10 Best Fantasy Movies Of The 1990s, Ranked

One of the most diverse movie genres is fantasy, which encompasses everything from magic and dragons to the afterlife and alternate realities. Because it's such a wide-ranging genre, fantasy has continuously evolved alongside the feature film medium to deliver some of the greatest stories ever told, though there are also many amazing fantasy TV shows. Every year, new fantasy movies are released, and each decade has its biggest and best.

In the 2000s, it was "The Lord of the Rings," and in the 1980s, it was a myriad of unique options that included "Willow," "The Princess Bride," and "Ghostbusters." The 1990s weren't entirely devoid of amazing fantasy films, and the decade includes several that often find themselves at the top of fans' rankings of the greatest fantasy movies ever made. This was especially true of animation, with the likes of "The Nightmare Before Christmas," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Toy Story" proving the genre's ability to tell fantastical tales in any medium.

Those are only three examples of some of the incredible animated fantasies released in the 1990s, as there are many more. The best fantasy movies of the 1990s would likely be dominated by animated films, so instead, the following movies are all live-action. Since animation isn't considered, what's left are the '90s' best fantasy movies that cover a wide variety of sub-genres, many of which did incredibly well. They're ranked via an aggregate of their IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic scores.

While he's best known for horror, Stephen King's work includes some phenomenal fantasies. His best-known is "The Dark Tower" series, but in 1999, King's '96 novel "The Green Mile" received one of the author's best cinematic adaptations. The film begins in 1999, where Paul (Tom Hanks) tells the story of his life, going back to 1935, when he worked as the overseer of "The Green Mile," the death row at Cold Mountain Penitentiary.

A new inmate, John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), arrives at the prison, and he's unlike any other. Physically, he's imposing, but mentally, he's simple-minded and gentle. Coffey's demeanor runs afoul of his crime, as he's set to die for the brutal murder of two white girls he was found crying over. As the story progresses, two things become clear: Coffey has a supernatural ability to heal anything, and he's innocent of the crime for which he's been convicted.

Ultimately, this doesn't matter, as Paul attempts to have his sentence commuted. When this fails, the guards reluctantly fulfill their duties, executing Coffey. The fantasy element is centered around Coffey's inexplicable healing ability, as well as Paul's age in the opening and closing of the film. Paul is 108 (Dabbs Greer) in 1999, and is doomed to outlive everyone he ever knew, which he sees as penance for executing the world's most gentle spirit.

• Cast: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse
• Director: Frank Darabont
• Rating: R
• Runtime: 189 minutes
• Where to watch: Netflix

French cinema is filled with some of the world's best movies, and the 1990s were packed with several amazing fantasies. "The City of Lost Children" features some of the strangest sets, costumes, and locations in any '90s fantasy. It's about Krank (Daniel Emilfork), a creation of a mad scientist who cannot dream. He lives among six clones on an abandoned oil rig and uses them to capture children to steal their dreams.

One such child is Denrée (Joseph Lucien), the adopted son of One (Ron Perlman). After he's kidnapped, One joins a group of orphans and soon after, he notices Denrée's kidnappers. Later, a dream reveals the truth of what happens on the oil rig. One and several others set out to rescue Denrée and stop Krank from exploiting children. Ultimately, Krank is tricked into a dream on an infinite loop, destroying his mind.

The film's unusual visuals and odd characters weave together an engrossing narrative that makes it impossible to look away. "The City of Lost Children" is the kind of movie you might have to watch more than once to follow everything that unfolds on screen, which isn't bad, seeing as it boasts a brilliant score by Angelo Badalamenti with Jean Paul Gaultier's costumes bringing it all to life. This is the type of fantasy film that's wondrous and niche.

• Cast: Ron Perlman, Daniel Emilfork, Judith Vittet
• Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
• Rating: R
• Runtime: 112 minutes
• Where to watch: Tubi

The concept of an afterlife is usually left to religion, but in "Defending Your Life," an entirely unique cinematic take on the concept creates a rather charmingly comedic atmosphere. The movie is centered around Daniel (Albert Brooks), an advertising executive who's hit by a bus while driving his new car. He awakens in Judgment City, a temporary place for souls to gather, where they're judged to determine how they'll move on.

It boils down to fear and whether or not a person overcame it while alive. If so, they move on. If not, they're reincarnated and must try it all over again. Daniel isn't on the path towards moving on, but he meets Julia (Meryl Streep), and the two fall in love. This leads to complications, as Judgment City is only temporary, and Julia isn't going to be held back, having overcome her fears.

The supernatural and fantastical elements of "Defending Your Life" blend together into an afterlife that's both remarkable and prosaic. People can eat anything they want without gaining weight, and food is delivered in seconds. They can view their past lives, and it's funny, romantic, and ideal, as every person has the right to literally defend their life. The movie is, at its core, a romantic comedy, but it's enshrined in a world that cannot exist ... even if we want it to.

• Cast: Albert Brooks, Meryl Streep, Rip Torn
• Director: Albert Brooks
• Rating: PG
• Runtime: 112 minutes
• Where to watch: YouTube

In "Pleasantville," David (Tobey Maguire) is a '90s teenager who's inexplicably obsessed with a 1950s TV series called "Pleasantville." His twin sister, Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon), is a stereotypical teen, and when they fight over what they don't realize is a magical remote control, they're sucked into the TV. They find themselves inside of the black-and-white world of "Pleasantville." As they try to adjust and play the characters they're meant to be, they influence those around them.

This has the effect of colorizing the people who embrace creativity. It's a not-so-subtle allegory to 1950s America, where the colorful people become shunned by the conservative society. The seemingly perfect utopia of "Pleasantville" begins to fall apart, as some embrace the changes in their society while others prefer a more conservative mindset of what came before. This leads to David being put on trial for painting a colorful mural, violating the town's new codes of conduct.

A climactic confrontation with the mayor results in widespread change, opening up Pleasantville to the rest of the world as everything becomes colorized. The twins find their way back home and adjust their lives around what they learned about themselves and others through their experiences. "Pleasantville" is a remarkable movie that employs color in highly specific ways. It failed to woo audiences upon release, becoming a box office failure, but has since grown into a cult classic.

• Cast: Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, Jeff Daniels
• Director: Gary Ross
• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 124 minutes
• Where to watch: MGM+

Like most of author Roald Dahl's stories, "Matilda" is focused on a child with extraordinary abilities. "Matilda" features a stellar cast, including its star, Mara Wilson, a six-year-old genius with telekinetic powers. These manifest slowly through emotional distress around her parents' genuinely terrible treatment of her. She's eventually allowed to attend school, where she finds solace in other children and her teacher, Miss Honey (Embeth Davidtz).

The principal, Miss Trunchbull (Pam Ferris), is an abusive woman who puts children into the "Chokey," which is akin to an iron maiden. She makes everyone's life an utter nightmare, including her step-daughter, Miss Honey. As Matilda becomes closer to Miss Honey, she develops her powers, becoming adept at manipulating all manner of objects with her mind. She uses them to turn the tables on Miss Trunchbull, saving the school, Miss Honey, and herself in the process.

The film concludes with Matilda's parents giving her up to Miss Honey, who adopts her. It's a fun, silly story that's remained a beloved classic since its release in 1996. As with most of Dahl's work, the world of "Matilda" is seen through a child's eyes, giving adult viewers a better understanding of the title character's plight. This and Matilda's powers enshrine the film in the fantasy comedy genre, and despite being a box office failure, it's a cultural touchstone that resonates with successive generations of kids.

• Cast: Mara Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman
• Director: Danny DeVito
• Rating: PG
• Runtime: 98 minutes
• Where to watch: YouTube

While it receives a lot of attention for the death of Brandon Lee, "The Crow" is a fantastic blend of fantasy and vengeance centered around a powerful and enduring love. The film is about Eric Draven (Lee), a musician who's brutally murdered while his fiancée is brutalized. She eventually dies, and a year later, Eric returns from the dead to get revenge upon the people who destroyed his life and killed the woman he loves.

He's immortal and capable of healing from any wound, thanks to the presence of the crow that revived him. He makes his way through each of the men, one by one, sending a message to the rest that "death is coming for them. Tonight. Tell them Eric Draven sends his regards." Word of his violent retribution makes its way to the top, leading to a final confrontation between Eric and Top Dollar (Michael Wincott), the man who is ultimately responsible for his and Shelly's (Sofia Shinas) murder.

After his crow is wounded, Eric's powers wane, but he gets the upper hand, delivering all of Shelly's painful memories into Top Dollar, all at once. On the surface, "The Crow" is a heavy metal-laden revenge flick, but it's so much more than that through its exploration of love, loss, grief, and revenge in an action-packed comic book adaptation that stands the test of time.

• Cast: Brandon Lee, Michael Wincott, Rochelle Davis
• Director: Alex Proyas
• Rating: R
• Runtime: 102 minutes
• Where to watch: MGM+

"The Witches" is another fantasy film adapted from a Roald Dahl novel, and like "Matilda," it centers around a special child who faces impossible odds. Luke (Jasen Fisher) is a young boy who's been orphaned, so he moves in with his grandmother, who warns him all about witches. When she falls ill, her doctor suggests they spend the summer by the sea, where they inadvertently run into a convention of witches intent on transforming the world's children into mice by poisoning the world's sweets.

Unfortunately, after overhearing their plans, the Grand High Witch (Anjelica Huston) captures Luke and turns him into a mouse. He finds his grandmother, and they plot to stop the witches by stealing their mouse-transformation formula. Once they do, Luke poisons their soup, causing all of the witches to turn into grotesque mice that the staff and hotel guests stop to death.

Dahl's stories often feature this sort of fantastical violence, and in the end, Luke and his grandmother get their revenge. Just when it appears that Luke will forever be a mouse, a good witch arrives and transforms him back into his human form, showing that not all witches are evil despite their nature. For a film released in 1990, "The Witches" features some impressive special effects, as well as brilliant costume and makeup design that forms the foundation of the film's fantasy elements.

• Cast: Anjelica Huston, Mai Zetterling, Jasen Fisher
• Director: Nicolas Roeg
• Rating: PG
• Runtime: 91 minutes
• Where to watch: YouTube

Tim Burton is an incredibly imaginative director who's managed to pull off significant worldbuilding with several notable movies in the 1990s using traditional visual effects. In "Edward Scissorhands," Burton reimagined Mary Shelly's "Frankenstein" as an android with scissors instead of proper hands. Despite appearances, he's initially welcomed into an idyllic suburban town where everyone has manicured lawns, walks their dogs, and is generally pleasant with one another.

Just like in "Frankenstein," the so-called monster, Edward (Johnny Depp), is misunderstood, leading a violent mob to turn on him. This also aligns with Burton's similar homage, "Frankenweenie," as well as "Beauty and the Beast," especially in its fairy tale-esque ending that ties in nicely with the film's prologue. Much of the movie's fantasy elements are depicted in the so-called idyllic suburbia, which comes off as weird and unusual despite its generally pedestrian appearance.

Edward is an artificial being, but he has a heart and can love, which drives the plot as he becomes close to Kim (Winona Ryder). It all coalesces into one of Burton's strangest, yet somehow oddly relatable movies, where it's never challenging to side with the "monster" when callous indifference, hatred, and selfishness motivate those who would do him harm. "Edward Scissorhands" is a masterclass in modern Gothic storytelling, and it remains a popular film long after its release in 1990.

• Cast: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest
• Director: Tim Burton
• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 105 minutes
• Where to watch: Hulu

"Groundhog Day" is a quirky fantasy wrapped inside a romantic comedy about a temperamental weatherman, Phil (Bill Murray), who is mired in a time loop on February 2nd, Groundhog Day. He's stuck in a small town he hates alongside his producer, Rita (Andie MacDowell), and settles into a routine or sorts. After finding that there's no way to break his curse and make it to tomorrow, Phil gets to know everyone in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, while improving himself.

The movie is filled with humorous moments, but it doesn't remain there, straying into death, despair, and a realization that a person's fate cannot be changed. While this becomes obvious to the viewer, it takes Phil a while to get control of his situation, and once he does, he becomes determined to win the love of Rita without having to resort to any tricks, gimmicks, or anything other than his newfound genuine sincerity.

It may have taken Phil way longer than you think to get there (10,000+ years), but he matures in the end. "Groundhog Day" is easily one of the strangest fantasies of the 1990s, as there's nothing truly like it. There are plenty of time loop-themed films, but none have achieved the same level of notoriety as "Groundhog Day." It's become so ingrained in the zeitgeist that the film's title has become an expression for repetitive situations.

• Cast: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott
• Director: Harold Ramis
• Rating: PG
• Runtime: 101 minutes
• Where to watch: Netflix

It's not uncommon for a fantasy movie to stray into strange territory, and that's especially true of 1999's "Being John Malkovich." The premise is as brilliant as it is nonsensical, as it's centered around a portal found in an office building that leads to John Malkovich. When people pass through the portal, they see what Malkovich sees, as if they're him, and this continues throughout the movie to include more people until it all boils over into Malkovich himself stepping into his own mind (pictured).

Everything about "Being John Malkovich" is surreal, but it's also wrapped inside corporate mundanity, obsession, and puppetry. In order to escape reality, Craig (John Cusack) chooses to dive into the famous actor who plays an exaggerated version of himself in the film. There's a love triangle element and obsession with a woman who won't have him unless he's inside Malkovich, furthering his desires beyond explanation.

In his search for change in his life, Craig becomes hoisted by his own petard, simultaneously becoming both the villain and the victim of his own story. The unusual fantasy was a hit with critics, though, while "Being John Malkovich" made a profit, it didn't make much at the box office. It has since become a cult classic and is highly regarded as one of the best fantasy films of the 20th century.

• Cast: John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener
• Director: Spike Jonze
• Rating: R
• Runtime: 113 minutes
• Where to watch: YouTube