Hey, you, yes you, I’m talking to you. Why are you here? In other circumstances, I would have told you to go back and get to work, but now, I understand how it feels to need an escape from this reality. Well, you can always get back to overthinking and imagining fake scenarios and crying over the things that you imagined, but that is never gonna happen. Don’t @ me. I’m not targeting you.
It’s just that we understand why you may need the 50 Best fantasy movies to watch. They are an escape. So many worlds to explore and so many characters to live with. They let you to Hogwarts or Half-Blood Camp. You can explore the magical world of Narnia or NeverLand.
You can be a Jedi or a warrior in the future. Or, you can be a Disney princess (every girl secretly wants to be one). So many things have happened because you let your imagination do that, and these directors bring your imagination to the big screen. Without wasting much time, let me introduce you to the Best 50 Fantasy Movies to escape into:
50. Gulliver’s Travels
We all are familiar with this one. Gulliver’s Travels is based on the first part of the book of the same name by Jonathan Swift, where Lemuel Gulliver encounters a deadly storm and ends up on an island where people are exceptionally small compared to Gulliver. The story is about how he became a hero to those Lilliputians and returned to his land.
Ps: Gulliver is the worst journalist ever. Wait, what? He is not a journalist, is he? He just ‘plagiarized’ a report. Wish we could do that and become famous. Wait, no, team, I’m not doing it. These, right here, are my own words.
- Year: 2010
- Genre: Adventure, Kids, Fantasy
- Director: Rob Letterman
- Cast: Jack Black, Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly, Chris O’Dowd, T. J. Miller, James Corden, Catherine Tate, Olly Alexander.
- Where to Watch: Disney+ Hotstar
49. The Twilight Saga
The Twilight Saga includes five movies based on the four novels of the same name written by Stephenie Meyer. Overall, the films had a good box office collection but were not able to impress the audience and critics that much.
Although two parts of the movie are applauded, the last three are not so much. The first installment of the film series is directed by Catherine Hardwicke, the second by Chris Weitz, the third by David Slade, and the last two by Bill Condon. The film had most of the ensemble cast in all the parts.
The five movies are:
- Twilight (2008)
- The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
- The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
- The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I (2011)
- The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II (2012).
The movie revolves around Bella Swan, a teenager who has recently moved to live with his father, and a vampire has shown a keen love interest in her. Little did she know, her childhood friend was a werewolf and liked her too.
See, a love triangle and ofc, and vampires and werewolves don’t see eye to eye. Through all five parts, we see her life-changing events, such as her love story, her marrying to vampire, her almost dying and turning into a vampire, and her giving birth to the child of a vampire.
- Years: 2008-2012
- Genre: Fantasy, Teenage, Supernatural.
- Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Jackson Rathbone, Mackenzie, Rami Malek, Andrea Powell, Dakota Fanning, Anna Kendrick, Justin Chon.
- Where to Watch: Apple TV
48. Fantastic Four (2005)
Fantastic Four is the story of four astronauts who was hit by cosmic radiation and gained superpowers like elasticity, invisibility, fire manipulation, and being turned into a rock (super strength). Little did they know, their boss, who was presumed dead, was also hit and now is evil. So, they must stop him.
Fantastic Four did good in monetary terms but was heavily trolled for performance, narration, and storyline. A sequel was also released in 2007, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. That was not much of a success either. Then, in 2015, a reboot was released, which also backfired. But, in 2019, Marvel got the rights to Fantastic Four, and now, it is ready to enter MCU as a part of Phase VI.
- Year: 2005
- Genre: Action, Fantasy, Superhero
- Director: Tim Story
- Cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon, Hamish Linklater, Kerry Washington, Laurie Holden, Kevin McNulty, Maria Menounos, Michael Kopsa.
- Cameos: Stan Lee, Hugh Jackman, Terry David Mulligan, Ben Mulroney, Lauren Sanchez, Kenny Bartman, Brian Deegan, Jamie Little, David Parker, Pascale Hutton.
- Where to Watch: Apple TV
47. Mortal Kombat (1995)
Mortal Kombat is the story of three martial art performers who have to take part in a tournament on a mysterious island to save the world. The movie is based on the video game series of the same name.
It was praised for action sequences and production value but was criticized for a story and not living up to the video games. Although, it was a huge hit at the box office. It has one direct sequel, two television series, one live-action prequel, and a rebooted series which are as follows:
Original Films:
- Mortal Kombat (1995)
- Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (19997)
Television:
- Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm (1996)
- Mortal Kombat: Conquest (1988-1999)
Reboot:
- Mortal Kombat (2021)
Animation:
- Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins (1995)
- Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge (2020)
- Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms (2021)
- Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind (2022)
- Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match (2023-TBA)
- Year: 1995
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Martial Arts
- Director: Paul W. S. Anderson
- Cast: Christopher Lambert, Robert Shou, Linden Ashby, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Bridgette Wilson, Talisa Soto, Trevor Goddard, Chris Casamassa, Francois Petit, Keith Cooke, Sandy Helberg, Kenneth Edwards, Steven Ho, Peter Jason.
- Where to Watch: HBO Max, Prime Video, Vudu, Redbox, Apple TV.
Also Read: Mortal Kombat: Battle Of The Realms: Release Date & Cast.
46. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is based on the book of the same name by Rick Riordan. The movie did good at the box office but was heavily criticized for its plotting, pacing, and character though action sequences and visuals were admired.
Even Rick Riordan showed his non-agreement with the final script and said fans of the book would be disappointed and angry. Well, he ain’t wrong, is he? The story shows a lot of glimpses of Greek mythology as it is inspired by that.
The story follows a twenty-year-old boy who is unaware of his identity and is sent to the Summer Camp, Half-Blood, for protection and training. A sequel was released in 2011, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief was nominated for eight awards.
- Year: 2010
- Genre: Fantasy, Lore, Adventure, Action
- Director: Chris Columbus
- Cast: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel, Sean Bean, Kevin McKidd, Steve Coogan, Melina Kanakaredes, Rosario Dawson, Dylan Neal, Erica Cerra, Stefanie von Pfetten, Dimitri Lekkos, Ona Grauer, Serinda Swan, Conrad Coates, Ray Winstone.
- Where to Watch: Disney+, Prime Video, Vudu
45. The Smurfs: The Lost Village
Based upon the comic books of the same name by Peyo, The Smurfs: The Lost Village is a reboot of the original Smurfs film franchise and is the third installment in the new era of Smurfs movies by Sony Entertainment. This is a movie that shaped the whole series and introduced female Smurfs to us.
Although the storyline was very much predictable, it was still able to do good in terms of money. The story follows Smurfette, Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty, who must journey to the forbidden forest to find the lost village before Gargamel.
- Year: 2017
- Genre: Fantasy, Kids, Animation, Adventure.
- Director: Kelly Asbury
- Voice Cast: Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson, Mandy Patinkin, Joe Manganiello, Jack McBrayer, Danny Pudi, Julia Roberts, Michelle Rodriguez, Ellie Kemper, Ariel Winter, Meghan Trainor, Jake Johnson, Gordon Ramsay, Tituss Burgess, Gabriel Iglesias.
- Narrated By: Mandy Patinkin
- Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV.
44. Stuart Little (1999)
Everyone wanted a Stuart in their life after this. The movie received mixed reviews as to the story, which is about a family, the Littles, who adopted a mouse as a son instead of a human. His step-brother George did get along with him at first but was fine later. Stuart Little is the first film in the trilogy.
- Year: 1999
- Genre: Comedy, Live-Action Animation, Family.
- Director: Rob Minkoff
- Live-Action Cast: Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie, Jonathan Lipnicki, Jeffrey Jones, Connie Ray, Allyce Beasley, Brian Doyle-Murray, Estelle Getty, Harold Gould, Patrick Thomas O’Brien, Julia Sweeney, Dabney Coleman.
- Voice Cast: Michael J. Fox, Nathan Lane, Chazz Palminteri, Steve Zahn, Jim Doughan, David Alan Grier, Bruno Kirby, Jennifer Tilly, Stan Freberg.
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Prime Video
43. Zathura: A Space Adventure
Zathura is the second installment of the Juman Ji franchise, although Jon Favreau didn’t like the idea of calling Zathura a sequel as they both are very different from each other. Zathura is based on the picture book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. Where Juman Ji is about video games (new age ones), Zathura is a board game.
Zathura is about two brothers who were playing a board game that transported their house into space and returned home. They have to continue playing it and face the obstacles. The movie might not have done well at the box office, but it was praised for almost every aspect, like narration, direction, story, performance, and visuals.
- Year: 2005
- Genre: Adventure, Sci-fi, Fantasy.
- Director: Jon Favreau
- Cast: Josh Hutcherson, Jonah Bobo, Dax Shepard, Kristen Stewart, Tim Robbins, Frank Oz, John Alexander, Derek Mears, Douglas Tait, Joe Bucaro, Jeff Wolfe.
- Where to Watch: Netflix
42. Project Almanac
This a movie you might not be expecting in this list, but it is worth a watch. Often compared with Chronicle(2012), Project Almanac is about a high school boy who invented the time machine with his friends using his dad’s blueprints.
But he broke the only rule that all the time-traveling fictions tell us, “Don’t mess with the time.” To be with his love and try to make things right, he kind of messed up big time and had to return everything to the way it was.
- Year: 2015
- Genre: Sci-fi, Thriller, Fantasy
- Director: Dean Israelite
- Cast: Jonny Weston, Sofia Black-D’Elia, Sam Lerner, Allen Evangelista, Virginia Gardner, Amy Landecker, Gary Weeks, Michelle DeFraites, Patrick Johnson, Gary Grubbs, Katie Garfield.
- Cameo: Imagine Dragons, Atlas Genius.
- Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV.
Also Read: 15 New Sci-Fi Books You Need To Read
41. The BFG
The BFG, short for Big Friendly Giant, is the story of Sophie, who is a 10-year-old who befriends the giant and goes to his world to stop the giant from eating the humans. It was adapted from the 1982 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. The movie received positive reviews but was a box office bomb. It was nominated for 19 awards and won 3.
- Year: 2016
- Genre: Family, Fantasy, Animation.
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Cast: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton, Jemaine Clement, Rebecca Hall, Rafe Spall, Bill Hader, Michael Adamthwaite, Daniel Bacon, Chris Gibbs, Adam Godley, Paul Moniz, Jonathan Holmes, Olafur Darri Olafsson, Marilyn Norry.
- Where to Watch: Sony Liv
40. Eternals
Eternals is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is a movie in Phase IV of it. It is based comic book of the same name by Jack Kirby, where immortal beings from space come to Earth to kill deviants (monsters). They have been living on Earth hiding amongst humans for thousands of years until recently when they had to reunite as their old enemy, deviant, rose again.
The movie was a success at the box office. It was great and was trolled on various aspects like pacing, storyline, and character development, but the movie’s visuals were worth a while. Out of 9 nominations, Eternals won 3. A sequel was confirmed by Marvel Studios in February 2022.
- Year: 2021
- Genre: Action, Fantasy, Superhero
- Director: Chloe Zhao
- Cast: Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Bill Skarsgard, David Kaye, Harish Patel, Haaz Sleiman, Esai Daniel Cross, Patton Oswalt.
- Cameos: Harry Styles, Mahershala Ali.
- Where to Watch: Apple TV.
39. Alice in Wonderland (2010)
A movie that started the trend of Disney’s live-action fairy tale fantasy films. A movie that broke a lot of records. I mean, where do we even start? Second-highest is grossing this, fifth-highest grossing that.
I mean, it received a lot of money in short, which broke all the previous records. Because of this film’s success, Disney announced remakes of others like, Dumbo, Cinderella, Maleficent, The Lion King, The Jungle Book, Beauty and Beast, and more (the ones releasing now too).
Alice in Wonderland is based on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, who also has a sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass, released in 2016. The movie follows Alice, who follows a rabbit in a blue coat and accidentally falls down his role.
Upon reaching the Underland, she became aware of her destiny, defeated the Red Queen and Mad Hatter, and returned the throne to its rightful owner, The White Queen. The movie was praised for Burton’s direction and vision of the movie.
It was also applauded for its narration, visuals, and performance, although it was a bit trolled for the pacing. Alice in Wonderland was nominated for 44 awards and won 18 (excluding nominations), including The Academy Award for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design.
- Year: 2010
- Genre: Fantasy, Family, Live-Action Animation, Fairytale.
- Director: Tim Burton
- Live-Action Cast: Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Frances de la Tour, Leo Bill.
- Cameo: Marton Csokas, Lindsay Duncan, John Hopkins, Jemma Powell.
- Voice Cast: Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Barbara Windsor, Timothy Spall, Paul Whitehouse, Michael Gough, Christopher Lee, Imelda Staunton, Jim Carter.
- Where to Watch: Disney+ Hotstar
38. Barbie: Princess Charm School
Of course, we had to. We had to add this one. This was the real-life fantasy of every girl. Barbie: Princess Charm School is the 12th movie in the Barbie film series. The story is about a waitress in the Kingdom of Gardenia, Blair Willows, who was accepted into the Princess school, where girls are trained to be royal ladies and princesses. Little did she know, she was the key to the kingdom and the long-lost daughter of the king and queen.
- Year: 2011
- Genre: Animation, Family, Fairytale, Fantasy.
- Director: Ezekiel Norton
- Voice Cast: Diana Kaarina, Morwenna Banks, Nicole Oliver, Brittney Wilson, Ali Liebert, Shannon Chan-Kent, Vincent Tong, Madeleine Peters, Ellen Kennedy, Miranda Ram-Nolte.
- Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV, Redbox, Vudu.
Also Read: Ryan Gosling Will Play Ken In Barbie Movie With Margot Robbie.
37. Luck
Luck. What a strange thing it is. No one wants to be unlucky, right? Everything is bad. Bad luck had Bad in it. But one thing that Sam taught us was that being unlucky gives you the skill of survival. Sam is a most unlucky person. Not one thing goes right with her, which is not even her fault.
One day, she found the Land of Luck but guess what? She was unlucky there too and destroyed that Land of Luck, but she was the one who restored it too. And we don’t think she is unlucky. Oh, come on, she found the Land of Luck and was the first human to go. I don’t see how unlucky that is. This journey to the Land of Luck changed her perception of being unlucky.
- Year: 2022
- Genre: Family, Comedy, Animation, Fantasy.
- Director: Peggy Holmes
- Voice Cast: Eva Noblezada, Simon Pegg, Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg, Flula Borg, Lil Rel Howery, Colin O’Donoghue, John Ratzenberger, Grey DeLisle, Suzy Nakamura, Kwaku Fortune, Adelynn Spoon, Kari Wahlgren, Nick Thurston.
- Where to Watch: Apple TV
36. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
When we think of fantasy movies, Narnia surely comes to our mind. Fantasy at its peak. It is based on the novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis and is the first movie in the Narnia film series. Narnia was the 3rd highest-grossing film of 2005 and was nominated for 48 awards, out of which they won 13, including the Academy Award for Best Makeup.
The story centers on two sisters and two brothers who were moved to the countryside because of the Blitz during WWII. There they found a magical wardrobe while playing, which led them directly to the magical world of Narnia.
They didn’t know that that world was under the control of an evil white witch, and they were the key to dethroning her. They had worked with a talking lion and all the other creatures. And yes, Edmund sold his siblings for Turkish delight.
- Year: 2005
- Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Family.
- Director: Andrew Adamson
- Cast: William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, Liam Neeson, Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy, Ray Winstone, Dawn French, Kiran Shah, Jim Broadbent, Elizabeth Hawthrone, James Cosmo, Michael Madsen, Patrick Kake.
- Where to Watch: Apple TV
35. Venom
A movie for which Sony had waited a long time to release. It’s their personal favorite. They wanted to have a Venom spin-off from the start since its appearance on Spider-Man 3 (2007) but didn’t go forward because Sam Raimi denied directing further sequels of Spider-Man.
Then, they tried to have a spin-off when they released the reboot of Spider-Man in 2012, but still, it couldn’t happen. After so much struggle, writer, director, and actor, Venom was finally released as Sony’s Spider Universe’s first movie but was it worth it? We don’t think so, as Venom was heavily criticized for its lack of sources, narration, direction, and storyline but was appreciated for Tom Hardy’s performance.
Tom played the role of Eddie Brock, who is a struggling journalist, and became the host to an alien symbiote named Venom. Venom’s species want to invade Earth. Venom was inspired by the comic book Venom: Lethal Protector (1993) and Planet of the Symbiotes (1995) but still couldn’t assume the critics. It did well at the box office, which resulted in the release of the sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage in 2021. As of now, Venom 3 is in its developing stage.
- Year: 2018
- Genre: Action, Sci-fi, Fantasy
- Director: Ruben Fleischer
- Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, Reid Scott.
- Cameo: Stan Lee.
- Where to Watch: Disney+ Hotstar
34. The Polar Express
The Polar Express was ahead of its time. Initially, it was a box office bomb but was later re-released, and it made it to The Guinness World Records (the first all-digital capture film). The Polar Express is about a boy and other children who joins him on a mysterious train that stops in front of their house on Christmas Eve, which was boarding to the North Pole to Santa.
- Year: 2004
- Genre: Fantasy, Animation, Adventure, Family.
- Director: Robert Zemeckis
- Voice Cast: Tom Hanks, Nona Gaye, Peter Scolari, Eddie Deezen, Michael Jeter, Leslie Zemeckis, Dylan Cash, Brendan King, Josh Eli, Julene Renee, Chris Coppola, Phil Fondacaro, Charles Fleischer, Steven Tyler.
- Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV
33. The Wolverine (2013)
The Wolverine is a part of the X-Men film franchise and is the sixth film. It is also the sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and X-Men: The Last Stand(2006). Wolverine has three movies in the series, and this is the second one. The last one was Logan, released in 2017. This is the fifth highest-grossing movie in the X-Men Series and follows the events after X-Men: The last stand.
Logan goes to Japan to help an old friend who is dying. His friend asks to give away his power to heal, but yeah, we all can imagine how that would have ended. The movie was praised for its action sequence, storyline, cinematography, and performance but was criticized for the climax, which could have been better. It was nominated for six awards.
- Year: 2013
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Superhero, Fantasy.
- Director: James Mangold
- Cast: Hugh Jackman, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima, Svetlana, Brian Tee, Haruhiko Yamanouchi, Will Yun Lee, Famke Janssen.
- Cameo: Lynn Collins, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen.
- Where to Watch: Apple TV.
Also Read: The New Mutants Review: X-Men In Making
32. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Phil Lord and Chris Miller leave you drooling. You would be drooling and craving in the first 30 minutes of the movie. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is about Flint Lockwood, who is an aspiring inventor. However, none of his inventions were a success till he invented the machine that turns into water. However, the machine overloaded and started the food storm.
The film is based on the book of the same name by Judi Barrett and Ron Barrett. As for Lord and Miller’s directorial debut, the movie was applauded. Visuals, casting, performance, humor, direction, and storyline received positive comments. The movie was nominated for nine awards.
- Year: 2009
- Genre: Family, Fantasy, Comedy, Animation.
- Directors: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
- Voice Cast: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Neil Patrick Harris, James Caan, Bruce Campbell, Andy Samberg, Mr. T, Bobb’e J. Thompson, Benjamin Bratt, Al Rocker, Lauren Graham, Will Forte, Angela V. Shelton.
- Where to Watch: Netflix
31. The Addams Family (1991)
This movie was a delight for every ’90s kid. The Addams Family follows the story of the Addams when Gomez finds his long-lost brother Fester returning home. The movie is set in dark attire, and The Addams are quite strange on their own. Dark Comedy is the key element of the five film-film that received positive reviews and were nominated for five awards and won 3.
- Year: 1991
- Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Supernatural.
- Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
- Cast: Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Llyod, Christina Ricci, Jimmy Workman, Judith Malina, Carel Struycken, Christopher Hart, John Franklin, Elizabeth Wilson, Dan Hedaya, Dana Ivey, Paul Benedict, Allegra Kent, Mercedes McNab, Sally Jessy Raphael.
- Cameo: Barry Sonnenfeld.
- Where to Watch: Prime Video
30. Maleficent (2014)
Based on The Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault, Maleficent is a live-action adaptation of the animated film Sleeping Beauty (1959) but through the eyes of Maleficent, who is the antagonist in the main story. She is the one who puts up the curse on the king’s daughter Aurora to take revenge on the king for betraying her.
The movie was supposed to be a hit, and it was but was criticized for the same thing which they thought would be a breakthrough: the script and tone of the films. However, it was a commercial success and was praised for its visuals, costumes, Jolie’s performance, and musical score. It is Angelia Jolie’s highest-grossing film of 2014 too. The film raised a lot of controversies about rape culture and, capitalism & socialism.
It was nominated for 30 awards and won 5, including the People’s Choice Awards for Favorite Movie and Favorite Family Movie. It also won Favorite Villain (Angelina Jolie) in Kid’s Choice Award. A sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, was also released in 2019.
- Year: 2014
- Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Fairytale.
- Director: Robert Stromberg
- Cast: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Sam Reily, Brenton Thwaites, Kenneth Cranham, Hannah New.
- Where to Watch: Apple TV
29. Jumanji (1995)
Jumanji is the first movie in the Jumanji franchise, followed by Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019). The movie is based on the picture book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg and was the 10th highest-grossing film of 1995.
The story follows two siblings who found a board game that teleported them into the game, and now, they have to face the obstacles that come to them to finish the game and go home. In that process, they also found Alan Parrish and Sarah Whittle, who was trapped in the game for 26 years.
- Year: 1995
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
- Director: Joe Johnston
- Cast: Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, David Alan Grier, Adam Hann-Byrd, Bonnie Hunt, Jonathan Hyde, Bebe Neuwirth, Bradley Pierce, James Handy, Patricia Clarkson, Laura Bell Bundy.
- Where to Watch: Netflix
28. Transformers (2007)
Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg (executive producer for Transformers) bought the best of the movie. We wish we had a Bumblebee. Transformers was the fifth highest-grossing film of 2007. 2007 was a good year for Hollywood. Transformers was the first film in the Transformers film franchise. Other movies are:
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
- Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
- Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
- Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
- Stand-alone Spin-off: Bumblebee (2018)
- Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (TBA)
The first installment follows the story of a teenager Sam Witwicky whose grandfather accidentally found the leader of the Decepticons, Megatron, who crash-landed on Earth and was kept a secret as he is, you know, an alien robot.
Years later, his minions are trying to wake him up while Autobots (the good ones) are keeping them at bay. They are also in search of the AllSpark, which can be used to put life in machines.
The movie received positive comments on performances, direction, action, and visuals but was criticized for less time given to some specific characters and for the redesigns of transformers. The fact that U. S. Armed Forces and General Motors loaned their vehicles for the shooting made the action sequences realistic.
The creators also took promotions of the movie a level up by making deals with various companies like eBay, Burger King, and General Motors. Transformers was nominated for 16 awards, out of which it won 9.
- Year: 2007
- Genre: Action, Sci-fi, Fantasy.
- Director: Michael Bay
- Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, Megan Fox, Tyrese Gibson, Rachael Taylor, Anthony Anderson, John Turturro, Jon Voight, Michael O’Neill, Kevin Dunn, Amaury Nolasco, Zack Ward, W. Morgan Sheppard, Bernie Mac, John Robinson, Travis Van Winkle, Glenn Morshower.
- Voice Cast: Peter Cullen, Mark Ryan, Darius McCrary, Robert Foxworth, Jess Harnell, Hugo Weaving, Jim Wood, Reno Wilson, Charlie Adler.
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Prime Video.
Also Read: Transformers 1 Ending Explained: Everything You Need To Know!
27. The Time Traveler’s Wife
The time traveler’s wife is an adaptation of the debut novel by American Author Audrey Niffenegger published in 2013. Bookworms who like to read science fiction romantic novels have shown much love to the book, and similar love was given to the movie, making it a success at the box office. Let me ask you this. Will you consider the power to time travel a disability or an ability?
Well, if you think it’s a good thing, Then Henry DeTamble would disagree with you. He can travel in time, but it happens randomly, and he gets teleported to different years at different times for different time intervals.
But the story is not about him. There is another question. What if you are the one who is the love of this person? Well, it sucks. Not seeing your husband for days. Not knowing if he will come back or not.
- Year: 2009
- Genre: Romance, Sci-fi, Time Travel, Fantasy.
- Director: Robert Schwentke
- Cast: Rachel McAdams, Brooklynn Proulx, Eric Bana, Alex Ferris, Arliss Howard, Ron Livingston, Stephen Tobolowsky, Michelle Nolden, Jane McLean, Hailey McCann, Tatum McCann.
- Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV
26. Man of Steel
Well, this movie doesn’t need much introduction. Superman is probably the first superhero every ’90s kid came across. Man of Steel is the first movie in the DC’s extended universe and a reboot of the previously released Superman film franchise. The story follows the origin of Superman as her alter ego, Clark, learns about his home and fights against Zod.
The movie was a commercial success and was the 9th highest-grossing film of 2013. Twenty nominations were written in the name of the movie, and out of them, three were won. Warner Bros. was bringing up a sequel to the movie, but it was canceled, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was released in 2016, stating that you should think of it as Man of Steel 2.
- Year: 2013
- Genre: Action, Sci-fi, Superhero, Fantasy.
- Director: Zack Synder
- Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Christopher Nolan, Russell Crowe.
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Prime Video.
25. Brave
We have so many facts to state about this movie. Like it’s the first movie by Pixar to feature a female protagonist and is the first full-length Pixar movie of Chapman. Pixar changed their animation coding after 25 years for Brave as it is special, Merida is their first princess, and the movie is dedicated to the memory of Steve Jobs.
Brenda Chapman showed a really beautiful bond between a mother and a daughter drawing inspiration from her relationship. The story follows Merida, who denies following the years-old custom of being betrothed.
His father, the king, was the one who fought bravely with a wild bear years ago. Merida unknowingly put a curse on her mother, turning her into a bear. Now, she has to find the old lady and save her mother from her father.
Brave received mixed reviews and was nominated for 41 awards, out of which it won 14 awards, including Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, Alliance of Women Film Journalists, American Cinema Editors, and Golden Globe Awards.
- Year: 2012
- Genre: Family, Fantasy, Adventure, Animation.
- Directors: Brenda Chapman, Mark Andrews.
- Voice Cast: Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd, Craig Purcell, Patrick Doyle, John Ratzenberger, Sally Kinghorn, Steven Cree, Callum O’Neill.
- Where to Watch: Apple TV
24. The Mummy
Mummy is one of the biggest action-adventure film franchises. It was a remake of the 1932 film of the same name. The film may have received mixed reviews but success at the box office. It was two more sequels: The Mummy Returns (2001) and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008). The Mummy also originated a spin-off prequel, The Scorpion King (2002), and an animated series. A reboot of the movie was released in 2017 of the same name starring Tom Cruise.
The story is about an archeologist Rick O’Connell who, along with a librarian and her brother, goes to the City of Dead, Hamunaptra, in search of treasure. Instead, they wake the evil Mummy. The movie was nominated for 17 awards and won 2 out of them, including Best Make-up at Saturn Awards.
- Year: 1999
- Genre: Adventure, Action, Supernatural, Fantasy.
- Director: Stephen Sommers
- Cast: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Kevin J. O’Connor, Jonathan Hyde, Oded Fehr, Erick Avari, Stephen Dunham, Corey Johnson, Tuc Watkins, Olmid Djalili, Aharon Ipale, Bernard Fox, Patricia Velasquez.
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
23. Encanto
Encanto is one of the best fantasy movies put there. It is about Mirabel Madrigal, who is a part of the Madrigal family and resides in the hidden mountain of Colombia. Their magical house, Encanto, blessed every child of the family with a special power that they used to serve the people of the community, except Mirabel, who was not given any power.
One day, she learned that she might destroy their house and power. Little did she know, she was the key to saving them all. Encanto and one of the most successful musical scores ever produced, breaking a lot of previous records. The originally written songs were given by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Encanto was nominated for 94 awards and won 41.
- Year: 2021
- Genre: Musical, Animation, Family, Fantasy.
- Directors: Byron Howard, Jared Bush.
- Voice Cast: Stephanie Beatriz, Maria Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo, Mauro Castillo, Jessica Darrow, Angie Cepeda, Caroline Gaitan, Diane Guerrero, Wilmer Vakderrama, Rhenzy Feliz, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Adassa, Maluma.
- Where to Watch: Apple TV
Also Read: Will There Be Encanto 2? All About The Disney Project!
22. Alita: Battle Angel
After being in years of development hell, Alita: Battle Angel based on the manga series Gunnm by Yokito Kishiro, was finally released in 2019. There is a possibility that the film may have a sequel. The story is about the cyborg Alita who awakes in a new body without the memory of her past.
The film was a success at the box office and was praised for its visuals, direction, action, and performance but was criticized for its screenplay. It was nominated for 20 awards and won 6.
- Year: 2019
- Genre: Sci-fi, Action, Live-action Animation.
- Director: Robert Rodriguez.
- Cast: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley, Keean Johnson, Jorge Lendeborg, Lana Condor, Idara Victor, Jeff Fahey, Eiza Gonzalez, Derek Mears, Leonard Wu, Rick Yune, Casper Van Dien, Elle LaMont.
- Camoes: Michelle Rodriguez, Jai Courtney, Edward Norton.
- Where to Watch: Apple TV.
21. Peter Pan
Peter Pan is adapted from the play by J. M. Barrie in 1904, followed by a novel in 1911. It is also known as Peter & Wendy and The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up. The story follows three siblings who fly away with Peter (a boy who never dies or grows) to the mystical land of Never Land with Tinker Bell (who is a fairy). Peter is in a fight with Captain Hook, who seeks vengeance against Peter because he cut off his hand.
This was Disney’s last film with RKO, as they found their own distribution company after this. A sequel was released in 2002, Return to Never Land, and a live-action movie, Peter and Wendy, are said to be released in 2023. The film was also a commercial hit but received a lot of mixed reviews.
- Year: 1953
- Genre: Adventure, Animation, Fantasy, Fairytale.
- Directors: Hamilton Luske, Wilfred Jackson, Clyde Geronimi.
- Cast: Bobby Driscoll, Kathryn Beaumont, Paul Collins, Tommy Luske, Heather Angel, Nana, Hans Conried, Bill Thompson, June Foray, Tiger Lily, Candy Candido, Tom Conway.
- Where to Watch: Disney+ Hotstar
20. Black Panther
Black Panther is the 18th film and a part of Phase Three of the MCU. It broke a lot of records, becoming the 9th highest-grossing film of all time, and it is the highest-grossing film directed by a black filmmaker. Black Panther made it to many Top 10s lists.
It is considered one of the best MCU films because of its historical and cultural accuracy. The film is about T’Challa, who is crowned the King of Wakanda after the death of his father but is now challenged by Killmonger, who has different plans.
Black Panther was critically acclaimed, especially for its story, performance, direction, music, and costume. A sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, was released in 2022. An untitled series is also in production.
The film was nominated for 226 awards and won 90, including the Academy Awards for Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design. However, Black Panther didn’t win the Best Picture award at the Academy Awards but became the first Superhero movie to be nominated for it.
- Year: 2018
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Superhero, Fantasy.
- Director: Ryan Coogler
- Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis.
- Cameos: Stan Lee, Sebastian Stan.
- Where to Watch: Apple TV.
19. Frozen
Frozen is adapted from the fairy tale The Snow Queen (1844) by Hans Christian Andersen, which is the story of two sisters and princesses, Anna and Elsa. Elsa possesses an uncontrollable power to manipulate snow and is not allowed to go anywhere.
One day, she created an eternal winter in her kingdom and left. Elsa is now on a quest to find her and correct everything. Frozen was the highest-grossing animated film of all time until The Lion King (2019) came into the picture. It was the 5th highest-grossing of all time and the highest-grossing film of 2013.
The movie was critically acclaimed and was praised for various aspects like narration, direction, screenplay, visuals, musical scores, and theme. It is considered to be the best-animated film by Disney.
Frozen gave birth to a lot of controversies and lawsuits because of its song “Let it Go” and the character Elsa, but it also gave birth to its sequel Frozen II which was released in 2019. A short animation, Frozen Fever, was also released in 2015, and an animated featurette Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, was released in 2019.
- Year: 2013
- Genre: Musical, Animation, Family, Princess.
- Directors: Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee.
- Voice Cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana, Alan Tudyk, Ciaran Hinds, Chris Williams, Maia Wilson, Paul Briggs, Maurice LaMarche, Jennifer Lee.
- Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV.
18. Ready Player One
If you have watched this one, you know it is one of the best fantasy sci-fi out there. No wonder why Spielberg said that it’s the third-hardest film he ever made. The visuals, the graphics, the pacing, the characters, the story, the narration, and the direction, we can’t find one single flaw in them.
The movie was nominated for 85 awards and won 47, including Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score, at the Academy Awards. Ready Player One is the future. We have seen many films in the future, but this seems the most realistic in 2045 when people spend most of their lives in virtual stimulation rather than in real life.
If they lose in the game, they fail in life. And then, everything changes after the death of the owner of the OASIS company as he offers the ownership of the company to whoever wins the quest and grabs three keys.
The movie had a reference to The Shinning (1980), Back to the future, and The Iron Giant (1999). Ready Player One is based on the book of the same name by Ernest Cline, and There is a possibility that a sequel, Ready Player Two, is on its way. The film was nominated for 17 awards and won 3 out of them.
- Year: 2018
- Genre: Sci-fi, Action, Gaming, Fantasy
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Cast: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, Mark Rylance, Philip Zhao, Win Morisaki, Hannah John-Kamen, Susan Lynch, Ralph Ineson, Perdita Weeks.
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Prime Video.
Also Read: How To Watch Night Doctor And Episode Schedule
17. Hugo
Hugo is based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007) by Brian Selznick. Even though the film was critically acclaimed and received a lot of accolades, and made it to many top 10 lists, it was a box office bomb.
The story follows a boy in 1930 Paris who lives alone at Gare Montparnasse railway station. He is in search of the key that would make his late father’s automaton run again. Hugo was nominated for 118 awards and won 30 including Academy Awards for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects.
- Year: 2011
- Genre: Adventure, Family.
- Director: Martin Scorsese
- Cast: Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer, Jude Law, Helen McCrory, Michael Stuhlbarg, Christopher Lee, Frances de la Tour, Richard Griffiths, Kevin Eldon, Gulliver McGrath, Angus Barnett.
- Cameos: Michael Pitt, Martin Scorsese, Brian Selznick.
- Where to Watch: Hulu
16. Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a part of DCEU and is the fourth installment of t. Wonder Woman has previously made its appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), and this movie is a prequel to her origin.
The film was also a commercial hit. It was nominated for 85 awards and won 26. It is set during the time of WWI when Steve Trevor’s plane crash lands in the area of Amazon, which is a hidden all-female warrior island in between oceans.
Princess Diana rescues him, and he tells her about the war. Despite knowing the fact that she won’t be able to return there forever, she leaves Amazon to fight their old enemy Ares and to stop the war. Wonder Woman is said to be the best movie in the DCEU.
It was the highest-grossing film by a solo female director until Hi, Mom (2021), which was directed by Jia Ling. Wonder Woman was the 10th highest-grossing film of 2017. It was praised for its action sequence, visuals, performance, music, and direction. A sequel Wonder Woman 1984, was released in 2020, but the third film has been canceled.
- Year: 2017
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Superhero, Fantasy.
- Director: Patty Jenkins.
- Cast: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen, Elena Anaya, Lucy Davis, Said Taghmaoui, Ewen Bremner, Eugene Brave Rock, Lisa Loven Kongsli.
- Cameo: Zack Snyder.
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video.
15. Pinocchio
We all are familiar with Pinocchio, aren’t we? A wooden puppet who came to life as a son to its creator, Geppetto, is now of them struggling to have a place in this world. The story is set in the interwar period in Italy between 1922 and 1943.
Guillermo del Toro has been on this project for a long time, and this is one of his favs. The story is inspired by The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883) by Carlo Collodi and Illustrations (2002) by Gris Grimly.
Pinocchio was praised for its story, pacing, visuals, voice cast, and del Toro’s direction. This is Mark Gustafson’s first commercial film. The movie has been nominated for 33 awards, and the results of many of them are ending. Yet they have already won 7 out of 20.
- Year: 2022
- Genre: Animation, Fantasy, Musical
- Directors: Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson
- Voice Cast: Gregory Mann, Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton, Ron Perlman, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Burn Gorman, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, Tom Kenny.
- Where to Watch: Netflix
14. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Hobbit is a very well-known film franchise to the people. It is based on the novel The Hobbit (1937) by J. R. R. Tolkien. An Unexpected Journey is the first installment of The Hobbit trilogy and is the prequel to the Lord of the Ring trilogy.
The story is set almost sixty years earlier than the events of the Lord of the Rings. It is set in Middle Earth, where halflings (hobbits) reside. The story follows Bilbo Baggins, who is convinced by the wizard Gandalf to join dwarves to reclaim the mountain from the dragon Smaug. In return, he can have a portion of the treasure and the dragon guards.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was a box office hit and was the 4th highest-grossing film of 2012. The two sequels, The Desolation of Smaug (2013) and The Battle of the Five Armies (2014), followed the rest of the story of Bilbo Baggins and his journey to defeat Smaug.
The movie received mixed reviews but was mostly praised for its musical score, cast performance, visuals, and special effects. It was nominated for 102 awards and won 21 of them, including the Academy Award for Scientific and Engineering Award IGN Best of 2013 for Best Fantasy Movie.
- Year: 2012
- Genre: Adventure, Fantasy.
- Director: Peter Jackson
- Cast: Marti Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Ken Scott, Graham McTavish, Aidan Turner, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Benedict Cumberbatch.
- Cameos: Peter Jackson, Jabez Olssen, Sonia Forbes-Adam.
- Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV
13. Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a direct sequel to Ghostbuster (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989). It is the fourth installment in the Ghostbusters franchise between the previous one and this one. An all-female reboot was released in 2014.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is set in Oklahoma 32 years after the events of the original Ghostbusters. In this movie, a single mother and her children move to a farmhouse that was inherited by her father, who is a member of the original ghostbusters. Living there they got to know about their legacy.
The movie was a box office success and was praised for direction, performance, and tribute to Ramis but was criticized for fan servicing and screenplay. It was nominated for 14 awards and won 1, Best Performance by a Younger Actor (Finn Wolfhard).
- Year: 2021
- Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Supernatural.
- Director: Jason Reitman
- Cast: Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Logan Kim, Celeste O’Connor, Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Sigourney Weaver.
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video.
Also Read: Ghostbusters: Afterlife Ending Explained: Do The Kids Defeat Gozer?
12. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a part of Phase IV of MCU and is the 25th film. It was based on the Legends of the Ten Rings that have appeared throughout MCU before too. The story follows Shang-Chi, who has left his past life behind but is now forced into it again.
The movie was a success at the box office, making it the 9th highest-grossing film of 2021. It was praised for its direction, cast performance, visuals, story, references (especially to the song- Hotel California), and action sequences. A sequel to the film might also be on its way. It was nominated for 44 awards and won 7 out of them.
- Year: 2021
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Superhero, Fantasy.
- Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
- Cast: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Meng’er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong, Yuen Wah, Michelle Yeoh, Ben Kinsley, Tony Leung, Ronny Chieng, Jodi Long, Dallas Liu, Andy Le, Jade Xu, Tim Roth.
- Cameos: Mark Ruffalo, Brie Larson.
- Where to Watch: Apple Tv.
11. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Beauty and the Beast is a classic tale of love and empathy. The film is about an arrogant prince who was cursed to be a monster. To return to his true self, he had to earn love until the last petal of the rose fell. And one day, Belle comes to his mansion in search of his father, and in exchange for his freedom, she stays there.
The movie was a commercial hit and is still considered one of the greatest animated fantasy films ever. It was nominated for 33 awards and won 19, including Academy Award for Best Original Song, Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, Best Pop Instrumental Performance, Best Album for Children, Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or television. In 2016, a live-action adaptation starring Emma Watson was released.
- Year: 1991
- Genre: Musical, Fantasy, Animation.
- Directors: Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise.
- Voice Cast: Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Angela Lansbury, Bradley Pierce, Rex Everhart, Jesse Corti, Jo Anne Worley, Hal Smith, Mary Kay Bergman, Jack Angel.
- Where to Watch: Disney+
10. Aladdin (1992)
Aladdin was the highest-grossing animated film of 1992 and the highest-grossing of all time until The Lion King (1994). The story is adapted from the folktale of the same name from One Thousand and One Nights.
The story is about Aladdin, who lives on the street and falls in love with Princess Jasmine, but he cannot marry her as he is not a prince. Upon finding the magic lamp, which has a genie in it who fulfill your three wishes, he takes his help to pretend as a rich prince so that he can be with her. The king’s vizier Jafar is looking for the lamp for his use.
Aladdin was critically acclaimed and was praised for its visuals, musical score, and performance. It was nominated for 41 awards and won 26, including the Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song (A Whole New World). Aladdin also has two sequels, The Return of Jafar (1994) and Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996). A live-action adaptation was also released in 2019 featuring Will Smith as Genie.
- Year: 1992
- Genre: Musical, Fantasy, Animation, Fairytale.
- Directors: Ron Clemeents, John Musker.
- Voice Cast: Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, Jonathan Freeman, Frank Welker, Gilbert Gottfried, Douglas Seale, Jim Cummings, Charlie Adler, Corey Burton.
- Where to Watch: Disney+ Hotstar
9. Deadpool
Deadpool is a part of the X-Men series and is the eighth movie of it. Although, now its rights are under Marvel, which will release Deadpool 3 in 2024 as part of Phase VI of the MCU. The film has been made since 2004, and Ryan was the first and last choice to play the role of Deadpool even though he was criticized for it in 2009 X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Finally, Miller made it work in his directorial debut.
Deadpool features the anti-hero Wade Wilson/Deadpool, who had mutated. He was dying of cancer, and now he has the power to heal but looks very vicious. He cannot die. The movie was mostly in trend because of its reference game and humor. It was also praised for its CGI, writing, direction, and cast. Finally, Ryan had a good superhero movie.
Deadpool was a commercial hit and became the 9th highest-grossing film of 2016 and the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. Deadpool 2, a direct sequel, was also released in 2018. It was nominated for 60 awards and won 15.
- Year: 2016
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Superhero, Fantasy.
- Director: Tim Miller.
- Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T. J. Miller, Gina Carano, Brianna Hildebrand, Stefan Kapicic, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, Jed Rees.
- Cameos: Stan Lee, Rob Liefeld, Rob Hayter, Hugh Jackman, Nathan Fillion.
- Where to Watch: Apple TV.
8. Blade Runner (1982)
Blade Runner is also a movie that was ahead of its time. It underperformed at first but was later preserved at the U. S. National Film Registry. It is a movie that birthed many spin-offs, video games, cultural heritage, and more. It is a cult movie that has a fanbase that follows the story religiously.
Blade Runner at that time was set in the future of 2019, Los Angeles, where replicants work at space colonies for the company Tyrell Corporation. When a group of advanced replicants escapes to Earth, a cop, Rick Deckard, is on a mission to hunt them, although he is struggling with his issues at that time.
This movie created the genre of cyberpunk and sci-fi. It didn’t get any success at first because of the pacing of the film and no to fewer action sequences. It is based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) by Philip K. Dick.
It is considered one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time. A sequel to the movie was released in 2017, Blade Runner 2049. Seven different Versions were released of the movie either as test work or because the studio demanded it, which are:
- Workprint prototype (1982)
- San Diego sneak preview (1982)
- US theatrical release (1982)
- International theatrical release (1982)
- US broadcast version (1986)
- The Director’s Cut (1992)
- The Final Cut (2007)
Short Films (which covers the story between the two sequels):
- Blade Runner Black Out 2022 (2017)
- 2036: Nexus Dawn (2017)
- 2048: Nowhere to Run (2017)
Animated Television:
- Blade Runner: Black Lotus (2021)
- Year: 1982
- Genre: Sci-fi, Action, Fantasy.
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Cast: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, M. Emmet Walsh, Daryl Hannah, William Sanderson, Brion James, Joe Turkel, Joanna Cassidy, James Hong, Morgan Paul, Hy Pyke.
- Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
7. Pirates of the Caribbean Sea: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Many may argue that On Stanger Tides (2011) is the best installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean Sea film franchise, but The Curse of the Black Pearl is where our voyage started, and we are sticking to it. This movie gave Johnny Depp worldwide recognition. This movie was the 4th highest-grossing film of 2003.
The story follows Captain Jack Sparrow and blacksmith Will Turner who are to rescue Elizabeth Swan from the Black Pearl. Captain Hector Barbossa is the leader of the Black Pearl and has an army of undead skeletons. The movie was praised for Johnny’s performance, visuals, story, and cinematography. The movie was nominated for 97 awards, and out of them, it won 27.
The film franchise in order of its release:
- Pirates of the Caribbean Sea: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
- Pirates of the Caribbean Sea: Dead Man’s Chest(2006)
- Pirates of the Caribbean Sea: At World’s End (2007)
- Pirates of the Caribbean Sea: On Stranger Tides (2011)
- Pirates of the Caribbean Sea: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
- Year: 2003
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Pirates, Fantasy, Supernatural.
- Director: Gore Verbinski
- Cast: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport, Kevin R. McNally, Zoe Saldana, Jonathan Pryce, Treva Etienne, David Bailie, Lee Arenberg, Mackenzie Crook, Trevor Goddard, Isaac C. Singleton Jr., Brye Cooper.
- Where to Watch: Apple TV.
Also Read: 12 Vintage Anime To Watch in 2023
6. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter is the most known and most followed fantasy film franchise. Based on the books of the same name by J. K. Rowling, Prisoner of Azkaban is the third installment in the Harry Potter film series. It has so many insights that one can’t even follow.
Many fans of the book would say that it’s better to read books, but we would say just give it a go. It’s movies, for god’s sake. It is a brilliant screenplay by Steve Kloves. Bringing those thick books in less than 3 hr movie is not easy while keeping all the essential parts.
This installment follows the story of Harry in his third year at Hogwarts, where he learns the truth about his father and mother being betrayed by their friend, but they blame the wrong person. This film featured Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore. It was the highest-grossing film of 2004. It was nominated for 51 awards and won 13.
The Harry Potter Series in order:
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
- Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix (2007)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I (2010)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II (2011)
- Year: 2004
- Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Magic.
- Director: Alfonso Cuaron
- Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Richard Griffiths, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, James & Oliver Phelps, Bonnie Wright, Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis, Robert Hardy.
- Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
5. Logan
Logan was the third highest-grossing R-rated film of its time and is considered one of the best superhero movies ever made. It’s the third and final film of the Wolverine trilogy and serves as the 10th film in the X-Men film series. Logan was mostly praised for its emotional portrayal. The film is about old Wolverine and ill Charles. Charles is protecting a mutant named Laura, and now Logan has to protect her.
Logan, throughout the journey, makes a connection with her and finds out a lot about him and his connection to Laura. The film was also praised for its direction, dedication to originality, cinematography, action, performance, cast performance, humor, and screenplay. It was nominated for 54 awards and won 9.
- Year: 2017
- Genre: Action, Sci-fi, Superhero, Fantasy.
- Director: James Mangold
- Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Richard E. Grant, Eriq La Salle, Elise Neal, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Doris Morgado, David Kallaway, Han Soto, Jason Genao, Krzystof Soszynski, Alison Fernandez.
- Where to Watch: Apple TV.
4. Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame, previously named Avengers: Infinity War Part II, broke all the records that ever existed. The movie even broke the previous record of its film. It is the 22nd film of the MCU, a part of Phase III and a sequel to Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
The story follows after Infinity War, where the surviving members of the Avengers are trying to cope with their defeat with Thanos. Although Scot Lang brought new hope to them when he returned from the Quantum Realm, and they invented time travel. Two sequels are also in line to be released. Here is the Avengers saga timeline for you to only:
Mind it, the list below is only Avengers movies:
- The Avengers (2012)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2025-TBA)
- Avengers: Secret Wars (2026-TBA)
- Year: 2019
- Genre: Action, Sci-fi, Superhero, Fantasy.
- Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Guria, Benedict Wong, Jon Favreau, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Josh Brolin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chadwick Boseman, Tom Holland, Zoe Saldana, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Tom Hiddleston, Pom Kelentieff.
- Where to Watch: Apple TV
3. The Lion King (1994)
The Lion King holds a lot of historical significance to it. It is inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamilton. It was the highest-grossing film of 1994 and the second-highest-grossing film of all time. It was praised for its animation, music, story, and selection.
The songs were given by Elton John. The Lion King has two sequels: The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride (1998) and the Lion King 1½ (2004). It also originated two television series: Timon and Pumbaa, The Lion Guard. A remake was also released in 2019.
The story is about a young cub, Simba, who is the rightful king of Pride Lands after his father’s death, Mufasa. His uncle, Scar, tricked him and got him to leave the land. He spent most of his years with Timon and Pumbaa, who gave him the motto “Hakuna Matata, “our motto now. Years later, Simba returns to claim what rightfully is his.
The movie was nominated for 46 awards and won 29, including Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song (Can You Feel the Love Tonight). It also won Grammy Awards for Best male Pop Vocal Performance, Best Music Album for Children, Best Spoken Word Album for Children, and Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocals.
- Year: 1994
- Genre: Musical, Family, Animation, Fantasy.
- Directors: Rob Minkoff, Roger Allers
- Voice Cast: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Moira Kelly, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Robert Guillaume, Rowan Atkinson, Madge Sinclair, Whoopi Goldberg, Jim Cummings, Cheech Marin, Zoe Leader.
- Where to Watch: Disney+ Hotstar
2. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Okay, so it wasn’t easy to choose one film out of the series. Lord of the Rings is a series of three films based on the novel by J. R. R. Tolkein. The story follows Frodo Baggins of Shire (Middle-Earth), who goes on the quest to destroy the one ring with the Fellowship. Although they get separated, all of them play their part. On the other, Gandalf, Legolas, and other form a team to fight Sauron in the War of the Ring.
The movies:
- LOTR: The Fellowship of the Rings (2001)
- LOTR: The Two Towers (2002)
- LOTR: The Return of the King (2003)
Lord of the Rings is the biggest movie franchise ever made. It is named the greatest and most influential film series and is the highest-grossing film of all time. We don’t even need to say this, but the trilogy broke a lot of records. It was acclaimed for groundbreaking special effects, story, cast, visuals, direction, musical score, emotional depth, and whatnot.
Talking about the accolades, it will take a whole day to state them all, but in short, the trilogy was nominated for a total of 800 awards and won 475. They broke a lot of records. All three films had 30 Academy Awards nominations and won 17, which is the highest number for nominations and wins.
The Return of the King was in every category at the Academy Awards, which is still an Oscar record. It also has the highest number of Oscars won, i.e., 11, which ties with Ben-Hur (1959) and Titanic (1997). The LOTR trilogy is huge, drastic, and dynamic. Surely, keeping a record of all the things must not have been easy.
The franchise is so big that even the extended versions were a hit which was like a 4-5 hours long film. The extended version time length for the movies was: The Fellowship of the Ring was 3 hr 28 min long, The Two Towers was 3 hr 46 min long, and The Return of the King was 4 hr 12 min long.
- Year: 2001-2003
- Genre: High Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Period.
- Director: Peter Jackson
- Ensemble Cast: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean, Dominic Monaghan, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, John Rhys-Davies, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, Andy Serkis, Christopher Lee, Ian Holm, Marton Csokas, Hugo Weaving.
- Where to Watch: HBO Max.
Also Read: 50 Quotes From The Lord Of The Rings.
1. Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back
We will keep it as simple as we can. Understanding the Star Wars franchise is not that difficult if you have the order. The Chapters or installments of the series were not released in chronological order, so, The Empire Strikes Back is the second movie in the original trilogy of Star Wars and is chronically fifth of the Skywalker Saga.
The movie was nominated for 16 awards and won 11, including Academy Award for Best Sound and Special Achievement Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Star Wars is probably the biggest and most successful media franchise ever made.
It created a phenomenal wave around the globe. This installment of the series follows the story where Luke Skywalker is training to control The Force so that he can confront Darth Vader. It also follows the battle between Galactic Empire and Rebel Alliance.
This installment is considered the best of the Star Wars franchise. It was the highest-grossing film of 1980, and it set a lot of examples for others to follow. It was considered superior to its prequel. The plot twist at the end of the movie (don’t worry, I ain’t spoiling it for you) is considered one of the greatest plot twists that ever existed.
It is the greatest fantasy movie of all time. The list of Star Wars Saga in order of its release is below and is the reason why we said that we would try to keep it as simple as we can. Following up on the series may be difficult. I mean, how are the makers keeping up with it?
The Original Trilogy:
- Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
- Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
The Prequel Trilogy:
- Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
The Sequel Trilogy:
- Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
- Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
- Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Spin-off Films:
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
- Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Television Series:
- Droids (1985-1986)
- Ewoks (1985-1986)
- The Clone Wars (2008-2020)
- Rebels (2014-2018)
- Resistance (2018-2020)
- The Bad Batch (2021- Present)
- Visions (2021- Present)
- Tales of the Jedi (2022)
Animated Micro-series and Shorts
- Clone Wars (2003-2005)
- Blips (2017)
- Forces of Destiny (2017-2018)
- Galaxy of Adventures (2018-2020)
- Roll Out (2019-2020)
- Galaxy of Creatures (2021)
- Galactic Pals (2022)
- Zen-Grogu and Dust Bunnies (2022)
Live-Action Series:
- The Mandalorian (2019- Present)
- The Book of Boba Fett (2021- Present)
- Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
- Andor (2022- Present)
Specials:
- Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
- The Ewok Adventure (1984)
- Ewoks: The Battle of Endor (1985)
- Year: 1980
- Genre: Sci-fi, Adventure, Fantasy, Space Opera.
- Director: Irvin Kershner.
- Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, James Earl Jones, Peter Mayhew, Kenny Baker, Frank Oz, Alec Guinness, John Hollis, Clive Revill.
- Where to Watch: Apple iTunes
