There are many greatfantasymovies that have elevated the genre over the years, from Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringstrilogy toDisney’sPirates of the Caribbeanfilms. However, overwhelmingly, television seems to be the better medium for the category. That’s not much of a surprise. While films typically get the budgets needed to bring magic and battle sequences to life, TV can spend more time on world-building.
And thanks to one incredible fantasy series that’s as good as — if not better than — the majority of the genre’s films, many TV projects are receiving bigger budgets. AfterGame of Thrones,there are several great fantasy shows that are better than most of the movies the category has to offer.10/10 fantasy shows may be rare, but these capture why TV is ideal for the genre.
His Dark Materialsis such a great TV show, it managed tomake its $372 film counterpart look bad— though, to be fair,The Golden Compasswasone of themost disappointing fantasy movies of the 2000s.The three-season television series did a much better job bringing Philip Pullman’s bestselling books to the screen. And its virtues extend beyond surpassing the earlier film adaptation.
Its production quality is on par with much of what’s put on the big screen.
In truth,His Dark Materialsis better than most fantasy movies out there. Its production quality is on par with much of what’s put on the big screen, andHis Dark Materials' impressive castalso ensures that the acting never feels subpar. And the writing and handling of the series' themes is also worthy of praise.
While there are fantasy movies that boast all these strengths,His Dark Materialshas a long enough run to do its complex themes justiceand get readers attached to its characters before delivering a powerful ending. It’s a perfect example of why TV just works better for fantasy adaptations.
Stranger Thingsis approaching its final season, which promises to be more epic than most fantasy movies — andin some ways, the Netflix show has been more impressive since the very beginning. Even season 1, which had a comparatively smaller budget than later outings, feels incredibly atmospheric and cinematic. And it has the time to do character work a movie can’t achieve.
From there,Stranger Thingscontinues to build on its best storylines in impressive ways, and it expands its cast while making viewers care about every newcomer. None of this could be accomplished by a fantasy film or even a film series; even the hype surrounding the show’s return is difficult to envision for a post-2020 theatrical release.
Like His Dark Materials,Percy Jackson & the Olympiansis the second shot at adapting a beloved book series— and the Disney+ show is another example of TV handling fantasy better. There was a lot thatwent wrong with thePercy Jacksonmovies, and not all of their issues were connected to the medium.
But once again, condensing the story and character arcs didn’t do the source material justice.
Meanwhile, Disney’s first season of itsPercy JacksonTV show is already leagues better than the prior movies and many other films in the genre.Its production quality and effects are impressive, its storytelling matches that of the books, and its cast of characters is both expansive and fleshed out.
Only time will tell if Percy Jackson season 2 and future outings live up to the first, buttheDisney+ show’s cast is promising a “total upgrade,“meaning they should be even bigger.With time, it’s easy to see this series surpassing most fantasy movies; it’s already higher-quality than much of what’s out there.
There are some trulygreat animated fantasy moviesavailable, butfew of them reach the heights of Netflix’sArcane.The two-season fantasy series holds a rare 100% onRotten Tomatoes, and it boasts many of the strengths that make animated fantasy films great. Its animation is stunning and far above much of what’s out there, and its soundtrack is full of incredible earworms.
The storytelling ofArcaneis also lengthy enough that it can go beyond what a film is capable of, giving its characters a level of complexity that they wouldn’t otherwise have.But at just two seasons, it’s also concise and doesn’t overcomplicate matters.It’s the perfect middle ground in that regard, yet again showcasing the strengths of fantasy TV.
Its action sequences are wonderful, but even smaller scenes are made memorable by the show’s approach to visuals.
Due to its standout animation,Arcanealso feels more cinematic than some of the best animated fantasy films.Its action sequences are wonderful, but even smaller scenes are made memorable by the show’s approach to visuals.
Avatar: The Last Airbenderis one of the few fantasy shows from beforeGame of Thronesthat manages to be better than most movies. And while its animation style holds up — and was pretty unique for its time — the reason it surpasses most films is the depth of its story and characters.The show is able to do a lot with its world-building, lore, and main personalities thanks to its three-season run.
While many animated, family-friendly movies are able to tackle serious subjects in lighthearted ways,Avatar: The Last Airbendertakes this to a new level. Its longer story and ability to dedicate individual episodes to certain topics works in its favor, making it all the more powerful and memorable.
Anime movies are receiving bigger budgets and becoming much more epic productions in recent years, butAttack on Titansurpasses many fantasy movies— anime or otherwise — on multiple levels. For one, its animation, especially during its later outings, is on par with a lot of the big-budget films being released. But like so many other titles on this list, it also benefits from its long-running narrative.
The moral complexity explored in a series likeAttack on Titanwould be difficult to tackle in a film, as there are too many moving parts to manage in a much shorter runtime. This is why the themes and characters ofAttack on Titanland so much better than anything in fantasy films. Condensed narratives can work for the genre, but not when it’s dealing with so much serious subject matter.
It probably goes without saying, butGame of Thronesis one of the greatest fantasy projects to ever grace the screen— and despite its run being on the small screen, it’s better than the majority of movies available. The quality ofGame of Thronesis at least equal toThe Lord of the RingsandPirates of the Caribbeanmovies, and given its later release, many of the effects are an improvement.
One of the greatest fantasy projects
Improved due to later release
Epic and believable
Creatures (e.g., dragons, etc.)
Never feel cheap or corny
World-Building
Fully immersive, complex politics, vast landscape
Game of Thronesboasts some of the most epic and believable action sequences in thefantasygenre, and its depiction of creatures like White Walkers and dragons never feels cheap or corny. Additionally, the show delivers a fully immersive world with complex politics and an expansive landscape. Not many titles can accomplish this at all, much less in a movie’s runtime.
