Fantasy will always be one of the most beloved genres of film, television, and books. And for good reason, too. It can function as an escape, a critique of our current time, and everything in between. But fantasy film adaptations that hold up to, or do better than, the books that they were created from are a rare gift—few and far between. Every once in a while, fans are graced with an adaptation that manages to hold a candle to the IP it was based on. And occasionally, a few gems fall through the cracks, become either cult classic favorites or nearly forgotten altogether.
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Below we have 5 underrated fantasy films that were pulled straight from the pages. Some you’ve heard of, while others might have slipped under the radar. But either way, they’re each worth a watch (or two).
5) Stardust
Based on the novel of the same name by Neil Gaiman, the movie is actually much better than the book. Starring an almost unrecognizable Charlie Cox alongside Clare Danes, Robert De Niro, and Michelle Pfeiffer, Stardust tells the story of a young man who attempts to capture a falling star as a gift for the girl he loves. A wrench is thrown into his plans when he realizes the star is, in fact, a woman, and he’s not the only one searching for her—the violent and cruel sons of the dying king are also searching for the star to secure their place as heir. The two set off on a perilous adventure back to his village, encountering witches and sky pirates along the way. It’s a fun, whimsical, and campy film, with a surprisingly cozy aesthetic and a heartwarming narrative.
4) The Secret of NIMH
The Secret of NIMH, based on the novel by Robert O’Brien, debuted back in 1982 and promptly traumatized an entire generation of children. It’s one of the best book-to-screen adaptations out there, centering around the story of Mrs. Brisby (Elizabeth Hartman), a widowed mother mouse, who must now move her children out of their home in the field before the local farmer starts readying it for harvest. Her son is ill, stopping her from being able to leave and forcing her to seek the help of the nearby rats—rats who now have special intelligence after having been experimented on. She receives an unexpected gift from the elder rat, Nicodemus (Derek Jacobi), catching her up in a conflict amongst the rats and putting her mission and family at risk. The animation is nothing short of stunning, and the story is one that really sticks with you, leaving you wanting to continue to revisit it.
3) The Spiderwick Chronicles
The Spiderwick Chronicles are based on a series of novels by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. When strange things begin to happen after his family’s move to a ruin of an estate, troublemaker Jared is soon blamed for the chaotic happenings in the home by his sister Mallory (Sarah Bolger), twin brother Simon, and their mother. But magical creatures secretly roam the grounds, each looking for the book that Jared has found: a field guide to fantastic creatures, penned by Arthur Spiderwick. It’s a whimsical movie that manages to wholly capture the magic of the books it was based on.
2) Dragonslayer
Another 80s addition to the list, Dragonslayer is a perfect encapsulation of the time period’s take on high-fantasy, and is darker than any other Disney film we’ve had to date. The movie still holds an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes and tells a story of the land of Urland in the 6th century. Terrorized by a horrible dragon, Urland, who has been delivering virgins to the dragon’s cave in a bid for mercy, seeks aid from the renowned wizard Ulrich to help them defeat the creature before they must sacrifice their own princess. But Ulrich is killed, leaving only his apprentice, Galen, to help the kingdom. It’s campy and tropey and exactly what you would expect from a movie called Dragonslayer that was made in the 80s, but that’s what makes it an almost perfect film, and a fantastic adaptation of the novel by Wayland Drew.
1) The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones was meant to kick off an entire film franchise, and it certainly could do it, perfectly capturing the aesthetic and vibes of the book it was based on. The movie had an all-star cast featuring Jamie Campbell Bower, Lilly Collins, and Robert Sheehan, and a fantastic soundtrack that had you bopping your head the entire time. The movie centered around a girl named Clary Fray, who learns, after the disappearance of her mother, that she descends from a line of fighters whose goal is to protect the world from demons. Alongside her best friend, Simon, she teams up with the mysterious Jace, joining forces with other demon hunters and tumbling headfirst into the Shadow World. After the film series was cancelled, a show of the same name popped up, but it fell way short of everything that the movie brought to life.
What’s your favorite underrated fantasy adaptation? Let us know in the comments before you head over to the ComicBook forum to see what other fans are saying.
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