The fantasy movies on HBO Max don’t get enough attention. This streaming platform hosts many of the most famous fantasy franchises, such as the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy. There are also a number of animated Studio Ghibli movies, DC comic blockbusters, and many other great films. Whether you’re looking for mainstream hits or cult classics, you’ll find them on this .
Warner Bros.
Shazam is one of DC’s greatest superhero movies. It follows Billy Batson (a teenager) as he evolves into an adult body with supernatural abilities like the strength of Hercules and the power of Zeus. This film is not only a good source of childish humor, but it also has one the strongest emotional lines in DC’s latest slate. You can catch up on the movie’s sequel in March.
Paramount Pictures
Stardust is a pure fantasy film that’s underrated. It was based on Neil Gaiman’s book. Stardust has magic and transports you to Stormhold. Tristan (Charlie Cox), meets Claire Danes, a young girl who helps her to survive the hunt.
Warner Bros.
Fantastic Beasts from the Secrets of Dumbledore (222)
You’ve likely noticed a decrease in the quality of Fantastic Beasts episodes since the original. We’re now on to the third installment, and Johnny Depp is no longer the big bad Gellert Grindelwald. Mads Mikkelsen has taken over this role. You might have decided not to go to the theater for this installment — you can now watch it at your home via HBO Max.
Nightmare Alley is a Guillermo Del Toro story with beautiful production values. It also reflects the director’s darker fantasy obsessions. Bradley Cooper plays a carnival worker, who climbs the ranks at great cost. While it doesn’t explode into full-blown fantasyland, its carnival setting, seances, and other mysterious characters invoke a sense of dark, gothic magic.
Parisa Taghizadeh / Focus Features
Last Night at Soho (2021).
Edgar Wright, Shaun of the Dead’s director, dabbles with psychological horror. He has taken several steps into the world of a teenage girl’s fantasies. Ellie (Thomasin McKenzie), a teenage fashion student, travels with her family to the Swinging Sixties in the night. Anya Taylor Joy, a young girl who dreams of becoming a fashion designer, is her observer. There are mysteries to be solved and some scary scares. Last Night in Soho, however, is not Paris.
Video screenshot by Bonnie Burton/CNET
The Lord of the Rings trilogy 2001-2003
The Lord of the Rings is an excellent example of how to adapt beloved books and weave multiple stories into one coherent story. There are all of the popular fantasy tropes here, including elves, wizards orcs, dwarves and wizards. The Lord of the Rings takes them to new heights thanks to its stunning cinematography and shockingly immersive costumes. It also features powerful performances. It’s also worth noting that this trilogy received 17 Academy Awards. 11 of them were wins, and 11 of the 11 nominated films for Return of the King. If you’ve been holding out, now’s the time to watch, and if you’ve seen them before, there’s never a bad time for a rewatch — especially with Amazon’s Rings of Power series coming out in the fall.
Studio Ghibli
The movie was about transformation and it truly made me feel transformed from the very first viewing. I have never seen a movie that affected me as deeply as this. Spirited Away is arguably the greatest movie by a director who has made many great movies. It tells the tale of Chihiro (a young girl who becomes lost in the spirit world while her family moves around Japan). Amazing animation and Hayao Mikazaki’s meticulous pacing give each character enough time and space. The result is one of most compelling and original fantasy movies ever made.
Legendary Pictures
Underappreciated and not well-loved is the 2014 remake of Tokyo’s towering terror. There has never been a Godzilla film that did as well to showcase the incredible scale of this monster. Although the film takes a slower approach to Godzilla’s reveal, it makes the end result all the more satisfying. Although some may not enjoy the film spending so much time with the people who follow Godzilla, these characters bring an emotional dimension to the bloody scenes. The sequels King of the Monsters, and Godzilla vs. Kong are also available on HBO Max. However, this Godzilla movie is the best.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
The Wizard of Oz, a timeless fantasy movie about Dorothy, follows her journey through Kansas, where she is transported to another land of living scarecrows, witches and wizards. Judy Garland is brilliant in the role of Dorothy, the determined and lost Dorothy. The film is an excellent early film that kids will love, thanks to the colourful characters and many musical numbers. It also gives adults a peek into 80-year-old movie making.
Video screenshot by Bonnie Burton/CNET
Hellboy can be described as a superhero movie or a World War II alternative history film. But it is also based on spooky tales about demon children. Guillermo del Toro, the director, weaves all this together to create a compelling story about an unlikely hero who struggles against his fate. Hellboy has become a beloved classic for its serious treatment of the characters and attention to detail. However, it also remembers that movies should be fun. Ron Pearlman’s overprotective behavior towards cats while wearing filed-down demon ears is not only entertaining but is hilarious.
Studio Ghibli/GKids
The horrors of Princess Mononoke are sure to scare you. The film is tragic and violent. It depicts the devastation caused by industrialization to the natural world. This is also Miyazaki’s most intense, heartbreaking movie. In the Ghibli story, the main characters are giant wolves, violent beasts, and parasitic demons. Mononoke is a great movie because it takes a hard look at the themes of violence, fear and protecting what matters to you.
Studio Ghibli/GKids
The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)
Studio Ghibli is synonymous with Miyazaki. However, this film shows that Studio Ghibli can still make good films with other directors. Arrietty, an adaptation of Mary Norton’s story The Borrowers is about a little girl who lives in a tiny race of humans that borrow things to survive. It is an adorable story about growing up, supporting others, and facing the uncertain future.
Studio Ghibli/GKids
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989).
We thought we’d seen enough of Miyazaki films. All of the movies are well worth watching (Totoro and Howl’s Moving Castle are also great), but Kiki’s Delivery Service is my favorite because it’s so authentic, even though it’s a fantasy film. Kiki is an incredibly bright and warm-hearted young witch. As she sets off on her first solo adventure, she has to learn how to deal with her power, her feelings, and her dreams. Although it is powerful and sometimes difficult to see Kiki’s struggle, the story can be uplifting for adults as well.
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