There are many ways to explore fantasy, and dark fantasy is one of them: Pan’s Labyrinth, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Dark Crystal, Edward Scissorhands, and The Witch, for example, are some of the most popular and most recommended movies in the genre. But did you know that it also has room for lesser-known productions that have been forgotten? And the interesting thing is that many of these films are worth checking out because they have a less traditional take. Maybe, at the same time, that’s why they never became as popular as the biggest titles, but if you’re looking for something different, now might be a great time to give them a chance.
In this list, you’ll find some of these movies that have found their own ways of mixing magical and supernatural elements with horror and some disturbing ideas, which are very much at the heart of dark fantasy.
Remember Little Red Riding Hood? When we think of this fairy tale, we obviously picture the child-friendly version in which a girl walks through the forest and comes across a wolf. However, there’s a much darker version of the story (released long before the better-known Red Riding Hood from 2011) that explores what the tale might represent rather than just reimagining it. The Company of Wolves blends werewolves, nightmares, and themes of coming of age and sexuality as it follows Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson), a teenage girl who starts dreaming about a mysterious forest while listening to her grandmother’s stories about men who hide their true nature and women who end up paying the price for trusting them.
And as these stories begin to overlap with events in the girl’s own life, it’s hard to tell what’s a dream, what’s imagination, and what’s reality. So it’s a more horror-driven take on the classic tale. The werewolves aren’t monsters that need to be defeated, but rather a way to explore the fears and discoveries of a young girl who’s starting to understand the adult world. The Company of Wolves definitely isn’t for anyone looking for something straightforward or clear explanations for everything that happens, but it’s certainly one of the best examples of what dark fantasy can mean.
If you’re the kind of person who enjoys fantasy films that think outside the box, you may have heard of The City of Lost Children. Its only real flaw is how easily it’s been forgotten, because this is a masterpiece that actually gets what fantasy filmmaking can be. Set in a strange universe, the story revolves around Krank (Daniel Emilfork), a scientist who kidnaps children to steal their dreams in the hopes of preventing himself from aging. When Denree (Joseph Lucien), the younger brother of One (Ron Perlman), a strong man, is taken, One teams up with a girl named Miette (Judith Vittet) to try to get him back. But hold on, because the movie goes beyond being just a rescue adventure.
Everything in this universe is eccentric, from its machines to the criminals who inhabit an industrial city that looks nothing like what you’d expect from a more conventional fantasy story (it also plays around quite a bit with sci-fi elements for that very reason). However, the most important thing is the idea behind Krank’s obsession: children’s dreams represent something he has lost and is desperately trying to get back at any cost. It’s an unusual but fascinating way to explore the fear of aging and the importance of childhood. And well, the narrative can be a little confusing at times, but The City of Lost Children is exactly the kind of movie that reminds you how much we’re missing films with this level of creativity.
It’s unlikely that you’ve heard of The Reflecting Skin, but it’s a truly intriguing movie since it tells its story through the way a child interprets things he can’t quite understand. Here, we meet Seth Dove (Jeremy Cooper), an eight-year-old boy living in a small rural community in the United States during the ’50s. After hearing stories about vampires and witnessing violent events, he starts to suspect that his neighbor, Dolphin Blue (Lindsay Duncan), is a creature responsible for the disappearance of children. But things get a little more complicated when his older brother, Cameron (Viggo Mortensen), returns home and becomes involved with the woman, leading Seth to try to convince him that she’s dangerous.
Well, it’s basically a vampire movie, but it’s worth it because, at the same time, it doesn’t try to be what you’d expect: there’s actually no clear supernatural threat for you to follow, and you have to deal with the same confusion as Seth throughout the story, never really knowing where his imagination ends. So vampirism is actually more of a part of Seth’s interpretation of the world, and what really sticks with you after watching The Reflecting Skin is the uncomfortable take on childhood. And there’s a bonus: you get to see one of Mortensen’s first major roles before he became Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings.
November is an Estonian production with an 81% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. And if there’s one movie on this list that’s dark fantasy through and through, it’s this one. The story takes place in the 19th century, with Liina (Rea Lest) at the center of it all. She’s a young woman in love with Hans (Jörgen Liik), who’s interested in the daughter of a German baron. As she struggles with this unrequited love, she lives in a community where people will do anything to survive the winter, including making deals with the Devil. And since the movie is based on Estonian folklore, some of the creatures are extremely interesting, such as the kratts: servants made from discarded objects and animal remains that come to life after their creators strike a deal with evil forces.
And the people in this community are always trying to find ways to take advantage of these beings and even trick the Devil himself. So, it’s dark fantasy, but also with romance, horror, and humor (the really absurd kind). Still, what’s so good about November is that even though it doesn’t follow a more common structure and its black-and-white cinematography fits everything perfectly, the combination of strange creatures and the unexpected makes the experience unique. Those who’ve seen it have nothing but praise. Everything about it is crazy and feels like something straight out of a fairy tale, but one meant for adults in the most brilliant way.
