Dark fantasy is a genre that is loved, although not particularly new. Films likeThe Dark Crystalhave been around for over 40 years and still come as the most classic dark fantasy flicks. However, the “dark” in the genre is more of an allusion to the overall style and not to the content. Dark fantasy movies usually include visuals that are intentionally creepy or disturbing but can remain light-hearted overall.
Of course, this isn’t always the case. Some dark fantasy films go way above and beyond the normal bounds of the genre to deliver something that is not only visually grotesque but thematically appalling, making for an onslaught of unpleasantness that still manages to maintain all the quality of legendary films.These are the darkest fantasy movies, which are so ranked due to their undertones and their creative, if abhorrent, art styles and imagery.
15’Spirited Away' (2001)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Spirited Awayis a Studio Ghibli movie, which means it follows the typical conventions of the studio: beautifull animated, mostly whimsical, though not without its emotionally moving moments. Taken at face value, the movie is totally fine for kids. It might be a little strange at times, but this is because of its boundless creativity and fleshed-out world. Where it becomes disturbing, though, is in its subtext.
The story is about a young girl who is moving to a new town. On the way there, her parents get sidetracked and decide to visit an old abandoned amusement park. Unbeknownst to them, this park holds a portal to the spirit world, which traps them in with no way back to the land of the living. Within is a bathhouse, which the young girl is forced to work at if she is to find a way to escape. But see,the allegory here isn’t just about childhood innocence, but about human trafficking and prostitution in Japan. It’s true that most kids probably won’t see it for what it is, but many adults have drawn parallels to this macabre reality, and once that idea is in one’s head, things start to add up.
Spirited Away
Watch on Max
14’Beetlejuice' (1988)
Directed by Tim Burton
The all-time classic comedy-horror filmBeetlejuicehas gained a lot of attention in recent months with the new release of its successful sequel. It was always a highly-revered movie, but it has been brought back from the dead once again to remain fresh in everyone’s minds. Aside from being a comedy and a horror, it also delves into fantasy with the addition of the Netherworld, a dimension of the dead that is featured prominently throughout the film.
AsMichael Keaton’s iconic Beetlejuicewreaks havoc on a family after they move into a deceased couple’s home, some pretty creepy and weird visuals are shown, effectively counter-balanced by the inclusion of crude yet light-hearted humor. Though it is pretty dark as fantasy flicks go,Beetlejuiceis not so dark as to make anyone uncomfortable. Like the trickster himself, it’s more darkly playful than outright off-putting, making it endlessly rewatchable.
Beetlejuice
13’Return to Oz' (1985)
Directed by Walter Murch
Whoever decided thatReturn to Ozought to be a kids' movie seriously messed up. This spiritual successor to 1939’sThe Wizard of Ozis nothing like the uppity, colorful, happy original. In fact,Return to Ozcan be nothing short of horrifying at times, even for adults. For many kids growing up in the 80s,this movie was extremely traumatizing, providing nightmarish visuals that have been burned into young fans' brains.
The scariness in particular comes from the sharp contrast of what viewers expect when they imagine the familiar land of Oz. Instead of a place full of wonder and joy, it has been replaced by a vacant ruin inhabited by a whole slew of new, more frightening creatures. The worst of these is by far the Wheelers, which are by far some of the creepiest villains ever put in a kids' film. But these nightmares-on-wheels are only a small part of a larger movie,one that is so creepy that it wouldn’t be wrong to say it’s among the darkest fantasy movies ever conceived.
Return to Oz
12’The Heroic Trio' (1993)
Directed by Johnnie To
The Heroic Triois kind of ridiculous at first glance with its wacky action sequences and superhero-esque concept, but it.s the core narrative that makes it twisted. The story is about an invisible person who begins abducting several babies in Hong Kong, as per the will of the Evil Master, because said babies have royal blood.
It should go without saying that kidnapping babies and delivering them to someone known as the Evil Master is pretty disturbing, and this is supplemented by the fact that the three women sent to fight the Evil Master have all been through a hefty amount of trauma, and bear some pretty horrific backstories.Sure, it’s not the darkest movie ever, but some of the backstory and its concept isn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows, either.
The Heroic Trio
Watch on Criterion
11’Legend' (1985)
Directed by Ridley Scott
Critically speaking,Legendranks firmly inthe middle of Ridley Scott’s filmography, but that didn’t prevent it from becoming a modern cult classic. The plot concerns the Lord of Darkness, who sends his goblin minions to slaughter unicorns and harvest their horns to cast the world into perpetual shadow. To do it, they use Princess Lili (Mia Sara) as bait to attract the magical creatures and kidnap her for their nefarious purposes, prompting Jack (Tom Cruise) to try and save her.
Some of the film is a little bit goofy, butother aspects feature distinctively adult themes, especially with the capture of an innocent young woman to use for devilish deeds. Beyond that, its theme of harvesting unicorns is pretty sad, considering they are supposed to be embodiments of happiness and majesty, and the impending doom of the world being left in an eternal night is definitely foreboding.Legendmay not be Scott’s best film, but it is his most stylized and one that is worth checking out if you’re into fantasy,
Rent on Amazon
10’Pan’s Labyrinth' (2006)
Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Pan’s Labyrinthcomes from the imaginative mind ofGuillermo del Toroand is perhaps his most famous and best work, breaking the record for thelongest-standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. Taking place shortly after the Spanish Civil War,Ivana Baquerostars as Ofelia, a young girl who traverses an ancient labyrinth and meets a faun, who informs her that she is destined to become a legendary princess. First, she must pass a series of trials.
These trials take her to magical worlds full of terrifying creatures, most notably the infamous Pale Man (Doug Jones), which nearlypushes the dark fantasy film into the horror genrefor how eerie it is. With war playing a heavy part in the backdrop of the film,Pan’s Labyrinthfeatures some truly disturbing and tragic sequences that are firmly rooted in reality, exploring the extent of human cruelty. The creature designs are not only creative but downright freaky, makingPan’s Labyrinthone of the darkest fantasy movies ever made.
Pan’s Labyrinth
9’The Company of Wolves' (1984)
Directed by Neil Jordan
Based on a short story of the same name byAngela Carter,The Company of Wolvesis another movie with the concept of luring and capturing innocent young women at its forefront. It also plays into a lot of elements of gothic horror, namely with its presence of werewolves, as the film’s title implies. In this film, a teenage girl living in a country estate named Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson) begins experiencing nightmares in which she is transported to a fairy tale world where wolves are always hunting for her.
Taking a lot of inspiration from the classic fairy taleLittle Red Riding Hood,In the Company of Wolveswasreceived very well by critics, scoring nominations for four BAFTA Awards and earning rave reviews from multiple agencies, who favorably compared it to the classic Hammer films of the 1950s and ’60s. It was also praised for itsinclusion of certain aspects of Freudian philosophy and its grim visuals, which only enhanced the movie even more.
The Company of Wolves
8’The Seventh Seal' (1957)
Directed by Ingmar Bergman
The Seventh Sealis a Swedishfilm set during the Crusades. A knight returning from his voyage to the Holy Land comes home to a country afflicted with a plague, only to be met with the personification of Death himself (Bengt Ekerot), who has come to reap the knight’s soul at the end of his life. Knowing there is no other way out, the knight challenges Death to a game of chess, hoping to survive until the game is over.
Regarded as one of the greatest arthouse movies of all time,The Seventh Sealdabbles in themes of impending doom, with the end of the knight’s life being right in front of him, yet he is powerless to stop it. It is a harsh reminder of the finality of death, which has come to be a common sight in a country decimated by pestilence.Artsy, macabre, and strangely satisfying,The Seventh Sealis pretty tame when it comes to guts and gorebut brutal in its themes of existentialism.
The Seventh Seal
7’Crimson Peak' (2015)
Crimson Peakis part dark fantasy,part sweeping gothic romancethat comes once again from director Guillermo del Toro. It follows Edith (Mia Wasikowska), an American heiress who falls in love with a British entrepreneur named Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston). They marry, and Thomas takes her to his home on the eponymous Crimson Peak, so named for the blood-red clay that lies beneath the ground. The manor on Crimson Peak, as it would turn out, is haunted by multiple ghosts, turning Edith’s romantic marriage into a nightmare.
Where it gets really dark comes in the background plot, which gradually reveals why the estate is haunted. The movie touches upon a lot of frightening topics, including serial murder, romantic manipulation, familicide, and even incest. It’s by farone of del Toro’s most gruesome and macabre flicksso far, which is really saying something considering the reputation of his other films.
Crimson Peak
6’Solomon Kane' (2009)
Directed by M. J. Bassett
Solomon Kanetakes place in the year 1600 in North Africa, where an English privateer, who of course is named Solomon Kane (James Purefoy), is sent to liberate a village from the clutches of the Ottoman Empire. There, Kane is confronted by a demon, who informs him that his soul is to be sent to Hell upon his death. Desperate to escape this painful afterlife, Kane devotes himself to God, but is thrust back into violence once again after he decides to embark upon a quest to save a kidnapped girl and redeem his soul.
The fantasy aspect comes from its demons and mythological creatures, as well as the sorcerers present in it. As for the reason it is so dark, it’s because it’s incredibly violent and gory. Some of the action sequences involve brutal attacks and horrific mutilations, none of which is censored or alluded to–it is shown on full display to the audience.It’s not a particularly disturbing movie, just one that definitely isn’t for squeamish viewers.
