Movies are a wonderful form of escapism, but some films take it to a whole other level in terms of fantasy, wonder, and unbridled excitement. Movies can serve a wide variety of purposes, but, at the end of the day, it’s about telling stories and leaving the world behind for a couple of hours. Even when a movie is rooted in fact, or based on historical events, what plays out on screen is still separate from the lives of the people sitting in the audience.

In this way, it can be incredibly therapeutic, or fun, or relaxing. As a form of entertainment, they are completely unique. And when a movie doubles down on its efforts to leave the world behind, it can make the experience considerably more whimsical, fantastical, and innovative. For these reasons and many more, fantasy tends to be a genre that does escapism better than most.

10

Big Fish

Tim Burton is one of the more unique directors in Hollywood, with his distinct visual style and humor distinguishing his films from anything else in cinema. And while this style comes through in every project, Big Fish stands out as one of the most unusual and imaginative in Burton’s own roster of films. Starring Ewan McGregor, the film follows a dying father as he imparts the story of his wild life to his son one final time.

The film moves through time, with a present that appears fairly mundane, and a past that is drenched in mystery and intrigue. Ed Bloom is a larger-than-life figure, and due to that very fact, his son struggles to believe his impossible stories. The film delivers wonderful emotion, extraordinary stories, and a variable cast of impressive talent to make this one of the most whimsical films ever made.

9

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnᴀssus

Another director who has had his hand in making more than a few quirky films, Terry Gilliam, was one of the members of the Monty Python comedy group early in his career. However, he has continued to create wild, imaginative, and distinct films in the decades since Monty Python put him on the map. And one of his more recent releases stands out as one of the zaniest.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnᴀssus is a dark fantasy with an unpredictable pace and plot. Throughout, the film switches out the central star, initially played by Heath Ledger, to Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell in turn. In all honesty, this is a film that is nearly impossible to describe, and it’s much better to simply dive into the experience. But within the film, there is comedy, mystery, thrills and so much more for everyone to become fully immersed.

8

The Princess Bride

In comparison to the two above stories, The Princess Bride appears tame. However, the film certainly leans into its own brand of charming fantasy. The story is entirely framed as a grandfather reading a bedtime story to his grandson, and it stands out as one of the best fantasy classics ever made.

Starring Cary Elwes as the brave and daring pirate who finds himself on a mission to rescue his beloved. The movie is incredibly witty, extremely quotable, and full of twists around every new corner. It’s also directed by Rob Reiner, who has had a hand in numerous comedy classics like This Is Spinal Tap and When Harry Met Sally, though this is the most any of his films departs from reality and delves into a fantasy setting, which makes it stand out even more.

7

Hook

Robin Williams remains one of the most entertaining and well-respected actors of all time, despite having pᴀssed away over a decade ago in 2014. And among his greatest hits, one that really resonated across generations is Hook. This modern reimagining of the Peter Pan story sees Peter as a grown man who left Neverland many years previous, only to return and slowly regain his faith and memory in magic.

Williams is perfectly cast as the boy who never grew up, now grown up. His ability to imbue childlike wonder and mischief into his performance is unrivaled, and paired with the magic and wonder of Neverland, this movie is a true spectacle. Regardless of age, or taste in films, this is a movie that not only delivers whimsy and escapism, but it also restores a sense of childlike awe and wonder.

6

Inkheart

Another beloved actor, Brendan Fraser, stars in the incredible fantasy film, Inkheart. This movie tells the story of a teenage girl who discovers her father has the magical ability to take characters from stories and bring them to life. As one would imagine, the adventures that ensue are both breathtaking, and at times terrifying.

Fraser plays the father, Mo, and together with his daughter and some fantastical characters, they set out to capture a freed villain before it’s too late. The film is imaginative, colorful, and enchanting. And due to the nature of the story, it incorporates other familiar stories to add another layer of fantasy that sets it apart from the real world.

5

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them

The original Harry Potter films set the imaginations of children everywhere alight for well over a decade. However, I would contend that the premise and initial entry from the spin-off franchise is even more magical. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them expands the Wizarding World far beyond the bounds of Hogwarts as it introduces a whole new world of magic.

And interestingly, it was based on a small encyclopedic novel by the original author which added a new dimension to the Harry Potter stories, when a novel of the same name is written by the adventuring wizard, Newt Scamander. Eddie Redmayne tackles the lead role, and as he encounters a variety of beasts, the movie continues to set up what could have been an equally impressive arm of the franchise. Unfortunately, the sequels experienced issues and fell short of the originals’ fantastic glory.

4

Oz the Great and Powerful

Long before Wicked appeared on the big screen, the world of Oz was given an origin story that in some ways ended up going way under the radar. This fantasy film, starring James Franco, showcases the humble beginnings of the man who would go on to become The Wizard of Oz, from a slick salesman, to the revered protector of Oz.

Oz the Great and Powerful is an enchanting film that builds on the stories of L. Frank Baum, which are criminally underrated. In addition, the film was directed by Sam Raimi, whose experience of creating wacky horror translates well to delivering a whimsical fantasy story.

3

Wicked

Of course, while Oz the Great and Powerful introduces the beginnings of the Wizard’s journey to Oz, recent years have seen the focus shift to the confronting narrative depicting the Wicked Witch of the West, whose story appears to have been written without much involvement from her. Wicked became a popular stage play, and now comes to the big screen to take the story of Elphaba even further.

Oz is already a magical place, but the sordid past and the discrimination which appears to be foundational in setting up the stories reframes the stories in a whole new light. Initially, it’s easy to see the Good Witch as good, but Wicked provides a new viewpoint, and a much more complex backstory for the most widely hated witch in all of Oz.

2

Stardust

Stardust is a criminally underappreciated film that has a stunning cast, but due to being released before some of these iconic actors’ big breaks, it went under the radar. Released in 2007, it stars Charlie Cox in the leading role. Joining him, Michelle Pfeiffer, Henry Cavill, Robert De Niro, Mark Strong, and Ben Barnes are just a few of the other notable additions to the film.

The film is a dark fantasy about a star that falls from the sky, and a man who seeks it out in order to gain the love and favor of a girl he idolizes. The film is a wonderful journey as the lead character learns what love is, how to be fearless, and how to overcome obstacles, in a spectacular and beautiful setting.

1

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe

C.S. Lewis is one of the most talented world builders in the fantasy genre of all time, having created a spectacular plane of existence in Narnia. Across seven novels, he expanded this incredible world filled with talking animals, ice witches, and magical creatures, and the adaptation from 2005 did a wonderful job in adapting the world to the big screen.

It was also aided by the addition of some incredible actors in key roles, such as Tilda Swinton and Liam Neeson, who were joined by a relatively fresh cast of characters to play the Pevensies children. The wonder that the children experience as they see Narnia for the first time, and the adventures they encounter add to the magic and whimsy of the story, creating something that is absolutely spectacular.