Few genres are capable of presenting the majestic air of wonder and adventure of fantasy cinema. These stories of magical realms, mystic folklore, and touches of imaginative awe in everyday life have made the genre an evergreen presence in film, with such iconic masterpieces as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Princess Bride, and The Wizard of Oz being just some defining titles of the genre’s splendor on the big screen throughout the medium’s history.
Thankfully, for all lovers of fantasy, the first half of the 2020s has been something of a goldmine for the genre as well. Encompassing everything from major studio releases to streaming hits, from instantly revered masterpieces to hidden gems, and even everything from dark tales of revenge and glory to quaint and animated family adventures, these seven movies are true masterpieces of fantasy cinema in recent years.
‘Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio’ (2022)
Here is a stunning feat of stop-motion artistry that exudes a sense of tender adventure and heartfelt charm while delivering a piercing story of manipulation and rising tyranny. Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio excels as both a gorgeous reiteration of Carlo Collodi’s endearing tale and a boldly modernized re-imagining of it. It sees a grieving father’s wish come true when the puppet he makes comes to life. Armed with curiosity and an appetite for adventure, the wooden boy embarks on a journey that transcends worlds and realities while remaining steeped in the angst and anguish of mid-1930s Italy and the rise of fascist ruler, Benito Mussolini.
Co-directed by Mark Gustafson, whose mastery of stop-motion animation is on full display throughout the entirety of the movie, Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio delivers an enrapturing experience that juggles family adventure whimsy with thematic resonance with exemplary skill and deftness. It has been widely celebrated as a true feat of technical brilliance and poignant poise, and it is certain to endure as both a cult gem of fantasy cinema and a uniquely bold interpretation of the source material.
‘The Northman’ (2022)
Image via Focus Features
A sweeping historical revenge tale laced with elements of Norse mythology, The Northman excels as a gripping and commanding odyssey armed with Alexander Skarsgård’s imposing performance and Robert Eggers’s penchant for immersive historical allure. When Prince Amleth is young, he witnesses his uncle betray his father and abduct his mother, leading him to flee for his life while harboring a venomous desire for vengeance. Years later, as a brutish Viking berserker, he tracks down his uncle to a small sheep farm in Iceland and enacts a plan to butcher Fjölnir’s (Claes Bang) soldiers, rescue his mother from captivity, and avenge his murdered father.
Brought to life with visceral battle sequences, stunning production design, and a simmering sense of tension and wrath that festers brilliantly right up until the climax, The Northman is a captivating journey of revenge and folklore. While it stumbled at the box office upon release, it has already found a significant cult following in the years since. It is now widely considered a daring arthouse action movie, a rousing tale of obsession and revenge, and a dazzling dark fantasy that embodies the genre at its most mythic and magnificent.
‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ (2022)
With its stunning painterly animation that took inspiration from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish soars as a mesmerizing and moving return to the character and the larger Shrek universe. It follows the swashbuckling Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) after he learns that his lifelong appetite for adventure has seen him burn through eight of his nine lives. Determined to restore his nine lives, he sets out on a journey to find the mythical Last Wish while being pursued by a wolf bounty hunter (Wagner Moura).
Seeing Puss evolve from a lovably arrogant celebrity warrior to a deeply scared and vulnerable hero is not only a rewarding character arc, but it imbues the character’s fantastical voyage with compelling themes of mortality, anxiety, and the value of life. Every astonishing action sequence flaunts immediate and irresistible tension. That said, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is masterful in juggling these heavier, more confronting ideas with its fast-paced and funny narrative tone of excitement and heroics. This balance works beautifully with the film’s gorgeous animation and strong characters to make for one of the most spectacular fantasy movies in recent years, and a noteworthy triumph of modern animated cinema has well.
‘All of Us Strangers’ (2023)
A piercing story of sexuality, memory, and loneliness taking the form of a grounded romantic fantasy, All of Us Strangers is a criminally underrated gem of 2020s cinema that thrives on the back of two outstanding lead performances and Andrew Haigh’s direction and storytelling. Adam (Andrew Scott) is a lonely television screenwriter living in London who tentatively begins a relationship with his neighbor, Harry (Paul Mescal), while experiencing an inexplicable and ongoing reunion with his parents, both of whom were killed in a car crash 30 years prior.
All of Us Strangers is a painful exploration of grief, trauma, and isolation, and even its most upbeat and hopeful moments are steeped in melancholy. But there is no doubt that it is powerfully moving. Its focus on Adam and Harry’s blossoming romance is bolstered by the intimate chemistry Scott and Mescal bring to their characters as much as it is by Haigh’s tender writing and direction. The sequences between Adam and his parents present a sublime, surrealist dreamscape of nostalgic yearning, pent-up heartbreak, and bittersweet catharsis. All of Us Strangers stands as a faultless marriage of psychological drama and supernatural ideas that explores its themes of love, loss, and memory in a manner that is truly unforgettable.
‘Wolfwalkers’ (2020)
A strong contender for the most underappreciated movie of any genre released so far this decade, Wolfwalkers is a gorgeous tale steeped in Irish folklore and brought to life with beautiful hand-drawn animation. The family fantasy-adventure transpires in a time of superstition and magic as it follows young apprentice hunter Robyn (Honor Kneafsey) as she travels to Ireland with her father, Bill (Sean Bean), to track down the last wolf pack in the region. However, when the adventurous child befriends a native girl and discovers she is of a tribe who transform into wolves by night, she finds her and her father’s assignment far more complicated than she first thought.
The film’s distinct visual style complements its tale of friendship, freedom, and family wonderfully, making for an entirely absorbing fantasy adventure for children and a work of artistry and thematic conviction for adults. The way the story draws on Irish folklore is paramount to this universal allure, as it conjures a truly magical atmosphere of wonder and excitement while capturing centuries-old ideas that still feel timely today. In essence, Wolfwalkers is a masterpiece of family-friendly animation defined as much by its ideals and values as it is by its stunning imagery and enrapturing storytelling.
‘The Boy and the Heron’ (2023)
Another fantasy masterpiece that excels through its sublime hand-drawn animation and its thoughtful storytelling, The Boy and the Heron is Hayao Miyazaki’s most recent picture and another defining collaboration with Studio Ghibli. Viewed by many as Miyazaki’s most personal film, it follows a young boy in wartime Japan who struggles to settle in a new home following the death of his mother. When a mysterious talking heron tells him his mother is still alive, Mahito (Soma Santoki/LucaPadovan) ventures into an abandoned tower to find her and finds himself transported to another world.
Its surreal and fragmented narrative masterfully captures the psychological process of a child navigating trauma, unfurling in an almost dreamlike manner through Mohito’s journey of self-discovery and grief. Like many of Miyazaki’s movies, The Boy and the Heron distinguishes itself from many other animated fantasy adventures with its striking maturity, astute visual artistry, and the nuanced complexity of its characters. It isn’t merely a mesmerizing procession through a marvelous fantasy world, but a harrowing examination of loss, memory, humanity, and the poignant injustice of the world. Not only a divine gem of fantasy and animation, The Boy and the Heron stands as one of the defining titles of 2020s cinema at large.
‘The Green Knight’ (2021)
The legend of King Arthur has been adapted to the screen a great many times throughout cinematic history, ranging from dazzling epics like 1981’s Excalibur to action blockbusters like 2017’s King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword, and even absurdist comedies like Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Still, few depictions of the mythic tale have been as bold as David Lowery’s cult classic masterpiece, The Green Knight. It sees Dev Patel star as Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s (Sean Harris) reckless young nephew who embarks on a quest to best the Green Knight (Ralph Ineson). Through a journey that sees him battle with ghosts, giants, and schemers, Gawain gradually discovers his deeper venture to prove his worth to his fellow knights and the realm.
While Lowery honors the source material, he isn’t afraid to bend the Arthurian Legend to the purposes of his story. The film subverts central genre ideas of honor and courage, mindfully examining Gawain as a deeply flawed human reckoning with his cowardice, failure, and the inevitability of his death. Complemented by a slow-burn and thematically-minded approach to the story, a restrained visual grandiosity that feels intimate and transportive, and Andrew Droz Palermo’s stunning cinematography, The Green Knight captivates as a thought-provoking and richly symbolic fantasy rather than an action-packed blockbuster. This approach makes it a majestic high-art masterpiece that lingers long on the mind and defines fantasy cinema at its complex and confounding best.
