10 best dark fantasy movies, ranked
Do you like a little bit of horror, dread, and despair with your fantasy? If so, we’ve compiled the 10 best dark fantasy movies to enjoy at your leisure. Dark fantasy, also known as fantasy horror, is often referred to as a horror story where humanity is threatened by otherworldly forces beyond human understanding.
There’s usually a monster, demon, spirit, or otherworldly creature to contend with. Sometimes there’s someone—or something—coming back to life. If there’s a supernatural element, then it’s dark fantasy all the way. Let’s dig in.
10. Conan the Barbarian (1982)
Conan the Barbarian is a truly epic dark fantasy tale. Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is born a slave and exists only to fight, eventually earning his freedom. He roams the world as a soldier-for-hire until he runs into a mysterious cult with a snake motif that seems to be everywhere.
The leader of the snake cult, Thulsa Doom, is played by the late James Earl Jones. In one incredible scene, he transforms into a snake while Conan sneaks into his domain full of scantily clad men and women. There’s lots of space and lots of fantasy imagery in this one.
9. Corpse Bride (2005)
In this animated Tim Burton epic, a young man named Victor nervously practices his vows after placing his wedding ring on a tree root. That root turns out to be the finger of a murdered bride named Emily, who claims the two are now married.
Victor ends up in the land of the dead and after a series of unfortunate circumstances learns his actual bride-to-be is now engaged to someone else. The music, cinematography, and tone of Corpse Bride are decidedly dark fantasy and completely entertaining.
8. The Dark Crystal (1982)
The Dark Crystal was a Jim Henson production, so it has some of the most recognizable characters of the genre. The movie is set in a time long past, on a planet very different from Earth.
A mysterious dark crystal was damaged 1,000 years ago and plunged the world into chaos. A group of gross lizard birds rules over the planet, but an orphan named Jen wants to find the broken crystal, hoping that balance can be restored. It’s atmospheric and imaginative and has a story that resonates deeply.
7. Coraline (2009)
Coraline is such a great film because it’s dark while simultaneously being approachable with its stop-motion style. In the movie, Coraline moves into an old house with her family, where she feels super bored and ignored.
While exploring, she finds a hidden door to a parallel world where everyone has creepy buttons for eyes. She quickly learns that the button-eyed people want to trap her in the other world forever, and she has to use her wits to free herself from their clutches.
6. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
This late-nineties classic stars Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane and Christina Ricci as Katrina Van Tassel. Christopher Walken plays the Headless Horseman. It’s loosely based on the 1820 short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving. Sleepy Hollow involves a policeman (Crane) sent to investigate a series of murders by the horseman, who, as his name suggests, doesn’t have a head and loves to decapitate his victims.
5. The Crow (1994)
The story of The Crow is one of the more tragic Hollywood tales. It stars Brandon Lee, son of famed action star Bruce Lee. Unfortunately, Lee was killed by a prop gun on the set of the movie and it was finished using stunt doubles and special effects.
Lee plays Eric Draven, a man brought back from the dead to get vengeance on the gang who brutally murdered him and his fiancé. An actual crow guides Draven to the members of the gang, who he murders one by one. It’s dark and gothic and perfectly macabre for dark fantasy fans.
4. Legend (1985)
This cult classic tale features a young Tom Cruise as Jack, who’s on a quest to save Princess Lili, played by Mia Sara. In Legend, The Lord of Darkness—arguably one of the most recognizable movie villains of all time—wants to murder unicorns and steal their horns so he can plunge the world into, you guessed it, constant darkness.
Some of the movie’s effects don’t look as good now as they did in the ’80s, but if you’re into dark fantasy this is a must-watch. It’s dark and foreboding and chock full of goblins and all kinds of creatures of the night.
3. The Seventh Seal (1957)
The Seventh Seal is widely considered one of the best arthouse films ever. It’s a black-and-white Swedish film set during the Crusades. On his way back from the holy land, one of the knights finds himself in a diseased country and runs into Death himself.
Realizing his peril, the knight challenges Death to a chess game, trying to eke out the last vestiges of his existence but knowing the result will be the same. It’s an existential film that’s a harsh reminder of the finality of human existence. What it lacks in graphic gore it makes up for in existential dread.
2. Spirited Away (2001)
This Studio Ghibli movie is a whimsical journey through the spirit world. An animated classic, Spirited Away is perfect for kids and adults because, on its surface, it’s just a movie about a family that’s trapped in an alternate world—but it’s so much more.
It’s about a young girl who stops at an amusement park which, unfortunately, features a portal into the spirit world. The family is trapped and the girl is forced to work in a bathhouse while she figures out how to escape. Though the film has sometimes been viewed as a metaphor for prostitution and human trafficking, that subtext isn’t explicitly spelled out. Whatever your interpretation, Spirited Away is not to be missed.
1. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Pan’s Labyrinth is an absolute genre classic by renowned director Guillermo del Toro. It has the distinction of having one of the longest-standing ovations at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie stars Ivana Baquero as Ofelia, a young girl who must pass a series of trials to become a reincarnated princess.
It’s heavy and eerie and features unforgettable scenes that will stay with you for a while. The creatures alone are worth the price of admission, including the “pale man,” who has eyeballs in the middle of his palms. If you only watch one dark fantasy movie this year, make it this one.
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