6 Fantasy Films that are Rarely Talked Of

A couple of weeks back I wrote about some upcoming films that I wish to watch and one film was a Fantasy film. The popularity of fantasy films across all ages has proved time and again that our imagination knows no bound, irrespective of age. Be it Lord of the Rings Franchise, Twilight Franchise or Harry Potter franchises, time and again the audience has accepted and loved to witness the various forms of fantasy world. Today I have enlisted few such fantasy films which perhaps have not been so popular as the mentioned ones, but they do exist and have made their mark in a selected group of viewers.

1. Legend (1985): I remember watching this film long back, perhaps in school. Back then, Tom Cruise was one of the few Hollywood movie stars who were popular among kids. (I don't know why exactly) However, this film was completely different when it comes to a Tom Cruise movie type; I think it's from his early acting days and here he plays the role of a simple boy who has to save his lady love from the Lord of Darkness. It is a beautiful experience especially because of the presence of unicorns. ( I still love Unicorns). Given the time it was made way back in the mid-80s, the visuals were so mesmerizing, and why not, as it is a Ridley Scott film. Its a beautiful fairy tale that everyone would love to watch.

2. City of Angels (1998): People are so used to watching Nicholas Cage as a tough guy riding bikes and breaking walls, that it is almost impossible to imagine him as an Angel. However  this film has managed to break this myth and the actor has given a good performance as an Angel who in the process of guiding a human (Meg Ryan) falls in love with her. Ryan looks captivating and Cage has shed his macho image to bring out the soft-eyed romantic man.

3. Bedazzled (2000): When I watched The Whale I wondered how far Brendan Fraser has come from his early comedy days. This film was from that era- pre-Mummy times when he was that handsome, funny guy known mostly for comedies like George of the Jungle. Here, he plays a shy boy who is granted three wishes in exchange for his Soul to the Devil. This is a funny film, with Fraser playing many characters quite convincingly. Elizabeth Hurley as the Devil is beautiful in every frame. 

4. The Lovely Bones (2009): A lot of people hated this film, back in the time it was released. However, later I have found out many have appreciated it. Peter Jackson's take of this novel has Mark Wahlberg playing the role of a mourning father who has lost his teenage daughter and is connected by her soul to find out the killer. Its a fantasy thriller that many may find prolonged and often boring. However I found the representation of the inseparable bonding between the father and daughter, even through different realms quite fascinating. A special mention to Stanley Tucci for his incredible performance as Harvey, a serial killer.

5. Horns (2013): Daniel Radcliffe plays a murder suspect in this movie, who, interestingly, starts to get horns on his head with special powers. These magical horns help him to find out the real killer of his girlfriend. The film is very dark, and there are moments of deep grief and heartbreak presented as a sudden shock that leave the viewers baffled. The film projects a very strong and lovely bond of romance between the protagonist and his girlfriend. While he takes the relationship very seriously the girl's approach is quite casual. His idea is of inseparable love forever where the centre of his world is his lady love and the girl sees life as journey where he is a part of and she is ready to move on with or without him. The shocker comes when the boy is suspected for the murder of that very girl, who he has made his entire world. The aftermath of this incident is a mix of various forms of the boy's real and imaginary world.

6. 3000 Years of Longing (2022): This is a fascinating tale of human desire that can even bring the Djinn to life. Idris Elba plays the Djinn who is brought back to life by a solitary woman's powerful imagination. And then begins their saga of storytelling through three thousand years of His existence. The swift transitions of characters and the elaborate depictions of the Djinn's stories make this film a visual extravaganza. Tilda Swinton and Elba's unique love story is nothing short of a modern day fairy tale experience.