The 8 Best Fantasy Movies on movie.guru, Ranked

Critics and audiences set this order through the movie.guru score. It spans 1939 to 2026, and nothing here scores below a 9.4.

Number one is a fairy tale, and it is absolutely not for kids.

1. 8
   Being John Malkovich (1999)9.2

   John Malkovich agreed to this, and cinema is better for it.

   John Cusack's out-of-work puppeteer finds a secret passage behind a filing cabinet, and it leads somewhere very specific. Critics rank it above 96% of notable movies. Catherine Keener is ice cold and perfect.
2. 7
   Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)9.4

   The funniest movie here, and the plot is optional.

   Graham Chapman's King Arthur gathers knights for a Grail quest and runs into French taunters, a dangerous rabbit and a bridgekeeper with a quiz. 91 minutes, audiences rank it above 98%.
3. 6
   The Odyssey (2026)9.4

   The oldest story on this list, and the newest movie.

   Matt Damon's Odysseus fights his way home from war while Anne Hathaway's Penelope holds off the suitors. 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 172 minutes feels fair for the original road trip.
4. 5
   It's a Wonderful Life (1946)9.6

   The best villain on this list is a landlord.

   James Stewart's George Bailey keeps shelving his dreams for Bedford Falls while Lionel Barrymore's Mr. Potter squeezes the whole town. 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, made for $3.2 million. The angel takes his time.
5. 4
   Star Wars (1977)9.6

   It's a fairy tale with spaceships, which is why it's here.

   A farm boy, a smuggler, a princess and an old wizard with a laser sword. $775.4 million worldwide, A+ CinemaScore. Mark Hamill's Luke whines like a real teenager.
6. 3
   The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)9.4

   201 minutes and you still want the extended cut.

   Frodo and Sam push toward Mordor while Aragorn rallies everyone else, and the beacon lighting still gives grown adults goosebumps. An A+ CinemaScore and Metacritic 94.
7. 2
   The Wizard of Oz (1939)9.5

   A 1939 musical still out-imagines every CGI fantasy.

   Judy Garland's Dorothy recruits a brainless Scarecrow, a heartless Tin Man and a cowardly Lion, the least qualified rescue squad ever. $25.6 million worldwide. A couple of songs overstay.
8. 1
   Pan's Labyrinth (2006)9.5

   The best fantasy movie is a war movie in disguise.

   In postwar Spain, young Ofelia escapes her cruel stepfather, a fascist captain, into a fairy tale that's just as dangerous. Metacritic 98, $19 million budget. Rated R, and it earns it.

$2,651 says you click your heels at the front door tonight and nothing happens.

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Current mood: ready to fight about it