Epic Fantasy backdrop

Epic Fantasy movies

Mythic fantasy with kingdoms, wars, prophecies, and world-level stakes that can reshape civilizations.

Into the Woods

1. Into the Woods

Fantasy Comedy Epic Fantasy Parody
5.9
20142h 5min

Overview

In a woods filled with magic and fairy tale characters, a baker and his wife set out to end the curse put on them by their neighbor, a spiteful witch.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Family bonds under strain, Desire for a child, Curse and consequence, Pursuit of magical items, Blame and accountability

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

2. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Action Adventure Fantasy Epic Action Adventure Epic
7.4
20142h 24min

Overview

Following Smaug's attack on Laketown, Bilbo and the dwarves try to defend Erebor's mountain of treasure from others who claim it: the men of the ruined Laketown and the elves of Mirkwood. Meanwhile an army of Orcs led by Azog the Defiler is marching on Erebor, fueled by the rise of the dark lord Sauron. Dwarves, elves and men must unite, and the hope for Middle-Earth falls into Bilbo's hands.

Themes

Leadership under crisis, Deception in negotiation, Uneasy alliances under pressure, Treasure as motive and burden, Greed versus responsibility, Unity across factions

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The House of Magic

3. The House of Magic

Family Fantasy Animation Adventure Family Animation
6.2
20131h 25min

Overview

Thunder, an abandoned young cat seeking shelter from a storm, stumbles into the strangest house imaginable, owned by an old magician and inhabited by a dazzling array of automatons and gizmos. Not everyone welcomes the new addition to the troupe as Jack Rabbit and Maggie Mouse plot to evict Thunder. The situation gets worse when the magician lands in hospital and his scheming nephew sees his chance to cash in by selling the mansion. Our young hero is determined to earn his place and so he enlists the help of some wacky magician's assistants to protect his magical new home.

Themes

Automatons and gizmos, Greedy relative vs guardianship, Old magician protection, Abandoned young cat, Plot to evict, Selling the mansion

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
The Roku Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Dance of Reality

4. The Dance of Reality

Drama Fantasy Coming-of-Age Drama Epic Fantasy
7.4
20132h 10min

Overview

'Having broken away from my illusory self, I was desperately seeking a path and a meaning to life.' This phrase perfectly sums up Alejandro Jodorowsky’s biographical project: reconstituting the incredible adventure of his life. He was born in 1929 Tocopilla, a coastal town on edge of the Chilean desert, where he discovered the fundamentals of reality, as he underwent an unhappy and alienated childhood as part of an uprooted family.

Themes

Fear and resilience, Quest for meaning, Ideology versus family, Artistic self-creation, Surreal memory and mythmaking, Political violence and spectacle

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Overview

A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group characters in order to save their world—and ours.

Themes

Deception and misdirection, Coming of age, Teamwork under pressure, Parental obsession vs autonomy, Science vs magic, Forest guardianship, Good vs evil conflict

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Oz the Great and Powerful

6. Oz the Great and Powerful

Fantasy Adventure Family Epic Fantasy Adventure Epic
6.3
20132h 10min

Overview

Oscar Diggs, a small-time circus illusionist and con-artist, is whisked from Kansas to the Land of Oz where the inhabitants assume he's the great wizard of prophecy, there to save Oz from the clutches of evil.

Themes

Deception as strategy, Betrayal and alliance, Trust and deception, Illusion versus legitimacy, Social climbing through fame, Power through spectacle

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Jack the Giant Slayer

7. Jack the Giant Slayer

Fantasy Action Adventure Drama Epic Fantasy
6.3
20131h 54min

Overview

The story of an ancient war that is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack into the battle of his life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom, its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend–and gets the chance to become a legend himself.

Themes

Peasant ascent, Legend creation, Crown power, Monks kingdom, Beans leverage, Giants threat

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2

8. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2

Adventure Fantasy Drama Romance Epic Fantasy
5.6
20121h 55min

Overview

After the birth of Renesmee, the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi.

Themes

Misinformation and mistaken identity, Public testimony and proof, Imprinting and kinship bonds, Leadership versus family safety, Protective secrecy, Family obligation under threat

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Blancanieves

9. Blancanieves

Drama Fantasy Epic Fantasy Historical Drama
7.5
20121h 44min

Overview

A black and white silent movie, based on the Snow White fairy tale, that is set in a romantic version of 1920s Seville and centered on a female bullfighter.

Themes

Identity through performance, Jealous stepmother rivalry, Spectacle as commodification, Glamour and danger of bullfighting, Silent film aesthetics, Female agency under threat via bullfighter

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

10. Beasts of the Southern Wild

Drama Fantasy Family Drama Epic Fantasy
7.2
20121h 33min

Overview

Hushpuppy, an intrepid six-year-old girl, lives with her father, Wink, in 'the Bathtub', a southern Delta community at the edge of the world. Wink’s tough love prepares her for the unraveling of the universe—for a time when he’s no longer there to protect her. When Wink contracts a mysterious illness, nature flies out of whack—temperatures rise and the ice caps melt, unleashing an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs. With the waters rising, the aurochs coming, and Wink’s health fading, Hushpuppy goes in search of her lost mother.

Themes

Survival under pressure, Magic realism, Community resilience, Environmental destabilization, Flood adaptation, Intergenerational loss, Tough love parenting

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.