Like any other genre,fantasymovies can include dark and intense themes that make the mystical elements of the story terrifying. Whether it’s through a genuinely frightening villain or serious plot points that make the stakes all too real,these narratives intend to leave the audience thinking about what they’ve seenand how it relates to the real world. The use of metaphor and allusion to true events is what makes fantasy such a popular genre, especially darker works of fiction that push the viewer to interrogate complex conversations about human nature.
While many darker additions to the genre are thebest R-rated fantasy movies, these films don’t need to warrant an R-rating to have a frightening and serious tone. Explicit violence and gore contribute to the darkness of a project, but there are many other ways that implied action and terror can be just as effective.Darkness can also be defined by tough choices, feelings of isolation, and the first steps toward adulthoodthat everyone must take. These topics are frequently touched upon in more intense projects, with loss of innocence being a recurring theme.
Van Helsing
Cast
Van Helsing is a 2004 action-adventure film directed by Stephen Sommers, starring Hugh Jackman as the titular character, a monster hunter tasked with defeating Dracula. Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh, and Shuler Hensley co-star in this gothic horror-inspired tale that explores the battle between good and evil in Transylvania.
Hugh Jackman might be best known for his role as Wolverine in theX-Menfranchise, but in 2004, he took on a much more supernatural part inVan Helsing. The movie pays homage to some of thebest monster movies of all time, withthe titular Van Helsing battling iconic creatures like Dracula, werewolves, and Frankenstein’s monster.Jackman is joined by Kate Beckinsale, who plays Anna, a young woman who joins forces with Van Helsing to stop Dracula once and for all.
Despite being a box-office success,Van Helsingdidn’t hit home with critics because of its over-the-top and campy sensibilities.
Despite being a box-office success,Van Helsingdidn’t hit home with critics because of its over-the-top and campy sensibilities. However, these aspects are part of the reason thatVan Helsinghas become somewhat of a cult classic today and is remembered fondly by lovers of the monster movie genre. Additionally,there is an undercurrent of sadness and sacrifice throughoutVan Helsing,as the monster hunter can’t remember his past and seems doomed to lose everyone he grows to care about.
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Pan’s Labyrinth
Directed by Guillermo del Toro, Pan’s Labyrinth follows Ofelia, a ten-year-old girl living in 1940s Spain who learns she is actually a long-lost fairy princess. With the help of a faun, she is set a series of tasks to complete in order to return to her true home in the fairy underworld. Ivana Baquero stars as Ofelia, with Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, and Doug Jones making up the rest of the main cast.
Pan’s Labyrinthmight follow the story of a child, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), but the film doesn’t hold back from putting her through terrible and dangerous ordeals. As mystically enchanting as it is forbidding,Pan’s Labyrinthsees Ofelia torn between the real-life political upheaval around her and the world she escapes towith the help of the Faun. However, even Ofelia’s fantasies are not safe, as she battles horrifying monsters like the iconic Pale Man and is pushed to grow up much faster than she should.
Sergi López’s turn as Captain Vidal is one of thebest fantasy movie performancesof all time, as the audience can feel the cruelty and thirst for power that motivates the character through the screen. While the Captain gets what he deserves in the end, this moment of retribution doesn’t change thatPan’s Labyrinthleaves off on a bittersweet and uncertain note.Whether or not Ofelia has reunited with her family in the Underworld or if it was all a dream is left open to the audience’s interpretation.
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The Dark Crystal
Directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, and featuring Henson’s signature use of puppetry and animatronics, The Dark Crystal tells the story of two Gelflings, a fictional race of elf-like fantasy creatures, who must embark on a quest to restore balance to their world through the mending of an all-powerful crystal, broken and corrupted by a malevolent race known as the Skeksis. Stephen Garlick and Lisa Maxwell voice the protagonists, Jen and Kira.
The Dark Crystalwas a turning point for Jim Henson and The Henson Company,as most audiences associated the production company with lighter works likeThe Muppet Showand found the sadness and gravity of the story unexpected. However, this is what makesThe Dark Crystalso enduring, as the epic tale feels just as important and immediate today as it did when the film first premiered. Even as the gorgeous visuals ofThe Draw Crystaldraw you in, the story challenges the viewer emotionally.
The Dark Crystalconcludes that there is an equal propensity for good and evil inside everyone and that both sides must be joined together to make something whole.
The conceit ofThe Dark Crystalrevolves around the extermination of the Geflings and the inhumane rule of the Skeksis, who perform horrible experiments. However,The Dark Crystalconcludes that there is an equal propensity for good and evil inside everyone and that both sides must be joined together to make something whole.The story’s ability to hold and communicate so many complex and heady themes speaks to the quality ofThe Dark Crystaland the need for innovative but serious projects like it.
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Coraline
Based on Neil Gaiman’s novella, Coraline follows Coraline Jones, a lonely young girl who, after moving to a new house with her inattentive parents, discovers a portal to another, more sinister alternate reality behind one of the house’s many doors. Written and directed by Henry Selick, the film uses stop-motion animation and stars Dakota Fanning as Coraline.
One of the best stop-motion animated films of all time,Coralineexpands upon the already gothic source material of the original book and creates a well-developed dark fantasy world. Like most stop-motion movies,Coralineuses color and visual atmosphere brilliantly, subverting expectations with the difference between the Other World and the real world. Even though it’s colorful and inviting, the Other World is actually a source of nightmares.The Other Mother is shockingly horrible and unsettlingfor a children’s villain.
Outside the horror elements,Coralineis dark in a deeper sense, asCoraline seeks to escape her reality because she feels ignored and misunderstood by her surroundings.Her journey to accepting her circumstances and appreciating what she has while desperately wishing for an escape from her reality is a complex subject but relates to all audiences, children and adults alike. It’s impossible to forget the terrors ofCoraline, even after Coraline defeats the monsters.
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Legend
Legend, released in 1985, is a fantasy film set in a mythical forest where a mystical forest dweller, chosen by fate, embarks on a heroic quest to rescue Princess Lili and thwart the evil Lord of Darkness, preventing the world from succumbing to an eternal ice age.
There’s a clear line between good and evil inLegend, the underrated 1980s fantasy movie that features a performance from a young Tom Cruise. However,the real star of the film is Tim Curry as Darkness,the villain who has no motivations other than to bring evil and destruction to every corner of the world. Curry could have easily played this part with a tongue-in-cheek tone, but instead, the actor makes the character as horrible as his character design implies.
The makeup and sets inLegendare some of the best parts of the movie, which is to be expected with Ridley Scott directing.
The makeup and sets inLegendare some of the best parts of the movie, which is to be expected with Ridley Scott directing. WhileLegenddoesn’t feature one ofCruise’s movie villain roles, it’s still interesting to see him take on a character so different from the action hero that audiences know him as. With high stakes and tension throughout the plot,there’s plenty of terror to be found inLegend, especially when Darkness captures Lili(Mia Sara) and asks her to marry him.
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Excalibur
Excalibur is a 1981 film directed by John Boorman, which retells the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Starring Nigel Terry as Arthur and Nicol Williamson as Merlin, the movie covers the mystical origins of Excalibur, Arthur’s rise to power, and the eventual betrayal by his closest allies. The film is notable for its striking visuals and adherence to the traditional Arthurian mythology.
There have been many adaptations of the legends of King Arthur, and while the 1981Excaliburisn’t the definitive version, it ranks high on the list. This is becauseExcaliburisn’t afraid to lean into the more nuanced and adult themes featured in the stories about Camelot and how Arthur’s story is one of tragedy. Nigel Terry does a good job communicating this sadness and sense of duty in his performance as Arthur, butHelen Mirren gives a tour-de-force performance as Morgana.
Morgana is an interesting figure in Arthurian legend, as much of her anger and motivation for becoming a villain stems from the violence and trauma brought upon her and her mother. This makes her at once sympathetic and repulsive to the audience, creating a multifaceted reaction and interpretation.The fantasy aspects and stunning visuals ofExcaliburall serve to forward the deeper plots of the role of kingsand destiny within the genre.
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The Black Cauldron
The Black Cauldron is an animated fantasy film from Walt Disney Studios, directed by Ted Berman and Richard Rich. Released in 1985, it follows the young hero Taran and his quest to prevent the evil Horned King from obtaining a powerful magical relic known as the Black Cauldron. Featuring the voices of Grant Bardsley, Susan Sheridan, and John Hurt, the film combines elements of adventure, mystery, and dark fantasy.
The Black Cauldronis one of the most infamous Disney flops of all time, but that makes revisiting it today all the more interesting. Unfortunately, the production was plagued with problems and budget cuts, as the studio was going through a transitional phase and was struggling to make it out of an animation slump. WhileThe Black Cauldrondidn’t help this,it has been cemented as a uniquely strange and dark addition to the Disney canon.
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Based onThe Chronicles of Prydainbook series by Lloyd Alexander,The Black Cauldronattempted to tackle the significant source material full of treacherous villains and monsters. Though the Horned King doesn’t have much to do in the story, he and his lair are gorgeously designed and evoke a sense of terror and atmospheric tension.Many of the most unsettling scenes were reportedly cut from the film before its release,but there’s still an underlying feeling of dread and depth in every scene ofThe Black Cauldron(viaCollider).
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Anjelica Huston is unforgettably grotesque in the 1990 adaptation of Roald Dahl’sThe Witchesas the Grand High Witch.The Witchesis a classic example of an older children’s film that’s been recently evaluated as almost shockingly dark, but that doesn’t make the story any less compelling. WhileThe Witchesmight give younger audiences nightmares, it’s a well-crafted fantasy horror story with a strong central message and coming-of-age themes. However, the original story had a darker ending than the happily-ever-after the 1990 movie features.
The evil nature of the witches and their hatred of children plays into every young person’s worst nightmare, which is part of why it’s so arresting to watch today. It’s always interesting to see film villains that have truly no good inside them or nuanced motivation.Huston’s Grand High Witch is uncompromisingly evil, and the narrative leans into this characterization,making the protagonists of the tale all the more brave and heroic.
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Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Bram Stoker’s Dracula, set in 19th century England, follows Count Dracula as he journeys to London. There, he encounters Mina Harker, who bears a striking resemblance to his long-lost love.
Francis Ford Coppola’s star-studded adaptation of the classic story ofDraculais an amazing horror fantasyfor the ages. With Gary Oldman as Dracula and additional performances from Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, and Keanu Reeves,Bram Stoker’s Draculaleans into the underlying themes in the work. The stylistic choices in the film provide an immersive experience for the viewer and expand upon the conflicting elements of desire and repression that were so prevalent in the literature of the era.
By the end of the story, the audience finds themselves identifying with the horrible villain and feeling compassion for him.
Despite the monsters being the heart of the narrative,Draculais a human story about loss and abandonment.The characters are only able to defeat evil and achieve peace when they accept themselves and their passions. Considered one of the best vampire movies of all time,Bram Stoker’s Draculabrought new life to the well-known story and was praised for its ability to make the project feel fresh and new after so many iterations. By the end of the story, the audience finds themselves identifying with the horrible villain and feeling compassion for him.
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Spirited Away
Spirited Away, a masterpiece by Hayao Miyazaki, is an animated fantasy film that follows the enchanting journey of a young girl named Chihiro. Trapped in a mystical world after her parents are transformed into pigs, Chihiro must navigate a realm filled with spirits and peculiar creatures to save her family.
Considered one of Hayao Miyazaki’s and Studio Ghibli’s best films,Spirited Awayis a masterpiece offantasyand coming-of-age narratives, perfectly blending the wonder and terror of growing up. The protagonist,Chihiro, might be transported to a beautiful and magical world, but it’s full of terrorsand challenges, and the inciting incident of the story sees her parents transformed into pigs in front of her. It’s a traumatic start for a dark and complex tale.
However, without these elements,Spirited Awaywouldn’t be half as good, as the film understands that the most transformative experiences can be scary.Chihiro reminds the audience of the first moments of independence and being on their own,which is scary even in the real world. Though she goes through a lot, Chihiro comes out the other side of the story stronger for it and has learned about the world and herself in the process.
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