The 10 best fantasy movies on Netflix to watch right now
Sep. 27, 2024From The Old Guard to Nightbooks, these are the best Netflix fantasy movies streaming right now
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What are the best fantasy movies on Netflix to watch right now? The streaming service’s vast catalog can be overwhelming sometimes, and, with new releases arriving every week, the scrolling can feel endless. That’s why we’re here to help you make the right decisions when it comes to choosing a film to watch at home.
Whether you’re looking for inspiring films for kids or brutal R-rated monster tales with lots of action, we’ve found movies that cover all moods, tastes, and audiences. And they’re all fantastic too.
We’ve dug deep (and greedily) into thebest Netflix moviesto find stories set in distant worlds, realms filled with magic, and spellbinding mythology. As one of thebest streaming platformsout there, Netflix offers plenty of options within the fantasy genre.
From critically-acclaimed gems like Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio to action flicks like The Old Guard, we’ve curated this ranking to highlight some of the best fantasy movies on Netflix right now.
This genre has limitless potential, so in this list you’ll find everything from cozy rom-coms to family movies. Buckle up and get ready for some streaming whimsy.
10. Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
Andy Serkis, arguably the king of motion-capture acting, turns his attention behind the camera in this live-action spin on Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book stories. Most of us are familiar withDisney’s animated take on the books, but Mowgli sets a more mature tone.
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With a nuanced understanding of how to get the best out of mo-cap technology and voiceover performances, Serkis uses the experience he gained from being Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, Snoke in theStar Wars timeline, and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes movies to shape a new adventure. Legend of the Jungle follows the classic beats and is about a child raised by wolves in the Indian jungle. It has familiar characters like Baloo the bear, top-notch action sequences, and stretches its budget to the max to create a tense adaptation.
Something a little lighter, perhaps? We can benefit from a dose of silliness on occasion, and Afterlife is a good antidote to those Monday blues. It’s an easy-watch and trope-filled story about a social butterfly who dies but is given a second chance to right her wrongs before moving on.
If you’re a fan of watching thebest Netflix comediesand films about fixing things on a timer – think Happy Death Day and any film about Ebenezer Scrooge – this will scratch an itch you weren’t even aware of. It stars Victoria Justice, too, which is an extra point for those of us who grew up on a Nickelodeon and Disney Channel diet. The narrative itself isn’t much to write home about, but it’s good vibes all around here if you’re not in the mood for something weightier. The best fantasy movies are often expansive and attached to longer running times, but not this one.
A Charlize Theron action vehicle with surprising amounts of world-building, The Old Guard follows a group of four immortal warriors who protect humanity from the shadows. Everything hits the fan when they are targeted because of their unyielding life force.
The plot isn’t the most cohesive in the world, and if you’re looking for thebest action moviesstarring its lead, you’ll be better served by Mad Max: Fury Road or Atomic Blonde, but Theron stills punches a lot of people in this. What more can we ask for?It’s based on the Greg Rucka comics of the same name, and the undying mercenaries with hearts of gold hook does a lot of heavy lifting. Now’s a good time to jump into it, ahead of The Old Guard 2 release date.
For more information check out ourThe Old Guard review!
Driven into action by memories of her mother, an optimistic young girl called Fei Fei builds a rocket to fly to the moon. She’s on a mission to prove a legendary moon goddess exists, but finds lots of trouble on the journey. Over the Moon struggles to stand tall among the countless animated kids movies that deal in similar topics, but it’s a heartfelt adventure to kick back with nonetheless.
It has musical numbers, a vibrant aesthetic, and a tear-jerking plot about grief and acceptance. Even if it feels like you’ve seen versions of its story before, Over the Moon nails its emotional stings enough for it to be a worthy addition to your watchlist, especially if you are after thebest kids movies on Netflixto watch with your family. There’s also a bunny rabbit in this that is simply begging to be bought in plushie form.
We’re hitting the high seas now for an inspirational tale of standing up for what’s right, even when the odds seem insurmountable. When young Maisie stows away on the ship of the sea monster hunter Jacob Holland, they end up coming face to face with a legendary creature. But all is not as it seems… maybe this monster ain’t so bad.
The Sea Beast’s themes aren’t unique, especially not in the children’s genre, but it has a bit more teeth to it and refreshingly doesn’t water its ideas down. The characters are what make it sing, with complicated people littered around the story. Fantasy is a great genre to find heroes in, and The Sea Beast lets its young and brilliant protagonist, Maisie, shine. That’s no easy feat next to a Karl Urban-voiced character.
There are some stunning kids horror movies out there, Studio Laika’s Coraline and Paranorman to name a couple, and Netflix did not come to play with its contender.Nightbooksutilizes a hammy Krysten Ritter as a witch for a Hansel and Gretel-style tale. When a spook-loving young boy named Alex gets trapped in her magical apartment, he must band together with other captives to find a way to escape.
It’s got lots of creepy moments, respects its young audience’s capacity to understand the darker themes, and features a colorful production design to boot. The magical elements are a lot of fun, and the running time makes it an efficient choice for a family movie night. The sub-genre is dark fantasy, so if you like all things supernatural, Nightbooks is a fantastic bet.
If you are after something a bit more mature than Nightbooks, read our list of thebest Netflix horror movies.
The plot follows 17-year-old Suzume as she opens a mysterious door that unleashes a catastrophic event across Japan. Similar doors are being opened all around the country, and anything near them meets with destruction. The teenager will have to team up with a guy-turned-chair to close all the doors and save everyone. Shinkai is often called Hayao Miayazaki’s heir, but his style is absolutely unique, and deserves to stand on its own.
For more information, read our completereview of Suzume.
Del Toro told Total Film, “When we started this journey, we said, ‘Well, what can we shake, in terms of story, and what haven’t we seen before?'” And shake they did. Pinocchio is a labor of love, which is obvious in every painstakingly animated frame. From the story’s additional bite to the visual storytelling, it’s the finest adaptation of the story since Disney’s classic.
Read ourPinocchio reviewif you fancy learning more about the latest Disney take on this classic story. But be warned, Guillermo del Toro’s movie is far better, in our opinion.
Nimona has a frenzied and explosive spirit that makes it a delight. The visual language is fast-paced and dynamic; the world moves quickly, and there are details in every corner. That being said, the heart of the narrative in this Netflix fantasy movie is delicate and complex. Like many movies aimed at youngsters, Nimona teaches us to embrace our uniqueness.
It casts a light on how we ‘other’ people out of fear or ignorance, dehumanizing them. These are heavy topics, but the delivery makes it digestible. The characters are lively, the animation marches to the beat of its own drum, and it addresses important topics without hamfisting the execution. Watching the relationships and people in the story grow is super rewarding, too.
We’re headed into an apocalyptic world now for Love and Monsters, which sees an unprepared survivor leave his underground shelter to reunite with his ex-girlfriend.
Love and Monsters feels original in a genre that doesn’t have a lot of that anymore. There’s more to it than meets the eye, with likable characters, a memorable soundtrack, and great VFX for all those over-sized creepy crawlies.
It’s like multiple movies rolled into one, with romance and adventure making sure there’s something for everyone. If it weren’t so much fun, you might notice it’s a bit unfocused. But luckily, it’s an exciting and imaginative fantasy flick that provides a much needed break from Netflix’s animated conveyor belt and modern Hollywood’s IP-focused tentpoles. It’s also one of thebest Netflix action movies, along with being our top pick for the best fantasy movies on Netflix, so yeah, it’s a must-watch.
After more streaming recommendations? Well, you can head over to our lists of thebest Netflix TV shows, thebest Netflix sci-fi movies, and thebest anime on Netflixfor more binge-worthy titles. Or read our guide on everything you need to know aboutThe Sandman season 2!
Trudie is an entertainment journalist based in Scotland who specializes in covering movies, TV shows, and games. Her words can be found on Dexerto, The Digital Fix, Technopedia, and Collider.
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