This article contains discussions of violence and self-harm.
Works of darkfantasythat border on being considered horror movies are a vital part of the genre. Not only are these films thrilling and exciting to watch, but they also tackle taboo subjects and deal with the more complex and murky aspects of the human experience.Filmmakers must grapple with the grotesque and violentas much as they do the happy and magical parts of fantasy. Using the genre solely as a means of escapism is a failure, as fantasy and other works of speculative fiction have the opportunity to take on some of the biggest issues facing society.
Many of the darkest films of the genre are thebest R-rated fantasy movies, but there are also plenty of stories that incorporate serious and intense subjects into narratives meant for all audiences. It’s a misconception that younger viewers can’t handle dark fantasy or won’t be able to understand the tougher subjects that appear onscreen. Of course, not all of these works are appropriate for every age group, butmovies can be a safe and effective way for hard feelings of sadness and fear to be explored.This is why these films are considered classics and have retained acclaimed legacies.
The Dark Crystal
Cast
Directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, and featuring Henson’s signature use of puppetry and animatronics, The Dark Crystal tells the story of two Gelflings, a fictional race of elf-like fantasy creatures, who must embark on a quest to restore balance to their world through the mending of an all-powerful crystal, broken and corrupted by a malevolent race known as the Skeksis. Stephen Garlick and Lisa Maxwell voice the protagonists, Jen and Kira.
The beautifully realized visuals ofThe Dark Crystaltransport the viewer into a magical and seemingly idyllic world. However,the Henson Company’s seminal work of fantasy hinges on a tragic tale of genocideand devastation of an entire race of creatures in the world of Thra. The protagonist, Jen, believes himself to be the last of his kind after the Geflings were hunted to near-extinction, thanks to a prophecy that foretold a Gefling would bring an end to the reign of terror of the tyrannical Skeksis.
Though Jen does meet another Gefling, they are still relentlessly hunted and fall into perilous situations in their attempts to stop the Skeksis from gaining power forever.
Though Jen does meet another Gefling, they are still relentlessly hunted and fall into perilous situations in their attempts to stop the Skeksis from gaining power forever.The Dark Crystalmight be brought to life using puppets and gorgeous landscape sets, but that doesn’t make the movie the most family-friendly. Torture, experimentation, and plenty of death are part of the core ofThe Dark Crystal’s story, butit’s this intensity that makes the film stand out amongst other works of its time.
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9Solomon Kane (2009)
Directed by M.J. Bassett
A desperate and harrowing tale of violence and redemption,Solomon Kaneis afantasy movie that would have been more successful ten years later. Set against the grim and grimiest parts of the early 17th century,Solomon Kaneisn’t afraid to make its central characters suffer and grapple with their worst decisions.Overarching themes of puritanical repression and punishment make an impression inSolomon Kane,as demons, witches, and other forces of the devil are constantly in pursuit of Kane and torturing him.
James Purefoy leads the cast as the titular characterand effectively communicates the pain and shame that fuels Kane as he changes his ways and tries to save his soul. However, it’s Kane’s background of cruelty that gives him the skills to stand against someone even more ruthless than he was. Though it received mixed reviews,Solomon Kaneis engaging to revisit today, as Kane is such a prototypical anti-hero onscreen. However, the audience can’t help rooting for him, especially as more of his sorrowful past is revealed.
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The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse is a psychological thriller directed by Robert Eggers. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson star as Thomas Wake and Ephraim Winslow, two lighthouse keepers who begin to experience strange and supernatural phenomena after they get stranded on a remote island in the 1890s.
The Lighthouseis far from the first or only piece of dark filmmaking from the director Robert Eggers, who rose to prominence thanks to projects likeThe Witch. BothThe WitchandThe Lighthouseare set against the backdrop of New England in the 1600s and 1800s, andEggers explores the way isolation can lead to hallucinations and violence.However, the line between fantasy and reality is blurred inThe Lighthouse, as the two protagonists only have each other and the elements to anchor them to the real world.
Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe lead the cast and give landmark performances that entice and terrify the audience in equal measure.
Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe lead the cast and give landmark performances that entice and terrify the audience in equal measure. However,the look and feel ofThe Lighthouseis just as important to its eerie atmosphereas the work of the actors, allowing each piece ofThe Lighthouseto work in harmony for disturbing results. Eggers' highly anticipatedNosferaturemake releasewill likely continue the director’s trend of exploring the hidden desires and repressed anguish of humanity.
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Constantine
Constantine follows John Constantine, a chain-smoking occult detective who has journeyed to Hell and back. Released in 2005, the film pairs him with a policewoman to investigate her twin sister’s mysterious suicide, taking them into a hidden world of demons and angels in modern Los Angeles.
Despite its lukewarm critical reception,Constantinehas become a cult classic for fans of dark religious fantasyand Keanu Reeves' iconic performance in the main role. The film draws inspiration from the graphic novel seriesHellblazer, following Reeves' John Constantine, who uses his gift, which allows him to bear witness to the work of angels and demons. In the film, he helps to save people’s souls and exorcise demons, even though he’s been condemned to hell and is dying.
Self-harm and suicide play a major role in the plot ofConstantine, making it tough to grapple with some of the most upsetting and intense moments. The fate of the world and the beloved characters is on the line throughoutConstantine, which doesn’t portray the angels and demons as one-dimensionally good or evil.ThroughoutConstantine, the threat of hell and eternal damnation is all too realand is felt by the audience and characters alike.
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The Crow
The Crow, directed by Alex Proyas, follows Eric Draven, portrayed by Brandon Lee, as he returns from the dead to avenge his and his fiancée’s tragic murders. Set in a moody, atmospheric cityscape, the film blends elements of supernatural and action as Draven seeks retribution against the criminals responsible.
Unlike the poorly received recent reboot,the original 1994The Crowhas maintained its popularity and reputation as time has progressed,cementing it as a classic of dark fantasy. Following the afterlife of Eric Draven when he’s resurrected a year after he and his fiancée are brutally murdered,The Crowis a violent tale of revenge and sacrifice. With a moody atmosphere to match the devastatingly sad plot, there’s little hope for happiness at the end ofThe Crow, only some semblance of peace for Eric.
It’s also the story from the graphic novel author, James O’Barr, that has madeThe Crowso enduring.
Real-life tragedy accompanied the production ofThe Crow, as the star, Brandon Lee, was fatally injured on set. WatchingThe Crowtoday is a reminder of how much talent and passion Lee possessed, and his performance is a large part of why this iteration ofThe Crowwill always be the definitive version. While it would be easy to attribute the effectiveness of the tone ofThe Crowto the external circumstances, it’s also the story from the graphic novel author, James O’Barr, that has madeThe Crowso enduring.
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Crimson Peak
In turn-of-the-century England, young heiress Edith Cushing marries Sir Thomas Sharpe, who whisks her off to his family’s mansion in a largely rural and mountainous region. But when she is visited by spirits and inflicted with mysterious ailments, she discovers that her charming new husband is not who he appears to be.
Gothic romance movies are some of the most fun and thrilling additions to the genre,and there’s no question that the director ofCrimson Peak, Guillermo del Toro, is one of the masters. Starring Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, and Jessica Chastain,Crimson Peakis an underrated addition to del Toro’s filmography. Referencing many classic works of film and literature likeJane Eyre,Rebecca, and the works of Edgar Allan Poe,Crimson Peakisn’t the most terrifying horror fantasy, but it has enough scares to keep the audience on their toes.
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As much a ghost story as it is a tale of doomed love,Crimson Peakhas all of del Toro’s characteristic stylistic flair. This allowsCrimson Peakto feel otherworldly and even outlandish at times without ever losing its emotional core or alienating the audience from the story.Crimson Peakis unafraid to touch on taboo subject matter such as incest and matricide, making for gruesome and shocking scenes. However,Crimson Peakis anchored by the performance of Wasikowska, who is the audience’s stand-inwithin the fantastically horrifying world.
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Suspiria
Suspiria, directed by Dario Argento, is a horror film set in a prestigious German ballet academy. The story follows American dancer Suzy Bannion, played by Jessica Harper, as she uncovers the academy’s dark and supernatural secrets. The film is renowned for its striking visuals, stylistic cinematography, and haunting score by the band Goblin.
One of the most influential works of horror fantasy of the 20th century,the original 1977Suspiriamade strides in the use of color and set design in creating atmospheric tension.Suspiriasees the protagonist, Suzy (Jessica Harper), join an elite ballet school that turns out to be a front for a violent coven of witches who prey upon their students. As Suzy’s friends begin disappearing, she, in turn, becomes the victim of violence and pursuit from the coven, leading her to investigate the themes of the occult and witchcraft that makeSuspiriaso compelling.
Though Luca Guadagnino directed the 2018 remake, the original film remains the definitive version and is unmatched in terms of legacy when it comes to dark fantasy.
Unafraid to depict plenty of violence and utilize shock-factor whenever possible,Suspiriadoesn’t rely on these grotesque moments to build tension. Suzy’s infiltration into the school and her increasingly strange experiences all work together to create the propulsive pace ofSuspiria. Though Luca Guadagnino directed the 2018 remake, the original film remains the definitive version and is unmatched in terms of legacy when it comes to dark fantasy. The significant sets and practical effects are doubly engaging today since so many contemporary projects opt for CGI.
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Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Bram Stoker’s Dracula, set in 19th century England, follows Count Dracula as he journeys to London. There, he encounters Mina Harker, who bears a striking resemblance to his long-lost love.
Though slightly disjointed and polarizing,Francis Ford Coppola’s interpretation ofBram Stoker’s Draculais a memorable addition to the lore and adaptations of the iconic vampire.Gary Oldman plays the titular count, with Winona Ryder joining him as Mina and Elisabeta, Dracula’s lost love, who he spends centuries mourning. Though not all of the performances in the film were praised, Oldman and Ryder were singled out for their chemistry and commitment to the doomed romance.
Some of the best parts ofBram Stoker’s Draculaare the sets, costumes, and color palette, which root the film simultaneously in the long-forgotten world of Dracula’s past and the strict present of late 19th century England. Sexual repression and shame play a large role in the film, asvampire narratives have always grappled with hidden desire and acting on one’s deepest and darkest impulses.However, it’s not the bloodthirsty violence that makes the movie tragic, but the fact that Dracula and Elisabeta are abandoned by their god for so long.
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Pan’s Labyrinth
Directed by Guillermo del Toro, Pan’s Labyrinth follows Ofelia, a ten-year-old girl living in 1940s Spain who learns she is actually a long-lost fairy princess. With the help of a faun, she is set a series of tasks to complete to return to her true home in the fairy underworld. Ivana Baquero stars as Ofelia, with Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, and Doug Jones making up the rest of the main cast.
Pan’s Labyrinthis widely regarded as del Toro’s masterpieceand one of the greatest fantasy movies of the 21st century. Often described as an adult fairy tale and compared toAlice in Wonderland,Pan’s Labyrinthcertainly has roots in these traditional narratives. However, it’s even more explicit in its discussions of real-world injustice, as it is set against the backdrop of Francoist Spain. Following the story of the young girl Ofelia, played by Ivana Baquero, she escapes from her horrible circumstances and violent world through the quests posed to her by a magical faun.
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Though Ofelia’s tasks are no less disturbing and dangerous than the perils she faces every day, they hold the promise of the potential for life as a princess in a faraway land. In one of thebest fantasy movie performances of all time,Sergi López terrifies audiences of all ages as Captain Vidal,the evil stepfather, and fascist who is even more horrible than the monster, the Pale Man. Both Ofelia’s quest and Vidal’s anger are part of the gruesome underbelly of the gorgeous and magical veneer ofPan’s Labyrinth.
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The Holy Mountain
The Holy Mountain, directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky, follows an alchemist who gathers individuals symbolizing the planets as they undergo mystical transformations. Together, they journey to Lotus Island to ascend the mountain and challenge the gods who clandestinely govern the universe.
Surreal, captivating, and grotesque, Alejandro Jodorowsky’sThe Holy Mountainfollows the spiritual journey of a thiefand the leaders and archetypal groups he encounters. Touching upon themes of Christianity, astrology, and different folktales and mythologies,The Holy Mountainis interested in faith as a whole overarching concept and doesn’t limit itself to one interpretation of god or divinity. Like much of Jodorowsky’s other work,The Holy Mountainis also deeply in conversation with filmmaking as an art form.
Jodorowsky plays a starring role in the film,which was typical of the director at the time. Prior toThe Holy Mountain, Jodorowsky released his fantastical Western,El Topo, which, likeThe Holy Mountain, has come to be regarded as a cult classic and a seminal work offantasyand surrealism. The lessons and trials that the characters encounter as they ascend the titular mountain are all referential to the counterculture and existentialism of the early 1970s. The film is well ahead of its time in the stylization of the story.
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