15 Best Dark Fantasy Movies Of All Time

The human imagination is a powerful tool. We dream of great tales full of action, love and adventure in faraway lands or hidden worlds, and we manifest our own fears into terrifying creatures or dangerous predicaments. Escaping to the movies is the perfect place to let our mind roam free, and the fantasy genre epitomises our creative genius.

The fantasy genre includes many variations and sub genres, but dark fantasy is by far the most expressive and exciting. Dark fantasy is defined by its Gothic undertones, elements of supernatural horror and an overwhelming feeling of dread within the characters. Various fantastical creatures are almost always included, and the protagonist of a dark fantasy film is either a troubled anti-hero or confused child who must battle their inner demons which are projected into the world around them.

This list details 15 of the best dark fantasy movies of all time. These films all include magical realism and supernatural entities through incredible set design and practical special effects.

For the record: Film franchises such as The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia are not included in this list due to their huge popularity, and the fact that they do not strictly fall into the dark fantasy sub-genre.

Spoiler alert: Tim Burton features multiple times on this list. Why wouldn't he? The famous director could have his own individual list full of weird and wonderful fantasy films. Not to mention frequent collaborator, Johnny Depp, who stars in many of Burton's films.

Sleepy Hollow from 1999 is the duo's third collaboration and arguably their creepiest production. Based on the famous 1820 short story by Washington Irving, Depp plays police detective Ichabod Crane who is sent to the eerie titular village to investigate a string of decapitations by an apparition known as The Headless Horseman.

The film is everything a dark fantasy should be. The Gothic setting is full of creepy, haunted imagery and iconic set design from The Tree of the Dead to The Haunted Pumpkin. The supernatural horror elements are heightened by the intimidating presence of The Headless Horseman, and the dark humour contributes to the unnerving atmosphere.

Sleepy Hollow may have become forgotten over time, especially in the rank of Johnny Depp's success, but the film still holds up today. It currently sits at a respectable 69% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it grossed a reasonable $200 million at the worldwide box office.

Sleepy Hollow also won the Academy Award for best art direction at the 2000 Oscars which serves as a testament to the film's dark fantasy realism.