No list of fantasy films is complete without an entry from the one and only Terry Gilliam; there were a lot of movies that could have ended up here, of course, but we've opted for 1981's Time Bandits, which pretty much embraces and embodies everything that is necessary in order to showcase what is great about Gilliam. In this case, it's the peerless world-building, as a young boy bands together with a group of dwarves in this mind-bending time travel adventure - one that has him acquainted with the likes of Napoleon and Robin Hood. What Gilliam does with a mere $5 million dollar budget is outstanding; the craftsmanship on show here shed lights on a bonafide auteur, whose perfection is emphasised by the detailed nature of absolutely everything that ends up in the frame. Aside from being downright astounding to look it, Time Bandits is also characteristically loopy and - in places - very, very dark (check out that ending; who'd have thought?). If kids might not "get it" in the same way that adults will, well... who cares? It's one of those films you learn to love when you're a bit older.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
