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The best fantasy movies on Netflix right now

It has become increasingly clear that Netflix is not necessarily the best place to be for fantasy or sci-fi movies. Outside of the Netflix original films, there just isn’t much selection for either category. Additionally, two of Netflix’s latest fantasy films, Conan the Barbarian and The Scorpion King, are 46 and 21 years old, respectively. So Netflix isn’t exactly keeping its finger on the pulse of the genre. Fantasy just isn’t getting a lot of attention from Netflix at the moment.

New movies are coming to Netflix later this year that might help fill out the fantasy selection. But until then, fans will just have to rely on us to keep on top of the best fantasy movies on Netflix. Just keep in mind that fantasy films from outside studios tend to only have a short stay on Netflix, so make your movie night plans now.

We’ve also rounded up the best fantasy movies on Amazon Prime and the best fantasy movies on Hulu if Netflix doesn’t have what you’re looking for.

Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) new

Snow White and the Huntsman
57 %
6.1/10
pg-13 127m
Genre Adventure, Fantasy, Drama
Stars Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron
Directed by Rupert Sanders

You may have heard that Disney has plans for a live-action Snow White reboot. However, Snow White and the Huntsman already did it 11 years ago. It starts out as you might expect, with the evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) realizing that her stepdaughter, Snow White (Kristen Stewart), is a threat to her hold on power. Thus, Snow White has to die.

The problem is that the queen trusted her huntsman, Eric (Chris Hemsworth), to do the killing for her. Instead, Eric aligns with Snow and helps train her to become a warrior. And together with some new allies, they may even be able to reclaim the kingdom from Ravenna’s control.

Conan the Barbarian (1982) new

Conan the Barbarian
43 %
6.9/10
r 129m
Genre Adventure, Fantasy, Action
Stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow
Directed by John Milius

Conan the Destroyer has left Netflix, but the first film, Conan the Barbarian, is a big upgrade. Pre-Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger is at his most physically imposing when portraying Robert E. Howard’s iconic pulp hero, and reworks his origin to give him a closer link to one of his primary enemies, Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones).

After decades as a slave, Conan becomes a mighty warrior. He even meets a woman, Valeria (Sandahl Bergman), who might be his equal in battle. But Conan’s desire for revenge on Thulsa Doom may place his newfound lover in harm’s way.

The Scorpion King (2002) new

The Scorpion King
45 %
5.5/10
pg-13 92m
Genre Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Stars Dwayne Johnson, Steven Brand, Michael Clarke Duncan
Directed by Chuck Russell

It’s impossible not to see the parallels between Arnold Schwarzenegger’s starring turn in Conan the Barbarian and Dwayne Johnson’s first-ever leading role in a film, The Scorpion King. This movie was basically created to capitalize on Johnson’s popularity as a wrestler and his natural charisma that not even the poor CGI of The Mummy Returns could hide.

In this prequel story, the Scorpion King isn’t a ruler yet. He’s simply Mathayus of Akkad, a ferocious fighter who has his sights set on overthrowing a tyrant named Memnon (Steven Brand). Mathayus is also openly attracted to Memnon’s sorceress, Cassandra (Kelly Hu), but her ability to predict upcoming events reveals that Mathayus may not have much of a future of his own.

47 Ronin (2013)

47 Ronin
28 %
6.2/10
pg-13 119m
Genre Drama, Action, Fantasy
Stars Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ko Shibasaki
Directed by Carl Rinsch

The legend of the 47 Ronin is reborn as a fantasy story in this 2013 film which has recently found its audience on Netflix. Keanu Reeves headlines 47 Ronin as Kai, a half-English, half-Japanese orphan who serves in the house of Lord Asano (Min Tanaka). Although Kai is an outcast, he wins the heart of Lord Asano’s daughter, Mika (Ko Shibasaki).

When Lord Asano is forced to commit suicide, Kai and the rest of Asano’s now masterless samurai plot to avenge their lord and regain their honor by confronting Lord Yoshinaka Kira (Tadanobu Asano), and the evil witch who serves him, Mizuki (Rinko Kikuchi).

Monster Run (2020)

Monster Run
5.1/10
104m
Genre Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Stars Shawn Yue, Jessie Li, Kara Hui
Directed by Henri Wong

Monsters are all too real in Monster Run, and that’s something that a young woman named Ji Mo (Jessie Li) has tried to deny for most of her life. After learning that she can see monsters, Ji Mo is only able to escape being imprisoned in an asylum by pretending that she can not. Instead, she simply tries to live an ordinary life until she runs into a monster hunter, Meng (Shawn Yue).

Once Ji Mo and Meng come together, she can no longer deny that monsters are real. Ji Mo also learns that she has a destiny to fulfill, if she can live long enough to make it happen.

Troll (2022)

Troll
62 %
5.8/10
pg-13 104m
Genre Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Thriller
Stars Ine Marie Wilmann, Kim S. Falck-Jørgensen, Mads Sjøgård Pettersen
Directed by Roar Uthaug

Troll is a Norwegian fantasy that depicts an unusual emergence of a mythical creature in the modern world. As a young girl, Professor Nora Tidemann (Ine Marie Wilmann) was told by her father, Tobias Tidemann (Gard B. Eidsvold), that trolls may be real. Unfortunately, Tobias’ academic career was ended over these beliefs. But in the present, Tobias is vindicated when a gigantic troll is discovered in Norway before it goes on a rampage.

Since nothing the Norwegian army can throw at the troll manages to slow it down, it falls to Nora, Tobias, and their colleague, Andreas Isaksen (Kim Falck) to either find a way to communicate with the troll or to permanently end the threat that it represents.

Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical (2022)

Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical
117m
Genre Family, Comedy, Fantasy
Stars Alisha Weir, Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch
Directed by Matthew Warchus
Roald Dahl’s beloved tale comes back to the screen in this live-action adaptation that casts Alisha Weir as the titular, precocious young girl whose intelligence and strange abilities are put to good use while trying to forge her own path and survive in a world of self-absorbed, naive, and downright evil adults. Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham, and Emma Thompson play supporting roles in the film, helmed by director Matthew Warchus.

Wendell & Wild (2022)

Wendell & Wild
72 %
7.3/10
105m
Genre Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Adventure
Stars Lyric Ross, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele
Directed by Henry Selick
Visionary stop-motion filmmaker Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before ChristmasCoraline) teams up with Jordan Peele (Get OutUs) for this story of two demons who attempt to trick a teenage girl into bringing them into the mortal world. Peele and frequent collaborator Keegan-Michael Key voice the two, titular demons, while This Is Us actress Lyric Ross voices the young girl, Kat Elliot. The film is Selick’s first feature since 2009’s Coraline, and critics tend to agree that the film is worth the wait.

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
117m
Genre Animation, Fantasy, Drama
Stars Gregory Mann, Ewan McGregor, David Bradley
Directed by Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson
Guillermo del Toro reimagined the story of Pinocchio, the wooden marionette who longs to become a real boy, in this gorgeous, stop-motion animated feature. Dark, beautiful, and poignant in equal measures, del Toro’s Pinocchio sets the tale during the rise of fascism in Italy, and explores Pinocchio’s journey from one end of the country to the other as he attempts to make his woodcutter father proud. The film earned multiple Academy Award nominations across various categories, and delivers a story both fascinating and deeply moving.

The School for Good and Evil (2022) new

The School for Good and Evil
30 %
5.8/10
pg-13 146m
Genre Fantasy, Action, Drama
Stars Sofia Wylie, Sophia Anne Caruso, Kerry Washington
Directed by Paul Feig
In one of Netflix’s biggest original fantasy films to date, The School for Good and Evil is the story of two girls: Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie). They also happen to be close friends before they were spirited away to the titular School for Good and Evil. Once they arrive, Sophie is shocked when she is placed in the evil school, while Agatha finds herself out of place in the good school. Regardless, Agatha soon discovers that she may be the most natural princess in ages, while Sophie is manipulated into embracing evil until it literally transforms her into something unrecognizable. Despite their differences, Sophie and Agatha’s destinies are still intertwined.
The School for Good and Evil | Official Trailer | Netflix

Slumberland (2022) new

Slumberland
40 %
6.7/10
pg 117m
Genre Family, Fantasy, Adventure, Drama
Stars Jason Momoa, Marlow Barkley, Chris O'Dowd
Directed by Francis Lawrence
Winsor McCay’s comic strip, Little Nemo in Slumberland, has largely been forgotten since its conclusion nearly 100 years ago. But it serves as the basis for Netflix’s Slumberland, which takes some liberties with the original comic. For example, Nemo (Marlow Barkley) is a girl in this incarnation, and her waking life is very difficult without her late father, Peter (Kyle Chandler). In her dreams, Nemo meets an enigmatic con artist, Flip (Jason Momoa), who offers her a chance to reunite with her father if she helps him on his quest. From there, a magical journey begins.
Slumberland | Official Teaser | Jason Momoa | Netflix

Nightbooks (2021)

Nightbooks
65 %
5.8/10
tv-pg
Genre Fantasy, Family, Horror
Cast Winslow Fegley, Lidya Jewett, Krysten Ritter

Don’t fancy yourself a storyteller? Well, as the saying goes, necessity can very well be the mother of invention as the young Alex (Winslow Fegley) learns in Netflix’s new dark fantasy film Nightbooks. Based on the 2018 novel by J.A. White, Nightbooks stars Krysten Ritter as a terrifying witch who imprisons Alex. In order to escape certain death at her hands, Alex must tell her a scary story every night to entertain her. Knowing his death is inevitable otherwise, Alex befriends the witch’s servant, Yazmin (Lidya Jewett), and together they try to outwit the evil sorceress to escape her mystical home. Scheduled to start streaming in the middle of September, Nightbooks promises to be both scary and family-friendly while giving Ritter a wonderful chance to play against type./dt_media]

Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil (2018)

Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil
6.4/10
tv-ma
Genre Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Cast Kandido Uranga, Uma Bracaglia, Eneko Sagardoy
Some of the best fantasy stories are the oldest. Case in point — Errementari: The Black Smith and the Devil, based on a Basque reimagining of the fairy tale The Smith and the Devil. In 19th-century Spain, the supposed government investigator Alfredo Ortiz (Ramón Agirre) arrives in a small village looking for lost treasure. His search leads him to a forge in the nearby woods where the blacksmith Paxti (Kandido Uranga) lives in solitude. When Ortiz hires men to help him raid the forge, a young girl named Usue (Uma Bracaglia) sneaks in to recover a lost doll — and makes a terrifying discovery. Errementari is a wonderful fusion of fantasy and bone-chilling horror that still captures the sense of fascination children have for fairy tales and folklore.

Nightbooks | Official Trailer | Netflix

Super Me (2019)

Super Me
5.9/10
tv-14
Genre Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Cast Darren Wang, Song Jia, Cao Bingkun
Sang Yu (Darren Wang) isn’t doing very well. Struggling to make it as a screenwriter, he becomes plagued by nightmares in which he’s pursued by a demon. He becomes disturbed enough by his dreams that he does everything he can to avoid sleep, but decades of Freddy Krueger movies have taught us how well that’s going to work out. After one of his frightful dreams, he discovers something that changes his life — he has the ability to bring objects out of his dreams and into the real world. Sang uses his newfound power to go from rags to riches practically overnight, but when a ruthless gangster discovers the secret of his success, things get even more complicated.
Super Me | Official Trailer | Netflix

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018)

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
51 %
6.5/10
pg-13 105m
Genre Adventure, Drama
Stars Rohan Chand, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomie Harris
Directed by Andy Serkis
Oddly enough, two major takes on The Jungle Book were released within two years of one another. The first, Disney’s The Jungle Book, got better reviews, but Netflix’s Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle has more stunning special effects and a far more faithful retelling of Rudyard Kipling’s classic tales. Director Andy Serkis — a master of VFX — goes above and beyond in this jungle fantasy that is genuinely terrifying at times. Mowgli tells the classic tale of a human child raised by a wolf pack in the jungles of India under the tutelage of the panther Bagheera and bear Baloo. But what Disney’s version overlooks is the sheer sadism and megalomania of the tiger Shere Khan. This version doesn’t.
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix

A Monster Calls (2016)

A Monster Calls
76 %
7.5/10
pg-13 108m
Genre Drama, Fantasy
Stars Lewis MacDougall, Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones
Directed by J. A. Bayona
Conor’s mother (Felicity Jones) is dying. Coping with the heavy load of maintaining the household during his mother’s illness, the bullying he suffers at school, and the horrible nightmares he endures are all getting to be too much. Comfort comes from the most unexpected of sources — a giant humanoid tree monster (voiced by Liam Neeson) who promises the young Conor (Lewis MacDougall) nothing more than three stories. Surprisingly honest about the trials of childhood, A Monster Calls is a powerful exploration of grief, and a uniquely extraordinary example of how fantasy can serve as much more than pure escapism.
A MONSTER CALLS - Official Trailer [HD] - In Theaters December 2016

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
91 %
8.2/10
pg 91m
Genre Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Stars Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
Directed by Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
What is the airspeed of an unladen swallow? How do you tell if someone is a witch? And if you come across a rabbit at the entrance of a cave, how fast do you run and why aren’t you running already? All of these questions and more can be at least partially answered only with the 1975 comedy classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The second feature film made by the legendary cast of Monty Python’s Flying CircusHoly Grail is absolutely mandatory for any fan of swords and sorcery fantasy, comedy, or any kind of movie that keeps you laughing so hard from start to finish that you’ll never stop to consider whether or not it makes any sense (SPOILER: it does not).

I Lost My Body (2019)

I Lost My Body
81 %
7.6/10
pg 81m
Genre Animation, Drama, Fantasy
Stars Victoire Du Bois, Hakim Faris, Victoire Du Bois, Patrick d'Assumçao
Directed by Jérémy Clapin
Winner of the 2020 César Award for Best Animated Film, I Lost My Body is a genre-bending fever dream, propelled by gorgeous art and an appropriately bizarre premise. The star of the film? A severed hand. When the hand gains consciousness in a dissection lab, it has one primary purpose: To return to its body. The hand must scramble through Paris to find its way back to the pizza delivery man who is missing him, all the while remembering the glory days when it was still attached. That is, until they met Gabrielle.
I Lost My Body | Official Trailer | Netflix

Bright (2017)

Bright
6.3/10
tv-ma
Genre Fantasy, Action, Thriller
Cast Will Smith, Joel Edgerton, Lucy Fry
Bright wasn’t well-received when it arrived on Netflix, but since its premiere in 2017, it has become one of the most-streamed films on the platform. That’s because, while the movie is flawed, it does have a unique world, impressive practical effects, and a timely story about crime and discrimination. In Bright, humans coexist with a variety of fantasy races. The film follows Ward (Will Smith) and his partner Jakoby (Joel Edgerton), the first orc police officer. The two have a strained relationship because Ward was previously injured by an orc robber, and it is believed that Jakoby let the robber go on purpose. The film tries to juggle complex issues of race, identity, and loyalty while also telling a larger-than-life fantasy story. It doesn’t always juggle those topics particularly well, but it remains one of the most ambitious fantasy films of the last several years.

Fullmetal Alchemist (2017)

Fullmetal Alchemist
5.2/10
pg-13 135m
Genre Action, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Stars Ryosuke Yamada, Tsubasa Honda, Dean Fujioka
Directed by Fumihiko Sori
Fullmetal Alchemist is a live-action film based on the popular manga and anime of the same name. The film, like the subsequent versions, follows brothers Edric and Alphonse. The brothers live with their ill mother in the countryside, where they study alchemy. After their mother dies, however, they try to bring her back to life with a forbidden Human Transmutation. The alchemy fails and has severe consequences: Edric loses his arm and leg, while Alphonse loses his entire body and his spirit possesses an empty suit of armor. The two brothers grow up to become state alchemists while continuing to hide their taboo act and pursue a stone that has the power to restore their bodies. The film received mixed reviews, but it does feature some pretty advanced film techniques and high production value, rendering it worth the watch, especially for fans of the show and manga.
Fullmetal Alchemist Live Action Trailer (Netflix)

Okja (2017)

Okja
75 %
7.3/10
tv-ma
Genre Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction, Action
Cast Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Seo-hyun Ahn, Jake Gyllenhaal, Devon Bostick, Lily Collins, Steven Yuen

From Oscar-winning writer-director Bong Joon Ho, Okja is a brilliant mesh of animal rights versus big business, both operating in the body of a beautifully crazy film. The story follows Mija (Seo-hyun Ahn), a South Korean farm girl and owner of a genetically modified super-pig named Okja. Developed by the multinational Mirando Corporation, several prototypes of these genetically modified pigs were sent out into the world. After 10 years of growing to maturity, the company announces that Okja has been awarded the honor of “best super-pig.”

It’s all a ruse, though, and the company wants to move Okja from Mija’s farm to New York for (unbeknownst to the world) experimentation and eventual slaughter. Mirando’s CEO Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) arranges for Mija to travel to New York to be with Okja. However, the plot thickens when the ALF (Animal Liberation Front) kidnaps Okja to expose Mirando, sending the film down a path of much greater moral weight.

Okja | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix

A Whisker Away (2020)

A Whisker Away
6.7/10
pg 104m
Genre Animation, Drama, Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Stars Mirai Shida, Natsuki Hanae, Koichi Yamadera
Directed by Junichi Sato, Tomotaka Shibayama
Have you ever wanted to be a cat? A Whisker Away explores this wish come true and the consequences the transformation presents. Our story is led by Miyo Sasaki, a teenager living in Tokoname, dealing with her adolescence and pining for her school crush, Kento Hinode. Much to Miyo’s dismay, Kento is always turning down her advances. But love conquers all, especially when Miyo receives a magic Noh mask that turns her into a cat named Tarō. As a feline, Miyo begins making visits to Kento’s residence, where he immediately takes to his new whiskered visitor. Over the course of the film, we learn more about Miyo and Kento’s families, livelihoods, fears, and secrets. As Miyo wears the mask more and more, she risks never being able to return to human form again and must decide if life as a cat is worth losing her humanity for. Directed by Junichi Sato and Tomotaka Shibayama, from a script by Mari Okada, A Whisker Away is an electrifying panorama of emotion like no other.
A Whisker Away | Official Trailer | Netflix

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Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…
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