High fantasy films take us out of our world and drop us into another that feels just as real, with epic worldbuilding, iconic characters and sky-high stakes.
Here are the eight most widely beloved high fantasy movies of all time. But what exactly do we mean by that…?
Our Criteria for ‘High Fantasy’
High fantasy is difficult to define at the best of times, especially in terms of separating it from other subgenres like dark fantasy or sword and sorcery.
For this list, we’re characterizing works as high fantasy if they a) take place primarily in a sprawling fictional world different to our own, b) depict incredibly consequential conflicts with the fate of the world (or at least an entire kingdom) on the line, and c) are characterized by aesthetics and concepts related to magic, mythology and folklore.
As for ‘universally beloved,’ we’re looking for the films that are best liked by the largest percentage of people who see them, rather than just the most widely seen (a feat that’s way easier to buy.) That excludes any films that were critical darlings but hated by audiences, and vice versa.
Finally, this list isn’t ranked – the first entry isn’t necessarily better or more well-liked than the last. And because of that, we’re free to start with…
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Released 2001-2003 | Directed by Peter Jackson | Written by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Stephen Sinclair
The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King are pretty uncontroversially three of the most beloved high fantasy films of all time, adapting J. R. R. Tolkien’s iconic novels.
From elven archers to cannibalistic Uruk-hai orcs, Tolkien redefined fantasy forever with the creation of Middle-earth, establishing the aesthetics and themes that went on to inspire several entries on this list.
Jackson’s adaptation is hailed as a faithful, unbelievably ambitious adaptation that communicates the sheer scale of the conflict against the Dark Lord Sauron and his minions, while retaining the believable, relatable heart of Frodo Baggins’ journey.
The movie has been praised for its cinematography, soundtrack, casting and more, with actors Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Andy Serkis, Sean Astin and more putting in career-best work.
The NeverEnding Story
Released 1984 | Directed by Wolfgang Petersen | Written by Wolfgang Petersen and Herman Weigel
Reading a forbidden book, everyday Earth kid Bastian Bux is connected to the alternate, high fantasy world of Fantasia, which is being consumed by a terrible force of darkness and despair known as the Nothing.
Despite being a family movie, The NeverEnding Story includes some haunting high fantasy imagery, from the werewolf Gmork and luck dragon Falkor to epic locations like the Sphinx Gate and the all-consuming Swamps of Sadness, where the heroic Atreyu’s horse Artax is sucked under, traumatizing a generation of kids.
While containing metafictional elements and connecting its fantasy realm to the real world, The NeverEnding Story is a masterclass in making a fantasy setting feel so real, you could reach out and touch it.
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
Released 1958 | Directed by Nathan Juran | Written by Kenneth Kolb
One of the many epic high fantasy films remembered for Ray Harryhausen’s pioneering stopmotion-animated monsters, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad adapts the adventures of its titular folkloric hero, pitting him against the gigantic, two-headed Roc, the towering Cyclops and a chained dragon that guards the abode of the evil wizard Sokurah.
Harryhausen’s work is similarly epic elsewhere (1963’s Jason and the Argonauts would be our pick for #11 on this list), but The 7th Voyage of Sinbad best supports his work with a compelling story and the sheer amount of fantastic antagonists.
It was also an unexpected hit that debuted Harryhausen’s Dynamation technique for the first time, accomplishing what had previously seemed impossible.
The Last Unicorn
Released 1982 | Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass | Written by Peter S. Beagle
In this animated classic, Mia Farrow’s last unicorn goes on a quest to restore her kind, opposed by the fiery menace of the Red Bull and Christopher Lee’s King Haggard, who studied Peter S. Beagle’s novel exhaustively to prepare for the movie adaptation.
Despite being for kids, the movie offers up some stunning visuals and a genuinely epic quest that culminates in hundreds of unicorns forming out of the crest of a wave and galloping their magic back into the world.
That shouldn’t come as a surprise – there’s a long history of studios only being willing to take a chance on high fantasy if it’s also a kids’ movie. Thankfully, in this case, the end result is a gem.
The Princess Bride
Released 1987 | Directed by Rob Reiner | Written by William Goldman
All great satires harbor love for their targets, and The Princess Bride embraces the trappings of high fantasy and fairytale with genuine appreciation for what makes them great.
Wesley’s quest to rescue his beloved Buttercup takes him across the high seas, through the Fire Swamp and into the castle of the vile Prince Humperdinck, all the while contending with giant rats, the “brute squad” of evil genius Fezzick, and vicious torturer Count Rugen.
With its framing device of a bedtime story and countless winks to the audience, Princess Bride is beloved for its humor, but it’s also fantastic fantasy.
Wesley and Buttercup’s romance is worth swooning over, and Mandy Patinkin’s quest for revenge as Inigo Montoya leads to one of the greatest air-punch moments in cinema.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Released 2023 | Directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley | Written by Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley and Michael Gilio
Starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Hugh Grant, Dungeons and Dragons depicts a story set within the world of the iconic tabletop role-playing game.
The movie follows a heist-minded crew of heroes as they seek out their fortune, ultimately embarking on a quest to prevent the Red Wizard Sofina from turning an entire city into her undead thralls.
Seen as a flop on release, Dungeons and Dragons didn’t attract a wide audience. However, there’s unanimous affection for the film among those who gave it a chance, suggesting this was more a failure of marketing than storytelling.
How to Train Your Dragon
Released 2010 | Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois | Written by Will Davies, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders
In a Viking colony beset by dragons, young warrior Hiccup befriends and trains one of the beasts, nicknaming it Toothless. Their partnership reveals the hidden cause of the dragon plague, and leads to an epic battle against the towering Red Death dragon.
Another awesome fantasy movie greenlit because of its family appeal, How to Train You Dragon is nevertheless one of the most successful and beloved high fantasy films of all time. The initial movie spawned a billion-dollar franchise, including a recent live-action remake starring Gerard Butler, Nick Frost and Mason Thames.
Honorable Mentions
- David Lowery’s The Green Knight is an awe-inspiring Arthurian tale with epic high fantasy visuals, but audience response was too mixed to call it ‘universally beloved.’
- Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth is one of the most well-respected dark fairytales of all time, but didn’t have enough ‘high fantasy’ elements for inclusion here.
- Jim Henson and Terry Jones’ Labyrinth was a close contender, but strayed too far from the blueprint to really feel like high fantasy, most explicitly in its highly personal stakes.
- Jim Henson and Frank Oz’s The Dark Crystal is a cult classic whose reputation has improved massively since its release. Sadly, an entire cast of puppets is just too big of an ask for many fantasy fans.
The Adventures of Prince Achmed
Released 1926 | Written and Directed by Lotte Reiniger
In one of the first feature-length animations ever made, the titular prince is tricked into mounting a flying horse, and is carried off to a series of mystical adventures, contending against demons, genies, monsters and an evil, shapeshifting sorcerer. The plot draws from various stories taken from One Thousand and One Nights.
The whole movie is depicted in gorgeous shadow-puppet animation, making the high-fantasy threats that much more imposing, as the viewer fills in the fine details from their own psyche.
Today considered a worthy classic, The Adventures of Prince Achmed is spell-binding animation that, at just over an hour, doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Those are our picks for the eight most universally beloved high fantasy films – let us know in the comments whether you agree with our picks, and what other movies should appear on this list.
- Release Date
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March 31, 2023
- Runtime
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134 minutes
- Director
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Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley
