Which movies have helped us escape reality in the last year?
Let’s face it, 2020 was not a good year. A global pandemic, uncertainty for everyone and being unable to do the things you love with family and friends. Luckily, last year provided us with many opportunities to escape reality for a short while and honestly, who could blame you? Still not sure which movies can help you get away? Don’t sweat it, because we here at Gamers Decide have got you covered with the top 25 best fantasy movies of 2020.
25. Dragonheart: Vengeance
Trailer for Dragonheart: Vengeance
Dragonheart: Vengeance is the fifth instalment in the Dragonheart franchise and is a prequel to the original movie. Lukas (Jack Kane) is a young farmer whose family is murdered by raiders so sets out on a quest for revenge, meeting Siveth (voiced by Helena Bonham Carter) along the way. This movie does a lot of things that the previous instalments haven’t, taking it in a slightly new direction. While it doesn’t do anything groundbreaking, it’s an enjoyable enough fantasy romp that will keep you entertained for its duration. The addition of Helena Bonham Carter certainly helps, as she delivers just as good voice acting as we could expect.
24. A Whisker Away
A Whisker Away Official Trailer
A fantasy anime from Studio Colorido, A Whisker Away is about Miyo Sasaki (Mirai Shida), a young girl who uses a mask to transform herself into a cat to spend time with her crush who repeatedly rejects her in her human form. Things go well until she decides she would rather stay in her feline form and loses her ability to change back. Whilst the premise sounds a little crazy, the movie itself is beautifully animated and was very well received by critics around the world. Think cute and charming with a whole heap of reasons to smile.
23. Fantasy island
Fantasy Island Official Trailer
More of a fantasy horror, Fantasy Island is the tale of a group of people who go to the titular island to have one fantasy each of theirs to be fulfilled before things start to go very wrong. The movie was a box office success and provides plenty of entertainment for those seeking something without too much depth. Expect violence, gore and scares a-plenty.
22. Monster Hunter
Milla Jovovich appears in this movie adaptation of the popular game franchise
The first video game adaptation on our list, Monster Hunter is based on the worldwide phenomenon from Capcom. The movie follows Natalie Artemis (Milla Jovovich) and her team as they are sucked into the new world whilst looking for a missing team of soldiers. Monster Hunter is nothing more and nothing less than you would expect, the story is there but never seems to take front and centre, but if you’re a fan of large CGI creatures and slick, stylish action pieces then this is certainly one for you to check out.
21. Fatman
Mel Gibson stars in Fatman
Fatman is a dark action comedy directed by Ian Nelms and Eshom Nelms about Chris Cringle A.K.A Santa (Mel Gibson), who is targeted by Walton Goggins’ assassin Jonathan Miller after he is hired by a naughty child who receives coal for Christmas. Whilst the idea is a bit crazy, the movie itself is just a lot of fun to watch even if it does try to be darker and edgier than it needs to be. As usual, Walton Goggins is an absolute show-stealer, delivering his lines with utter seriousness in a movie that by rights should be more comedic than it comes across. Even though it doesn’t get everything right, Fatman was an enjoyable enough way to see out an otherwise terrible year.
20. Bloodshot
Bloodshot Official Trailer
Bloodshot, a movie based on the valiant comics of the same name, stars Vin Diesel as Ray Garrison, a US marine who’s given a second chance. Yes, the plot sounds like we’ve seen it all before but there is something more interesting to be found under the surface, and it does a pretty decent job of subverting tropes we’ve seen in other movies like it. It isn’t long before we’re seeing over the top sci-fi action and the expected Vin Diesel vicious brawling however that keeps this movie fun to watch.
19. The Wolf of Snow Hollow
The Wolf of Snow Hollow Official Trailer
The Wolf of Snow Hollow is a comedy horror that focuses on the terror of a small mountain town as bodies are found after the full moon. As John Marshall (Jim Cummings) and his team of stressed and sometimes inept officers start to investigate what they think is a serial killer, things slowly start to unravel. A superbly written film with some amazing cinematography, this movie hides its low budget behind some incredibly well-written scenes and the impending nervous breakdown that its main character starts to feel the pressure of. The tension is palpable, even if the second half feels a little rushed in places. Although it’s a very different style of film, I haven’t enjoyed a werewolf movie this much since Dog Soldiers.
18. Sonic the Hedgehog
`The Blue Blur comes to the big screen
We all know who Sonic is by now and if you don’t, where have you been for the last 30 years?! In a time of reboots, remakes and terrible video game adaptations Sonic the Hedgehog turned out to be a surprising breath of fresh air. After the disastrous reception of the initial teaser trailer back in 2019, where the studio tried to show us the more realistic and quite frankly terrifying design of the titular hero, the movie was thankfully pushed back to 2020 with a much better design as we got to watch this speedy alien from another world avoid the clutches of the evil Dr Robotnik. Speaking of which, Jim Carrey’s portrait of the iconic villain was nothing short of amazing. A great watch for viewers young and old.
17. The Secret Garden
The latest adaptation of the beloved children's classic
Based on the best selling children's classic of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden is the story of Mary Lennox (Dixie Egerickx), an orphan who is sent to live with her uncle on his Yorkshire estate. The 2020 movie adaptation of this story is the fourth it has had and puts its own spin on the source material, whilst still maintaining a faithfulness that keeps the magic of the original alive. Colin Firth gives a stirring performance as Mary's grief-stricken Uncle, Lord Archibald Craven, who mourns the loss of his wife and has lost interest in the world around him. Whilst dealing with heavy topics like loss and grief, this movie never loses sight of the hope and charm that has made it such a beloved story for over a century.
16. The Witches
The Witches Official Trailer
Another adaptation of a famous children’s book, this version of Roald Dahl’s The Witches tells the story of a young boy (Jahzir Bruno) who comes face to face with The Grand High Witch (Anne Hathaway) and other witches, as they plot to exact their evil plan on children across the globe. The movie received critical praise for its special effects and its performances, especially from Hathaway and Octavia Spencer, who plays the boy's Grandmother. While not guaranteed to scar a generation of children for life like the original adaptation (we can all admit it freaked us out a little) this movie is well worth a watch with the whole family.
15. Gretel & Hansel
Gretel & Hansel Official Trailer
Moving away from family movies we have Gretel & Hansel, a fantasy horror and a more adult retelling of the famous fairy tale. Gretel and her brother Hansel are evicted from their home by their mother and enter the woods where they meet a kindly old woman who offers them food and work. A visually impressive movie, the pacing may put off some horror fans but the slow burn tension and dread more than makes up for the lack of jump scares that are so frequently used these days.
14. Mortal
Mortal Official Trailer
Mortal is a fantasy action movie about Eric (Nat Wolff) a young man who discovers he has God-like powers based on those of ancient Norse mythology. With a strong premise, some very solid performances and an ending that makes me already impatient for a sequel, Mortal is a much more interesting take on otherworldly powers than we get from some movies in the already highly saturated superhero market.
13. Project Power
Netflix original Project Power
Project Power is a release that proves that Netflix really is capable of making sure your subscription fee is put to good use. The movie follows a mysterious new drug called Power that gives the individual superpowers for five minutes after taking it. Teenage drug dealer Robin (Dominique Fishback), ex-soldier Art (Jamie Foxx) and NOPD detective Frank (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) come together to try and take it down at its source. Project Power is flashy, stylish and has some genuinely good action set pieces throughout. In a year of few blockbusters in theatres, Netflix did a great job of bringing the big-screen quality to our homes with this one.
12. Wonder Woman 1984
Wonder Woman 1984 Official Trailer
Gal Gadot returns once again in the role of Diana Prince in the sequel to 2017’s Wonder Woman and the ninth movie in the DCEU. Diana lives an unassuming life whilst secretly foiling crimes as Wonder Woman until she finds herself facing off against the sinister Max Lord (Pedro Pascal) and Cheetah/Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig). Wonder Woman ‘84 received mixed reviews from critics but was the most-watched straight to streaming title of 2020. It’s a stylish take on the 1980s with some slick action pieces, even if it doesn’t live up to the heights of the first in the franchise.
11. Soul
Soul Official Trailer
Soul is a Disney Pixar release about middle school music teacher and jazz pianist Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) who has a potentially life-threatening accident. His soul is then sent to the Great Beyond but accidentally ends up in the Great Before, where souls reside before they come to Earth. Joe attempts to reunite his body and soul, as he isn’t ready to die. Soul is notable not only for its accurate representation of jazz in both its sound and playing and its wider cultural commentary but also for being the most unapologetically black movie that Pixar has released to date. This is a feel-good movie that shows that there’s much in life to be appreciated.
10. Bill & Ted Face The Music
Bill & Ted return in the long awaited sequel
In this instalment, Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are charged with writing a song that will unite the world and save all of time and space. Instead of just writing the song, the loveable duo decides to just jump straight to the future when the song is written and steal it from themselves. Queue all sorts of misadventures from this point on. When Bill and Ted 3 was announced, there was a fair amount of apprehension around whether or not this film would not only be good but also whether or not it would even still work. The actors are older and at first, it’s initially hard to see Reeves as anything other than a version of John Wick that has hit a midlife crisis. But this film is a lot of fun and the guys pull it off without issue. William Sadler also provides a hilarious performance as Death which is not to be missed. Overall, the film is a joy to watch and in these uncertain times it really is worth remembering: be excellent to each other.
9. Weathering With You
Weathering With You Official Trailer
Hodaka Mirishima (Kotaro Daigo) escapes his life and runs away to Tokyo, a perpetually cloudy and rainy city. Here he meets Hina Amano (Nana Mori) a “sunshine girl” who can control the weather by praying. But all is not quite as it seems. Weathering With You is a beautifully drawn, wonderfully voiced anime from Makoto Shinkai, the director behind the hugely successful “Your Name”. The animation is truly stunning, the attention to detail of the Tokyo cityscape is breathtaking and the water, which plays a huge part, is probably the best I’ve ever seen. This is a YA romance that is less heartbreaking than its predecessor and sometimes tonally darker but it is still truly a wonder to behold.
8. The Invisible Man
Universal get it right with this terrifying adaptation
The Invisible Man is a horror movie with fantastical elements to it that follows Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss), a woman being tormented and gaslit by her abusive partner Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). This reimagining is loosely based on the original novel by H.G.Wells and was originally planned to be part of Universals shared monster universe. These plans were put on hold after the failure of The Mummy and The Invisible Man eventually went back into production as a standalone story. What Universal has achieved with this movie is impressive: they’ve made a monster that is both believable in its motivations and is utterly terrifying to watch. Moss delivers a stunning performance as a tortured woman and helps make this a surprise hit of 2020.
7. Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
The much-anticipated spin-off of Suicide Squad
Birds of Prey is the eighth instalment in the DCEU and the highly publicised and anticipated spin-off of Suicide Squad. The movie follows a heartbroken Harley after her breakup from Joker, trying to find her place in a world that sidelines her and trying to make her way on her own two feet. Let’s get the obvious out of the way first, is this movie more “Harley Quinn and Friends” than Birds of Prey? Absolutely. But Margot Robbie’s return to the role of Quinn is nothing short of a delight to watch and solidifies her place in the canon in a movie that is in equal parts bonkers, joyfully violent and so damn colourful yet it somehow never seems over the top. The supporting cast is a lot of fun to watch and none of the interaction seems forced, with Ewan McGregor’s Black Mask a personal highlight and Jurnee Smollett-Bell’s Black Canary showcasing her metahuman hypersonic scream which (just about) pushes this into fantasy territory.
6. Palm Springs
Palm Springs Official Trailer
Nyles (Adam Samberg) and Sarah (Cristin Milioti) find themselves trapped in a time loop in this surprisingly well thought out romantic comedy. This is a fresh and original take on a concept that we’ve already seen time after time (pun intended) and remains crazy and laugh out loud funny whilst also being heartwarming without ever becoming too much. J. K. Simmons is nothing short of movie stealing in a cast that delivers stellar performances all round.
5. Mulan
Another live-action adaptation by Disney
An adaptation of the 1998 Disney animated classic, based itself on the Chinese folklore tale “The Ballad of Mulan”, the 2020 version is probably the best choreographed martial arts film of last year. The stunning scenery and visual imagery accompany a truly epic story that enters greater fantasy realms with Xian Lang (Gong Li) a shapeshifting witch who is easily one of my favourite Disney villains to date and shares some fantastic screen time with Liu Yifei in the title role. This is yet another wonderful and magical live-action remake from Disney and I’m excited to see where they go next.
4. Sputnik
Russian sci-fi horror Sputnik is not to be missed
In 1983 a Russian cosmonaut returns to earth with a deadly otherworldly creature inside of him. Is it a parasite, or symbiote? Neurophysiologist Tatyana Yuryevna Kilmova (Oksana Akinshina) is brought in by shady Colonel Semiradov (Fyodor Bondarchuk) to investigate. Ok, so this film isn’t fantasy but more sci-fi horror but definitely deserves a place on this list. Everything about the bleak Cold War setting and the constant, tangible threat of the USSR government getting wind of the creature adds to the already tense atmosphere of this movie. Sputnik takes us down some very dark moral roads and has the Colonel questioning that in this period of history, what is a human life worth in comparison to having the ultimate weapon? The visuals in this film are just fantastic, providing one of the most unsettling but believable looking aliens I’ve seen in a long time, pair this with a standout performance from Akinshina and you’ve got a movie you don’t want to miss.
3. Tenet
Another mind-bending thriller from the mind of Christopher Nolan
It is very difficult to summarise a film like Tenet because there’s just so much to unpack. It delves into the concept of time inversion and manipulation and what these mean not just for objects and people but for time and existence itself. Directed by Christoper Nolan, we knew going into it that this movie was going to be huge and throw around some ideas that would stick with us for a long time and that’s exactly what we got. Whilst it turned out to be divisive amongst some fans, there’s no denying that the complex espionage plot and the tense action makes for an entertaining watch. And if you grasp the time inversion the movie tries to explain to us at different points, the huge temporal pincer that makes the movie’s climax is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
2. The Old Guard
The Old Guard Official Trailer
Netflix had a great year for solid releases and potentially starting new franchises last year and The Old Guard is no exception. The Old Guard, based on the comics of the same name, follows a group of immortal warriors who conduct humanitarian missions around the globe, who find themselves hunted by Harry Mellings’ evil pharmaceutical genius Merrick as he searches for a cure for ageing. I’ll be honest, I knew very little about this one going into it but boy, I was not disappointed. Oscar winner and action hero Charlize Theron heads up the team as Andy and she, if you will excuse the pun, pulls no punches when it comes to protecting those she cares about. The Old Guard is gritty and violent and if you’re looking for a great fantastical action movie then look no further, but the eye-watering action sequences are interspersed with truly touching moments from Joe (Marwan Kenzari) and Nicky (Luca Marinelli), a queer couple who have been in a relationship for literal centuries. This movie does a remarkable job of providing us with well written LGBTQ+ characters who also have a meaningful and well-plotted romance, without making it feel like it’s shoehorned in to fill a quota, something that was well overdue as we made our way into 2020. This movie is an absolute blast.
1. Onward
Onward: a heartwarming tale full of fantasy tropes
Onward, a Disney Pixar movie directed by Dan Scanlon, is nothing if not full of heart. It follows Elf brothers Barley and Ian Lightfoot (voiced by Chris Pratt and Tom Holland respectively) as they embark on a quest to bring their deceased father back for one day. Barley is the older brother, obsessed with D&D, fantasy and is a lover of 80’s heavy metal - he even comes complete with battle jacket and patches. Ian is the younger, quieter and more sensible of the two, determined to make his father proud, who comes to learn a lot about his brother's interests along the way. The movie is chock-full of fantasy tropes (Barley’s van and trusty steed Guinevere was a nice touch) that any fan of the genre will notice but this doesn’t harm it at all. The result is a heartwarming coming of age story filled with magic, mythical creatures, action and adventure that is sure to cast a spell on the whole family.
Hopefully, this list will help you find plenty of movies to keep you entertained and provide enough of an escape from reality. If you enjoyed this list and want to see more, consider checking out the articles below:
