Fantasy is the playground of the mind—wizards casting spells, dragons glaring with fire, and magic only a little bit out of reach (thanks to some really cool effects teams). But what movies really influenced the genre to stay forever? It is time to go back through 10 movies that changed the way of the fantasy—where the dark dragons to the yellow brick road came from.
10. Dragonslayer (1981): Dark Fantasy Before It Was Cool
Years before Game of Thrones made gritty medieval fantasy into television gold, Dragonslayer did it. Its fire-spewing terror, Vermithrax Pejorative, is one of the greatest cinematic dragons thanks to Phil Tippett’s revolutionary go-motion animation. Even George R. R. Martin and Guillermo del Toro have praised it.
9. Shrek (2001): Fairy Tales, Flipped Inside Out
A Scottish-voiced ogre was likely not what anyone thought would revolutionize animation forever, but that is exactly what Shrek did. Winner of the first-ever Oscar for Best Animated Feature, it spoofed Disney clichés, shared a story with actual heart, and gave us a new age where fairy tales didn’t cower from making fun of themselves.
8. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975): Comedy Meets Quest
“It’s just a flesh wound.” If you’ve ever quoted that—or galloped around with coconuts—you owe it to this cult comedy. By skewering Arthurian legend with absurdist humor, Holy Grail became the most influential parody in fantasy history.
7. The Harry Potter Films (2001–2011): The School of Magic Effect
The Harry Potter series didn’t just translate into bestsellers—there are moments that it created a global phenomenon. With wands, magic, and a whole world of wizardry on screen, it fed a boom in YA fantasy translations. It also established the trend of dividing the final book into two movies, for better or worse.
6. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937): Disney’s Gamble That Paid Off
Critics once ridiculed it as “Disney’s Folly,” but Snow White went on to become the first full-length animated film—and an icon of American culture. Without its historic success, the animated fantasy genre that we know today may never have been.
5. The Princess Bride (1987): A Classic That Grew With Time
Romance, sword fights, comedy, and dialogue that people still quote decades after its initial release—The Princess Bride was not an instant success when it was first released, but it caught on and went on to become one of the most cherished fantasy adventures of all time. It’s humorous, sentimental, and infinitely watchable.
4. The Thief of Bagdad (1940): Arabian Nights on the Big Screen
Before magic carpets were popularized by Aladdin, The Thief of Bagdad amazed audiences with stunning effects and visuals way ahead of its time. It even invented blue screen technology, solidifying its mark on film history.
3. The Seventh Seal (1957): A Fantasy of Mortality
Not all fantasy movies involve quests and wizards. Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal presented us with the indelible vision of a knight sitting down to a game of chess with Death. It’s chilling, metaphysical, and sets the standard for how pop culture visualizes the Grim Reaper.
2. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001–2003): Epic, Redefined
Peter Jackson’s The ord of the Rings was not an adaptation; it was a revolution. With motion-capture Gollum, epic battles, and sweeping emotion, the trilogy showed fantasy could win Oscars and hook worldwide audiences. Its legacy continues to flow through fantasy filmmaking even today.
1. The Wizard of Oz (1939): The Blueprint of Fantasy
There really isn’t anywhere like Oz. The leap from Kansas black-and-white dust to Technicolor enchantment is one of the most indelible moments in cinema. With classic songs, iconic figures, and across-the-board appeal, The Wizard of Oz became the touchstone for all that came after in fantasy films.
Whether your preference is for speaking animals, magical academies, or chess-playing knights who engage Death in a game, these movies established the foundation of fantasy on film. Each of them pushed open the door to another world—and reminded us that in films, the impossible is always possible.