Fantasy is often listed as merely swords and sorcery. This is not to say it isn’t considered a serious cinematic force in the world. Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, as well as Game of Thrones, have helped catapult fantasy into the popular imagination, certainly, but often to a detriment. There seems to be a growing divide between what we call Fantasy and the Fantastical, although, of course, they are the same thing. What we do see is a rigid definition of what we call a work of fantasy, though. Swords and Sorcery, political intrigue, sweeping epics, trilogies, shows, and so forth. I wish to propose an alternative to this. Instead, let us look at another way to view fantasy and the fantastical that doesn’t involve something necessarily rooted in Middle Earth. Think of the surreal landscapes and imaginative storytelling of Howl's Moving Castle (2004), or the nightmarish vision of David Lynch's Eraserhead (1977). Satoshi Kon's Paprika (2006) takes us on a mind-bending journey through dreams and reality, while Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain (1973) challenges our perceptions with its psychedelic odyssey.
Here's the complete list:
www.highonfilms.com/overlooked-fantasy-films/
