The Best Fantasy Movies of the 2010s

The 2010s were strange years for fantasy films – superhero capes hogged the spotlight, streaming services spawned new worlds every quarter, and half the posters looked like the same three people brooding in front of blue fire. Yet tucked between the mega-franchises and the endless reboots, the decade quietly delivered some of the best fantasy movies of the 2010s.

Some were huge hits while others slipped past most viewers. If you love fantasy, dense lore, and worlds that feel like they continue after the credits roll, this list is built for you.

What Makes a Fantasy Movie Worth Your Time?

Before diving into specific titles, let’s first define what I think should count as the best fantasy movies of the 2010s, especially for D&D and other tabletop-inclined audiences.

To me, a fantasy film stands out when it:

• Builds a world with clear rules, even if they are wild

• Treats magic like a system, not just glittery plot glue (yes, I’m a Sanderson truther, sue me)

• Gives characters goals, flaws, and consequences

• Feels like a setting you could drop a party of level 5 misfits into tomorrow (what? I like homebrewing movie-inspired campaigns)

Think of it as judging movies the way you judge a campaign setting.

Does the world invite exploration?

Do choices matter?

Could you run a D&D session here without rewriting everything from scratch?

So, with that in mind, here are the best fantasy movies of the 2010s that deserve a spot on your watchlist, including several hidden gems and cult classics.

High-Profile Epics That Actually Earn Their Hype

The 2010s were stacked with flashy fantasy blockbusters, but only a few combined scale, story, and strong worldbuilding.

1. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” (2011)

Even if you already know every spell by heart, the final Harry Potter film still earns its place among the best fantasy movies of the 2010s. The Battle of Hogwarts plays like a full-party raid: layered defenses, multiple fronts, and high emotional stakes, and even if you just see it as a conclusion of an epic movie and book series that defined the previous decade, it has to have its place on this list.

If you enjoy campaigns where the final arc cashes in years of foreshadowing, this one is a must – if you enjoyed the series so far, that is.

2. “Doctor Strange” (2016)

Yes, yes, I know it is technically a superhero film, but think about it – structurally it is pure modern fantasy. Magic is treated like a disciplined skill tree, complete with forbidden branches, spellbooks, and very real risks.

The mirror dimension and the astral plane feel like zones ripped from a high-level campaign. The final confrontation in Hong Kong, with time rewinding as spells fire off, plays like a DM who finally unlocked legendary actions and will not stop using them.

For anyone who likes magic systems with rules and consequences, this is one of the best fantasy movies of the 2010s to study. You’ll just have to isolate it a bit from the rest of the Marvel universe – or homebrew the entire thing. I’m not the boss of you.

3. “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (2016)

The spin-off series never hit the same emotional height as the main Harry Potter saga, but, as the first entry in a series it sets up a strong fantasy sandbox. Newt Scamander wanders 1920s New York with a bag that is basically a portable demiplane. Like, come on.

The beasts themselves are the main draw. Each creature feels like an encounter design: unique behavior, clear strengths, and fun weaknesses. You can almost hear the DM saying, “Roll Animal Handling” every five minutes.

Dark Fairy Tales and Urban Fantasy

Not every great fantasy film from the decade involved giant armies or exploding sky portals. Some worked better in alleyways, forests, and cramped apartments where magic sneaks in sideways.

4. “Pan’s Labyrinth”? No, “Crimson Peak” (2015)

Guillermo del Toro’s “Crimson Peak” never reached the same fame as “Pan’s Labyrinth,” but it deserves cult status. It is a gothic ghost story with blood-red clay, decaying mansions, and ghosts that look like something from a very committed horror module.

The film treats the haunted house like a character. Every corridor hides a secret. Every locked door begs for a failed lockpicking attempt. The ghosts are not random jump scares; they act like narrative clues, pointing the protagonist toward buried truths.

If you enjoy campaigns where the dungeon itself has a personality, this film belongs high on your list of the best fantasy movies of the 2010s.

5. “A Monster Calls” (2016)

This one flies under the radar, but it is a powerful blend of dark fantasy and grief. A giant tree-like creature visits a boy at night, telling stories that are more like moral puzzles than bedtime tales.

From a narrative-design angle, the film is clever. Each story the monster tells works like a side quest that reframes the main conflict. No easy answers, no neat moral labels, just complicated people making hard choices.

If you like character-driven one-shots where the real boss fight is emotional, this is a must-watch.

6. “The Shape of Water” (2017)

Yes, the fish-man romance movie. Underneath the memes, this is a carefully built modern fairy tale. A mute cleaner in a Cold War lab bonds with an amphibious being that feels like an escaped creature from a deep-lore bestiary.

The magic here is subtle. There are no fireballs, only small miracles and quiet acts of rebellion. The film plays out like a low-magic campaign where tension comes from human cruelty, not just monsters.

If your favorite sessions lean on social encounters and stealth over combat, this film’s pacing and mood will feel familiar.

Animated Worlds With Serious RPG Energy

Some of the best fantasy movies of the 2010s hid behind “family” marketing, even though their worldbuilding could fuel entire campaigns.

7. “How to Train Your Dragon” (2010) and Sequels (2014, 2019)

The original film technically lands right at the start of the decade’s cultural wave, and its sequels keep the momentum going. Together, they form one of the richest fantasy settings of the era.

The village of Berk evolves over time. Dragons shift from random encounters to trusted mounts and allies. New biomes appear with each entry: icy fortresses, hidden dragon sanctuaries, and sky-based lairs that feel like high-level zones.

The trilogy also models long-term character growth. Hiccup moves from awkward tinkerer to reluctant leader to battle-scarred chief. That kind of progression is exactly what long campaigns aim for.

8. “Kubo and the Two Strings” (2016)

Laika’s stop-motion fantasy is a quiet masterpiece. Kubo, a boy with a magical shamisen, summons origami warriors and shapes the world with music.

The film’s structure mirrors a tight three-act campaign: a clear quest, a small but memorable party, and escalating encounters that test more than just combat skills. The Moon King and the Sisters feel like boss designs straight from a GM who loves mythic-level play.

The visual style alone makes this one of the best fantasy movies of the 2010s for anyone who cares about atmosphere at the table.

9. “Coco” (2017)

“Coco” leans heavily into musical fantasy and the Mexican Day of the Dead. The Land of the Dead is a fully realized setting with customs, bureaucracies, and rules about memory that feel like metaphysical game mechanics.

The concept of fading away when no one remembers you works like a narrative timer. Stakes are emotional rather than explosive, but they are no less real.

If you like campaigns where culture, tradition, and family ties drive the story, “Coco” offers a blueprint.

Cult Classics and Hidden Gems for Fantasy Fans

Some of the best fantasy movies of the 2010s never got the audience they deserved. These are the ones you recommend to friends with the phrase, “Trust this, just watch it.”

10. “Stardust” Spiritual Successors: “The Kid Who Would Be King” (2019)

No, it is not as sharp as “Stardust,” but “The Kid Who Would Be King” carries the same spirit of modern kids stumbling into old magic. An ordinary boy pulls Excalibur from a construction site and drags his classmates into a full Arthurian crisis.

The film treats school bullies, parents, and ancient evil as part of the same problem set. It is funny without winking too hard, and the final battle at the school plays like a tower-defense session where every NPC gets a role.

If you enjoy campaigns where kids with wooden swords end up facing real dragons, this one is worth your time.

11. “Tale of Tales” (2015)

This is where the cult-classic energy ramps up. “Tale of Tales” adapts old Italian fairy tales into three interwoven stories involving a sea monster, a flea the size of a horse, and twins born from strange magic.

The tone is dark, absurd, and oddly grounded. Characters make terrible decisions for understandable reasons. Magic comes with a price every single time.

From an advanced RPG angle, this film is a goldmine. Each storyline could be a self-contained campaign arc, and the world feels ancient, dangerous, and weird in the best way.

12. “A Monster in Paris” (2011)

This animated French film slipped past most English-speaking audiences. Set in early 20th-century Paris, it follows a giant flea with a golden voice and a knack for show business.

The creature is not a villain; it is a misunderstood being who becomes the heart of the story. The city itself becomes a stage for chases, musical numbers, and narrow escapes.

If you like campaigns where the “monster” turns into the party’s bard, this film hits the right notes.

Fantasy That Bends Genres

Some of the best fantasy movies of the 2010s do not sit neatly in one box. They mix horror, mystery, or sci-fi while still relying on magic, myth, or the supernatural.

13. “The Witch” (2015)

Set in 1630s New England, “The Witch” plays like a low-level horror campaign where every failed Wisdom save pushes the party closer to disaster. A family is exiled to the edge of a dark forest, and things go downhill at record speed.

The fantasy elements are subtle but terrifying. The sense of dread builds slowly, like a DM who knows exactly when to roll behind the screen without telling anyone why.

If you enjoy grim, low-magic settings where survival is a victory, this film delivers.

14. “Your Name” (2016)

On paper, “Your Name” is a body-swap romance. In practice, it is a fantasy story about time, memory, and a comet that does not care about your feelings.

The film treats its supernatural setup with clear rules. The body-swapping has limits, the timeline has constraints, and the characters must solve a problem that feels like a cross between a puzzle dungeon and a time-travel side quest.

It is a reminder that fantasy does not always need dragons; sometimes it just needs one impossible thing done very well.

How to Turn These Films Into RPG Fuel

Watching the best fantasy movies of the 2010s with a gamer’s eye can upgrade your own campaigns.

Here’s a few ways you can borrow from them directly:

• “Crimson Peak” can be great as a template for a haunted manor dungeon with secrets in the walls.

• The creature variety from “How to Train Your Dragon” is great for showcasing a living, breathing bestiary.

• You can adapt the moral puzzles from “A Monster Calls” for quests where the right answer hurts.

• Treat the Land of the Dead from “Coco” as a model for an afterlife hub city.

Each of these films does at least one thing extremely well: worldbuilding, character arcs, tension, or tone. Pick the one that matches the gap in your current campaign, then raid it for parts like a responsible necromancer.