It can be soul-crushing when creatives put their all into a movie, and it bombs at the box office. Sometimes, this is deserved if the movie was made to chase a trend, but it can also be due to studio interference that warps the plot, poor marketing choices, competition from other movies, or simply bad luck. Most often, these movies fade from the public consciousness, but a lucky few find a second life, either through home release or word of mouth, years after their initial release, and come to be seen as cult classics.
The fantasy genre is an unfortunate victim of this trend, with many great movies losing their studios millions of dollars. Thanks to streaming, these films are now available for a whole new generation of viewers who can indulge in their creativity and captivating performances.
1
‘Return to Oz’ (1985)
Dorothy Gale (Fairuza Balk) is sent to a sanatorium due to talking about her time in the land of Oz, and is nearly subjected to electroshock therapy before being rescued by a mysterious girl (Emma Ridley). She helps Dorothy get downriver in a chicken coup, and Dorothy ends up returning to Oz with a chicken named Billina (Denise Bryer), who can now speak. Unfortunately, Dorothy discovers that Oz has been conquered by the Nome King (Nicol Williamson), who has stripped the Emerald City of its emeralds and turned its people to stone.
Return to Oz billed itself as an unofficial sequel to The Wizard of Oz, but it has gained a reputation as a film that traumatized a generation of kids with its scary imagery, especially the horrific wheel-limbed creatures called Wheelers. Beyond the scary moments, there are tons of creative moments on display through impressive puppetry and stellar claymation by the legendary Will Vinton. While the characters aren’t as iconic as those in the original films, they still have a strong camaraderie, particularly between Dorothy and Jack Pumpkinhead (Brian Henson).
2
‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ (2023)
Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine) and his friend Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez) escape from prison to reunite with Edgin’s daughter, Kira (Sophia Nell-Huntley and Chloe Coleman), currently staying with their associate, Forge Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant). Unfortunately, they learn that Forge and the Red Wizard Sofina (Daisy Head) were behind their imprisonment, and that Forge had told Kira that Edgin was motivated by greed rather than magical means to bring his wife back to life. To stop them, Edgin and Holga recruit their half-elf sorcerer friend, Simon Aumar (Justice Smith) and the shapeshifting tiefling druid, Doric (Sophia Lillis).
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves showed that good movies can be made from the Dungeons & Dragon brand after the rather abysmal trilogy from the 2000s. Its humor is very tongue-in-cheek and full of jokes that feel like they’re coming from a group of friends playing their own game, especially when the party tries to gain information from ancient corpses. It’s also carried by a great cast who fully immerse themselves in the roles they’re given, especially Regé-Jean Page, who plays the most stereotypical Lawful Good Paladin.
3
‘The Adventures of Baron Munchausen’ (1988)
While the Ottoman Empire attacks an unnamed city during the Age of Reason, a circus troupe performs a play based on the adventures of Baron Munchausen. They are interrupted by the real Baron (John Neville), enraged at the inaccuracies, and he reveals that the reason for the war is because of a bet he made with the Sultan (Peter Jeffrey). To save them, the Baron sets off to find his old companions, accompanied by a young girl named Sally Salt (Sarah Polley), and stalked by the Angel of Death.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is the last in Terry Gilliam‘s Trilogy of Imagination, and while not on the same level as Time Bandits and Brazil, the film is still a marvel to behold. The production design is impressive, with elaborate sets to bring the fantastical world to life through a war-torn city, the forge of a god, and a wacky kingdom on the moon ruled by Robin Williams. Thematically, the film centers around time: how it wears us down and robs us of our strength in old age, how the world will advance and forget about us, and how one can use the time they have to find meaning and fulfillment.
4
‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ (2016)
Kubo (Art Parkinson) is a young boy with a magic shamisen, which he uses to animate origami and tell stories to earn money for himself and his mother, Sariatu (Charlize Theron), the daughter of the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes), who took Kubo’s eye when he was a child. When Kubo stays out too late to attend a festival, his aunts track him down and try to take his remaining eye, but his mother uses her magic to teleport him away. Kubo then sets off to find his deceased father’s armor with two companions—Monkey (Charlize Theron), Kubo’s snow monkey charm come to life, and Beetle (Matthew McConaughey), a cursed warrior who knew his father.
Kubo and the Two Strings is an ambitious project from the beloved stop-motion company Laika, boasting stylistic models that lend themselves to intense action scenes and heartfelt dialogues. Storytelling is a major component of the film, shown both as a means of inspiration and change, and a way to keep the memories of those who have passed on alive. Grief also plays an important role, particularly in the climax, where Kubo learns the importance of overcoming grief and using it to build a brighter future.
5
‘Labyrinth’ (1986)
Frustrated at having to babysit her half-brother, Toby (Toby Froud), Sarah Williams (Jennifer Connelly), inspired by a fairy tale she was reading, wishes that goblins would come and steal him away. Amazingly, her wish comes true, and the goblin king Jareth (David Bowie) takes Toby to his castle, where he will be turned into a goblin. To rescue him, Sarah must navigate a labyrinth to reach Jareth’s castle in the center, but each turn reveals new surprises, some friendly and some hostile.
Labyrinth is perhaps the weirdest project born from the mind of Jim Henson, and it is likely why it bombed so hard. However, this weirdness adds to the film’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland-type feel, as one strange experience leads into another, pushing Sarah to undergo a coming-of-age journey. Bowie’s performance as Jareth is also captivating thanks to his natural charisma, commanding presence, and the tricks he performs with his orb.
6
‘Dragonslayer’ (1981)
Galen Bradwarden (Peter MacNicol) is a young man apprenticing to the last great sorcerer, Ulrich of Cragganmore (Sir Ralph Richardson). One day, an expedition from Urlan comes to ask Ulrich to kill the dragon, Vermithrax Pejorative, that has been plaguing their kingdom and devouring young maidens given in tribute. Sadly, Ulrich is killed when trying to demonstrate his powers, but Galen inherits his magic amulet and vows to kill the dragon himself.
Dragonslayer is one of the best dark fantasy movies thanks to its groundbreaking effects and compelling story. The characters are all shades of gray, doing what they believe is necessary to save the kingdom, even if it costs them their lives and causes them to cross blades with those who want the same thing through different means. As for the effects, a combination of massive puppets, flamethrowers, and impressive stop-motion results in perhaps the greatest dragon in cinema.
7
‘The Last Unicorn’ (1982)
After overhearing two hunters talking about the absence of unicorns in the world, one unicorn (Mia Farrow) decides to travel the world and find evidence of the rest of her kind. She learns that they were driven towards the seas years ago by a monstrous Red Bull controlled by King Haggard (Sir Christopher Lee). Along the way, she finds allies in a bumbling magician named Schmendrick (Alan Arkin) and a bandit’s wife named Molly Grue (Tammy Grimes).
The Last Unicorn was written by author Peter S. Beagle, who wrote the original book, and thus retains most of the book’s clever dialogue and poignant themes regarding loss, regret, and memories. The characters are surprisingly complex for a children’s film, especially Haggard, whose motivations are Shakespearean in their tragedy. All of which is brought to life through gorgeous animation by Studio Ghibli’s predecessor, Topcraft, which animates the characters and landscapes in a style that looks like medieval tapestries come to life.
8
‘A Monster Calls’ (2016)
Conor O’Mally (Lewis MacDougall) is a young boy living with his terminally ill mother (Felicity Jones), and frustrated by bullies at school and frequent visits from his strict grandmother (Sigourney Weaver), with whom he will live when his mother dies. One night, Conor watches as a monster (Liam Neeson) emerges from a yew tree and seeks him out. The monster says that it has come to tell Conor three stories, after which Conor will tell the monster a fourth containing his truth.
A Monster Calls is a surprisingly perfect fantasy film that uses its fantastical elements sparingly to maximize its impact. If you take away the monster and the stories he tells, it’s a movie about a young boy forced to confront and process the grief of losing a loved one, while also showing that grief never exists in a vacuum. The stories themselves are also very creative, with messages about seeing things from different perspectives and the importance of hope, all told through stylistic animation that looks like a storybook come to life.
9
‘Stardust’ (2007)
When Tristan Thorn (Charlie Cox) sees a falling star, he promises to retrieve it for his crush, Victoria (Sienna Miller), in exchange for her hand in marriage. Leaving the safety of his village for the magical land of Stormhold, he discovers that the star has taken the form of a young woman named Yvaine (Claire Danes), who was knocked out of the sky when the dying king of Stormhold (Peter O’Toole) launched his ruby for his surviving sons to find and claim kingship. Tristan’s attempts to bring Yvaine back to Victoria are complicated not just by the princes’ competition, but also by three witches who hope to cut out Yvaine’s heart to restore their youth.
Based on the book by Neil Gaiman, Stardust is a lighthearted fantasy that knows what it is and invites audiences to come along and have a good time. It does this by blending familial fairy tale tropes like lost heirs, evil witches, and the search for true love, with a charming romance story carried by characters with beautiful chemistry. The film is also chock-full of great performances, such as Mark Strong as the sinister Prince Septimus, who’ll stop at nothing to achieve his throne, Michelle Pfeiffer as the cruel witch Lamia pursuing Yvaine, and Robert De Niro as Captain Shakespeare, a vicious sky pirate with a very different personality behind closed doors.
10
‘The Princess Bride’ (1987)
A grandfather (Peter Falk) visits his sick grandson (Fred Savage) to read him the story of Buttercup (Robin Wright), a young woman in love with her farmhand, Wesley (Cary Elwes). When Westley is lost at sea while seeking his fortune, Buttercup falls into a deep depression and is selected by Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon) to be his bride. Before the wedding, Buttercup is kidnapped by a trio of bandits who hope to use her to start a war with Humperdinck’s neighbors, but they are pursued by a mysterious man in black.
The Princess Bride is among the quintessential metafictional movies, full of plenty of asides, deconstructions mid-scene, and cuts to Falk and Savage reacting to the story. This makes the film both a satire and a love letter to fairy tale clichés, and enhances the romantic exchange and exhilarating swordfights. The script is also packed with witty banter and sharply written dialogue, best seen through Wallace Shawn‘s Vizzini, who leads the bandits, and engages in a battle of wits in which he goes off on a lengthy, nonsensical rant that is as hilarious as it is captivating.
The Princess Bride
- Release Date
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October 9, 1987
- Runtime
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98 minutes
- Writers
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William Goldman
