fantastical backdrop

Movies with fantastical vibe

Rise of the Guardians

1. Rise of the Guardians

Animation Family Fantasy Action Adventure
7.2
20121h 37min

Overview

When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces for the first time to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children all over the world.

Themes

Memory shaping identity, Fear and resilience, Maintaining childhood wonder, Belief and imagination, Collective guardianship and trust, Amnesia and self-discovery

Available on

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

Life of Pi

2. Life of Pi

Adventure Drama Survival Adventure Coming-of-Age Drama
7.9
20122h 7min

Overview

The story of an Indian boy named Pi, a zookeeper's son who finds himself in the company of a hyena, zebra, orangutan, and a Bengal tiger after a shipwreck sets them adrift in the Pacific Ocean.

Themes

Magic realism, Isolation and companionship, Sea survival, Meerkat symbolism, Faith amid loss, Loss of family

Available on

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

Cloud Atlas

3. Cloud Atlas

Drama Science Fiction Epic Sci-Fi
7.4
20122h 52min

Overview

A set of six nested stories spanning time between the 19th century and a distant post-apocalyptic future. Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future. Based on the award winning novel by David Mitchell. Directed by Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis.

Themes

Rebellion against oppression, Consequences ripple across centuries, Interwoven destinies across eras, Identity across reincarnation, Power and ethics tension, Memory as moral force

Available on

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

Secret of the Wings

4. Secret of the Wings

Animation Family Fantasy Adventure Family Animation
7.0
20121h 15min

Overview

Tinkerbell wanders into the forbidden Winter woods and meets Periwinkle. Together they learn the secret of their wings and try to unite the warm fairies and the winter fairies to help Pixie Hollow.

Themes

Seasonal division vs unity, Border policy and separation, Authority versus tradition, Curiosity versus caution, Crossing as conflict, Sibling bonds across boundaries, Resilience through cooperation

Available on

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

Beasts of the Southern Wild

5. 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.

Brave

6. Brave

Animation Adventure Comedy Family Action
7.1
20121h 33min

Overview

In the mystical Scottish Highlands, Merida is the princess of a kingdom ruled by King Fergus and Queen Elinor. An unruly daughter and an accomplished archer, Merida one day defies a sacred custom of the land and inadvertently brings turmoil to the kingdom. In an attempt to set things right, Merida seeks out an eccentric old Wise Woman and is granted an ill-fated wish. Also figuring into Merida's quest — and serving as comic relief — are the kingdom's three lords: the enormous Lord MacGuffin, the surly Lord Macintosh, and the disagreeable Lord Dingwall.

Themes

Intergenerational conflict, Transformation and identity, Gendered expectations, Family bonds under pressure, Autonomy vs obligation, Rebellion against tradition, Peace through cooperation

Available on

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

Snow White and the Huntsman

7. Snow White and the Huntsman

Adventure Fantasy Drama Adventure Epic Dark Fantasy
6.1
20122h 7min

Overview

After the Evil Queen marries the King, she performs a violent coup in which the King is murdered and his daughter, Snow White, is taken captive. Almost a decade later, a grown Snow White is still in the clutches of the Queen. In order to obtain immortality, The Evil Queen needs the heart of Snow White. After Snow escapes the castle, the Queen sends the Huntsman to find her in the Dark Forest.

Themes

Forest isolation, Eternal youth pressure, Deception as control, Evil queen tyranny, Magic sovereignty, Immortality quest

Available on

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

A Letter to Momo

8. A Letter to Momo

Comedy Fantasy Animation Drama Family
7.2
20122h

Overview

A shy 11-year-old's life takes a strange turn when she discovers three hungry goblins living in the attic of her new house. She misses her old life. She misses her father so very much. Until she makes some new ghoulish friends.

Themes

Grief and resilience, Memory and longing, Belonging and home, Parent-child bond, Guardianship and care, Coexistence with the supernatural

Available on

Apple TV
Fandango At Home
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Wrath of the Titans

9. Wrath of the Titans

Fantasy Adventure Action Mythological Fantasy Epic Action
5.7
20121h 39min

Overview

Perseus tries to live a quieter life as a village fisherman while – dangerously weakened by humanity's lack of devotion – the gods are losing control of the long-imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos.

Themes

Duty versus family, Loss of devotion, Divine power erosion, Treachery and power, Mortality of gods, Quest for weapons

Available on

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

Arthur Christmas

10. Arthur Christmas

Drama Animation Family Comedy Family Animation
7.1
20111h 37min

Overview

For hundreds of years, the Claus family has delegated the title "Santa" to a chosen few of its members, which can be passed down upon retirement. Each Christmas, Santa and his vast army of highly trained elves produce gifts and distribute them around the world in a one-night high-tech operation. However, when one of 600 million children to receive a gift from Santa on Christmas Eve is missed, it is deemed ‘acceptable’ to all but one—Arthur Claus, the current Santa’s misfit son deemed ineligible for the title, who executes an unauthorised rookie mission to get the last present halfway around the globe before dawn on Christmas morning.

Themes

Intergenerational conflict, Tradition vs modernization, Error tolerance in service, Family pressure and responsibility, Hereditary duty vs merit, Technology vs magic

Available on

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