldiers who accompany him, and then a new zombie horde takes aim at the City of Sin. The government seals off the city after it is taken over by the undead and decides to nuke it to eliminate the threat. Previously, shady casino owner Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada) hired a team of mercenaries to loot a casino vault containing $200 million.
The team is led by Ward (Dave Bautista) and his teammates Cruz (Ana de la Reguera) and Vanderohe (Omari Hardwick); together, they hire a bunch of other expendable teammates. Bloodthirsty action scenes abound, and the film lives up to Snyder’s reputation for excessive visual effects.
7. Eragon – The Legacy of the Dragon Riders (2006)
The 17-year-old orphan boy Eragon lives in the small village of Carvahall in the kingdom of Alaguesia. One day he makes a find that turns his life upside down. A strange stone turns out to be an egg, from which the powerful dragoness Saphira soon hatches. Eragon learns he is a dragon rider and has magical powers. Because of this, the evil king Gallatorix seeks his life. For he himself is a dragon rider who fears the power with which he has subjugated the country for years. But luckily, Eragon has Saphira and the mysterious storyteller Brom at his side.
This action-packed fantasy spectacle brings together a top-notch ensemble cast, including Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, and Robert Carlyle, to bring Christopher Paolini’s successful book series to the big screen.
8. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Girls Mei and Satsuki move from Tokyo to the countryside with their father to be closer to their mother, who is in a sanatorium recovering from a serious illness. The new house houses some wondrous creatures like the ghostly sooty men. But the most exciting new character in the sisters’ lives is the fluffy forest spirit Totoro, who takes care of the children, shows them his magical world, and helps them with problems.
This Japanese anime classic sensitively depicts the emotional world of children and delicately combines fantastic and real events. As a viewer, you are immersed in wondrous visual worlds and Japanese traditions.
9. Beauty and the Beast (2014)
On the run from his debtors, a French merchant gets into trouble at the beginning of the 19th century. In the early twentieth century, in a mysterious castle. When he wants to take a rose from there for his daughter Belle, the master of the house, a horrible beast, captures him. Belle decides to take the punishment for her father. She spends a lot of time with the Beast and learns his tragic story. Little by little, the young woman and the fierce monster get closer to each other.
This German-French co-production of the classic fairy tale captivates with detailed sets and sumptuous costumes. Vincent Cassel shines in the role of the beast.
10. Godzilla (2014)
In his childhood, Ford Brody had to witness the death of his mother in a reactor accident in Japan. His father, Joe, is firmly convinced that there is more behind the alleged accident. When Joe is arrested years later while secretly trying to enter the restricted area, Ford travels to Japan to get his father out of prison. Together they make a terrifying discovery: behind the supposed super-GAU is actually a gigantic monster that feeds on nuclear energy and is hidden by the military. But it manages to free itself and makes its way to the next big city.
This reboot of the most famous monster story of all time shows Godzilla as a true force of nature. In gigantic action panoramas, the primal lizard fights not against humans but with other monsters. The metropolises are destroyed almost by the way, and in the end, Godzilla is not the destroyer but the savior of mankind.
11. Ruby Red (2013)
The family of teenager Gwen is guarding a big secret: from generation to generation, a legendary time travel gene is passed on. Since everyone is firmly convinced that Gwen’s cousin Charlotte is the carrier of the gene, they prepare her for the great tasks it entails. But when Gwen more or less accidentally lands in time at the turn of the century and returns, it becomes clear that she is the time traveler of her generation. She is accepted into the secret “Lodge of Count Saint Germain,” where she is to learn to control her newly discovered powers.
Kerstin Gier’s trilogy of novels “Liebe geht durch alle Zeiten,” also known as the Gemstone Trilogy, has been translated into 27 languages. The first installment, “Ruby Red,” topped the Spiegel bestseller list for 54 weeks alone. This ambitious German cinematic adaptation will not only delight the books’ fans but also offer a good introduction to the saga. The sequels, “Sapphire Blue” and “Emerald Green,” are just as fast-paced and amusingly staged as the first film.
12. The Last Witch Hunter (2015)
Kaulder is a witch hunter who defeated the Witch Queen, who once unleashed the Black Death on humanity in the Middle Ages. Since then, he has been cursed with immortality. In present-day New York City, he secretly pursues his calling as the last representative of his kind. When he learns that the witch queen is still alive and bent on revenge, it’s up to him, a witch, and a priest to save the town.
Protagonist Kaulder comes from the universe of the pen-and-paper role-playing game “Dungeons and Dragons” and was an idea of lead actor Vin Diesel. The Hollywood fantasy action thriller also impresses in the supporting roles with a large star cast. Viewers can look forward to Michael Caine, Eliah Wood, and Rose Leslie as magical world saviors.
13. Pan (2015)
His mother left behind little Peter in an orphanage in 1920s London. In a letter, she promised him they would meet again in this world or another. One night, Peter and other children are kidnapped by pirates and taken to Neverland on a flying ship, where they are sent to work in a mine for the evil Captain Blackbeard. Together with his new friends James Hook and Tiger Lilly, Peter uncovers the secret of his origins and decides to rid Neverland of Blackbeard.
“Pan” tells a new origin story for the most famous character in a novel by British writer J. M. Barrie, who in this version must face epic battles and trials by fire among pirates, Indians, mermaids, fairies, and orphans. Hugh Jackman shows his unusual villainous side as a pirate.
14. Twilight – Bite at Dawn (2008)
Teenager Bella Swan is forced to move in with her father in the rainy small town of Forks after her mother remarries. There she is particularly fascinated by her new classmate, the taciturn Edward Cullen, who, along with his adopted siblings, sets himself apart from the other teenagers. When he saves Bella from a car accident, something seems amiss. And indeed, Bella finds out that the Cullens are powerful vampires. She also realizes that she has begun to fall in love with Edward.
Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight saga became a global success. The film adaptation of the vampire romance launched the careers of stars like Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner.
15. Clash of the Titans (2010)
The family of the fisherman Perseus is killed by Hades, the god of the underworld. He arrives in the city of Argos, where Queen Cassiopeia herself becomes a goddess. Hades then threatens to unleash the Kraken, a terrifying sea monster, on the city unless he receives Princess Andromeda as a sacrifice. Perseus learns that he is actually the son of Zeus and thus a demigod when he gets caught in the middle of battles between gods and men.
This remake of the 1981 monumental film of the same name is devoted to the Perseus saga from Greek mythology. The epic hero’s journey of the protagonist leads through thrilling action sequences with gigantic monsters.
16. Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Jupiter Jones leads a manageable life. The young woman makes a living as a cleaning lady. But one day, she is attacked by aliens who want to kill her. At the last minute warrior, Caine jumps to her side. He explains to her that she has the same DNA as the recently killed queen of the universe and is, therefore, her successor. But that legacy puts Jupiter in grave danger, and before she knows it, she’s at the center of an intergalactic struggle for power and resources.
The Wachowskis, creators of The Matrix, here create a socially critical space epic that is most compelling for its stunning special effects. The visually stunning film also brings together stars like Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Sean Bean, and Eddie Redmayne.
17. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
End of 19. In the early twentieth century, an ominous phantom robs both the Bank of England and a German zeppelin factory. The resulting diplomatic entanglements push humanity to the brink of world war. To stop that from happening, the mysterious M assembles a special force. Adventurer Alan Quatermain, vampire Mina Harker, submarine Captain Nemo, the invisible thief Rodney Skinner, Dr. Jekyll, Dorian Gray, and American agent Tom Sawyer are tasked with finding and disarming the Phantom.
Comic book writer Allan Moore created the Avengers of the 19 with his graphic novels of the same name. Century. The film version lives from its heroes, who master every challenge with style and brains. Sean Connery stars as Allan Quatermain in the fantasy action film in his last big screen role.
18. Priest (2011)
Centuries of wars between vampires and humans have turned the world into a barren wasteland. Only the “priests,” elite warriors trained by the church, helped mankind to victory. After the end of the wars, however, these lead to life underground. When vampires attack a priest’s family, and his niece is kidnapped, he takes up the pursuit against the church’s wishes. He doesn’t suspect that the vampires are led by one of his former comrades-in-arms.
The successful look of the post-apocalyptic desert landscapes determines the film’s unique atmosphere. End-times vampire cowboys, tattooed clerics on motorcycles, and dystopian sheriffs in the wasteland set fantasy fans’ hearts racing.
19. Dark Shadows (2012)
As a young man, Barnabas breaks up with his mother in the mid-18. Twentieth-century witch Angelique’s heart. In revenge, she kills his parents as well as his one true love and turns Barnabas into an immortal vampire. The incited townspeople lock him in a coffin and bury him alive. It’s not until construction work in the 1970s that Barnabas is freed and must find his way back to a completely alien world.
The tried-and-true Hollywood dream team of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp here turns their attention to the material of the iconic ’70s U.S. series, which clashes gothic romance and pop culture. The film is the ironic climax of the vampire boom, leaving no dry eye in the process.
20. Beautiful Creatures – An Immortal Love (2013)
In a small town in South Carolina, Ethan meets the woman of his dreams in Lena – literally. For he has already seen her several times at night in her sleep. As it turns out, the two are linked by ancient entanglements. Because Lena is a witch, on their 16 Birthday will decide whether she will use her magical powers for good or evil.
Refreshingly unflashy, the film adaptation of the young adult novel “Sixteen Moons” tells the story of a love that transcends time. Stars like Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, Emma Thompson, Margo Martindale, and Emmy Rossum make this flick a special treat.
