Low Fantasy backdrop

Low Fantasy movies

A mostly realistic world with rare or ambiguous magic, focused on human conflict over spectacle.

The Portable Door

1. The Portable Door

Fantasy Adventure Comedy Low Fantasy City Adventure
6.1
20231h 56min

Overview

Paul and Sophie, interns at a mysterious London firm, become steadily aware their employers Humphrey and Dennis are anything but conventional – they are disrupting the world of magic by bringing modern corporate strategy to ancient magical practices.

Themes

Trust vs control, Ethics of leadership, Power dynamics at work, Corporate disruption of magic, Ancient magic under corporate tactics, Hidden agenda tensions

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
fuboTV
MGM+ Amazon Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Mulan

2. Mulan

Adventure Fantasy Action Adventure Epic Military Action
5.8
20201h 55min

Overview

When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Chinese Army to defend the country from Huns, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. She is spirited, determined and quick on her feet. Disguised as a man by the name of Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her innermost strength and embrace her true potential.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Deception and consequences, Family duty vs autonomy, Resilience and leadership, Gender disguise and agency, Honor vs personal choice

Available on

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

The Secret Garden

3. The Secret Garden

Family Fantasy Drama Low Fantasy Family Drama
5.6
20201h 40min

Overview

Mary Lennox is born in India to wealthy British parents who never wanted her. When her parents suddenly die, she is sent back to England to live with her uncle. She meets her sickly cousin, and the two children find a wondrous secret garden lost in the grounds of Misselthwaite Manor.

Themes

"movie: the secret garden. genres: family, Fantasy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Drama main themes: garden, Yorkshire, Orphan, Garden, Yorkshire, Orphan full keywords list: garden, Yorkshire, Orphan, Based on children's book, Post war, 1940s. concept analysis: the film explores themes of healing and personal growth through the transformative power of nature and relationships. it highlights how love and connection can overcome isolation and emotional turmoil."

Available on

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

Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll

4. Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll

Drama Fantasy Animation Coming-of-Age Drama Low Fantasy
7.5
20191h 31min

Overview

Violet Evergarden comes to a private women's academy to tutor Isabella in the ways of being a lady. Heir to the York family, Isabella feels trapped in this new and uncomfortable world. She still grieves for the only person to ever bring her happiness – now lost to her. Violet's lessons do give her a brief respite from the melancholy but with the absence of joy, how long does it take to truly heal?

Themes

Writing as obligation, Adoption as pressure, Letter as tether, Slice of life framing, Work identity, Post war resilience

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Fandango At Home
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Christopher Robin

5. Christopher Robin

Adventure Comedy Family Fantasy Coming-of-Age Adventure
7.2
20181h 44min

Overview

Christopher Robin, the boy who had countless adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood, has grown up and lost his way. Now it’s up to his spirited and loveable stuffed animals, Winnie The Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and the rest of the gang, to rekindle their friendship and remind him of endless days of childlike wonder and make-believe, when doing nothing was the very best something.

Themes

Intergenerational bonds, Family devotion under stress, Adult responsibilities vs childhood, Workplace pressure and layoffs, Economic pressure on workers, Nostalgia shaping identity

Available on

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

Happy as Lazzaro

6. Happy as Lazzaro

Drama Fantasy Coming-of-Age Drama Low Fantasy
7.5
20182h 8min

Overview

Purehearted teen Lazzaro is content living as a sharecropper in rural Italy, but an unlikely friendship with the marquise’s son will change his world.

Themes

Class inequality, Deception and manipulation, Economic exploitation, Rural feudalism, Displacement and resilience, Debt bondage

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

I Am Not an Easy Man

7. I Am Not an Easy Man

Comedy Fantasy Satire Low Fantasy
6.3
20181h 38min

Overview

The chauvinist Damien wakes up in a world where women and men have their roles reversed in society, and everything is dominated by women.

Themes

Gender role inversion, Sexism under reversal, Power dynamics in gendered world, Inequality under scrutiny, Pressure of gender norms

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Legend of Tarzan

8. The Legend of Tarzan

Fantasy Action Adventure Epic Action Globetrotting Adventure
6.2
20161h 49min

Overview

Tarzan, having acclimated to life in London, is called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment.

Themes

Leadership legitimacy, Mining encampment pressure, Slavery critique, Diamonds financing power, Train disruption, Nature versus industry

Available on

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

Teen Beach Movie

9. Teen Beach Movie

Family Music TV Movie Comedy Fantasy
6.0
20131h 35min

Overview

Life's a beach for surfers Brady and McKenzie – until a rogue wave magically transports them inside the classic '60s beach party flick, "Wet Side Story," where a full-blown rivalry between bikers and surfers threatens to erupt. There, amidst a sea of surfing, singing and dancing, Brady and Mack accidentally change the storyline, and the film’s dreamy hero and heroine fall for them instead of for each other!

Themes

Cultural clash across eras, Generation vs tradition, Romance vs social expectations, Identity through performance, Loyalty amid competition, Art versus commerce

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Smurfs

10. The Smurfs

Animation Family Adventure Comedy Fantasy
5.4
20111h 43min

Overview

When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world and into ours -- in fact, smack dab in the middle of Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down.

Themes

Power and vulnerability, Trust across strangers, Magic as power, Vortex driven transit, Displacement under blue moon, Cat and mouse pursuit

Available on

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