10 Fantasy Movies That Got Close To 100% On Rotten Tomatoes

The fantasy genre has seen a great decade, with everything from historical fantasy TV shows to dark fantasy movies achieving a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. The popular website aggregates reviews from top critics and audiences, creating one of the world’s most trusted sources of movie and TV criticism. The fantasy movies with near-perfect scores are worth celebrating, pointing to the universally agreed-upon favorites from around the world. It is, without a doubt, a good time to be a fantasy fan and a good time to look back on the genre’s best releases.

Some of fantasy’s best characters have been adapted from the page to the screen in recent years, with more literary greats than ever getting the chance to shine. Since the dawn of Hollywood, movies had a rich tapestry of fiction classics to draw from, and this has been on the up. With directors like Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, and Tim Burton all creating pioneering work in recent years, studios and streaming giants have had an easy time getting smash-hit releases onto screens both big and small.

10

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

90% On Rotten Tomatoes

Tim Burton’s timeless classic Edward Scissorhands stands strong as a fantasy highlight with 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. The horror fantasy director made a name for himself directing heavily stylized stories with a dark aesthetic. Edward Scissorhands was the perfect direction for the American director, producer, screenwriter, and animator, made from a story he wrote himself with Caroline Thompson.

As romantic as it was funny, the movie truly earned its 90%.

Johnny Depp’s iconic Edward Scissorhands was unique and sympathetic, with a radical look that spoke to fans of gothic fashion and high fashion, while staying perfectly in line with the movie’s themes. As romantic as it was funny, the movie truly earned its 90%. It could have scored higher because its niche appeal wasn’t for everyone, but it is hard to fault in the emotion, visual, and thematic departments.

9

Matilda (1996)

92% On Rotten Tomatoes

Legendary ’90s movie Matilda makes sense as a 92%-scoring outing on Rotten Tomatoes. This movie is low fantasy rather than one of the high fantasy movies that The Lord of the Rings popularized, but it is a strong contender for one of the best efforts in the genre. Directed by the one and only Danny DeVito, this 1996 hit charmed families around the world, becoming era-defining for millennials.

Percy-in-the-original-Percy-Jackson-movie,-David-Bowie-in-Labyrinth,-and-Winona-Ryder-in-Dracula

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Scarcely anyone can hear the song “Send me On My Way” by Rusted Root without thinking of Matilda, since the song became a cult classic after featuring in the movie. Matilda’s powers made her unique, sad, and alone, forming a relatable protagonist for children. Meanwhile, Miss Honey was a perfect adult hero. The two’s character development was offset by Miss Trunchbull, one of fantasy’s best villains.

8

The Shape Of Water (2017)

92% On Rotten Tomatoes

Guillermo del Toro’s singular The Shape of Water earned a well-deserved 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. This powerfully original low fantasy movie brooked few rivals as one of the strangest pictures of 2017. Starring the inimitable Sally Hawkins in the lead role as Elisa Esposito, the movie had Elisa fall in love with an aquatic beast the likes of which cinema had never seen.

Del Toro clearly had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

Mexican filmmaker and author Guillermo del Toro was already famous for prosthetics and bizarre fantasy creatures, but The Shape of Water proved that he was far from a one-trick pony. Del Toro clearly had plenty of tricks up his sleeve, which earned the movie multiple Academy Awards and Golden Globes. This completely original wartime romance was a fantasy with adult themes and timeless relevance. More focus and a slightly shorter runtime could have brought the movie closer to 100%, but it was certainly close enough.

7

The Jungle Book (2016)

94% On Rotten Tomatoes

2016’s The Jungle Book showed many signs of greatness, making its 94% on Rotten Tomatoes completely understandable. This was easily one of the best movies of 2016, staying in the mind long after its last credits had rolled. Bill Murray and Idris Elba provided the voice talent that helped boost this movie to its nearly perfect score. The movie blended stunning CGI with beautiful sets to create a truly memorable experience.

The Jungle Book was directed by Jon Favreau – no wonder it amassed nearly 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. This huge director has worked on Marvel and Star Wars, creating Disney Plus’s critically acclaimed The Mandalorian series. He brought The Jungle Book to its position of near-perfection with a divine soundtrack that recalled the 1967 Disney movie that captivated multiple generations.

6

The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003)

94% On Rotten Tomatoes

Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings series contains some of the best fantasy movies of all time, according to Rotten Tomatoes. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the final movie in Jackson’s first Lord of the Rings trilogy, and it can’t be underestimated. The last installment did not disappoint, tying up multiple loose ends in a dramatic adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s story.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power seasons 1 and 2 can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King wasn’t faithful to Tolkien’s masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, to the letter. This rubbed some fans up the wrong way. However, the general consensus is that Jackson made some uncannily wise choices in his adaptation, ending on a dramatic high note fit for the big screen rather than including the end of the book’s exploration of the Scouring of the Shire.

5

The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

95% On Rotten Tomatoes

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is one of the perfect fantasy movies from the 2000s that was incredible from start to finish. Launched in 2002, this second movie in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy is the highest-rated of the trio. Although Jackson’s next Lord of the Rings trilogy – The Hobbit – didn’t do quite as well at the box office, Jackson put New Zealand on the map with The Two Towers.

Saruman’s machinations and the Orcs were genuinely terrifying, bringing horror and action to the genre seriously.

This epic picture paired the same sweeping footage of New Zealand that had made The Fellowship of the Ring movie stand out with a deep dive into fantasy war. Helm’s Deep and the Pelennor Fields saw titanic medieval-style battles that showed the world how scary and awesome fantasy could be. Saruman’s machinations and the Orcs were genuinely terrifying, bringing horror and action to the genre seriously.

4

Pan’s Labyrinth (2007)

95% On Rotten Tomatoes

Perhaps the movie that put Guillermo del Toro on the global radar, Pan’s Labyrinth is a masterful fantasy. With 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, it is hard to fault. Perhaps it didn’t quite reach 100% due to critics who can get impatient with historical scenes, but for most, the movie’s history was its best part. A tragic war story and a fantasy all at once, the movie portrayed the escapist imaginings of a young girl.

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But whether they were imaginings or not remained a question throughout the whole movie, proving its psychological realism and multiple layers. This dark fantasy had horrifying beasts that were magical and profoundly creative, showing the genre new monsters that fairytales had never presented the world on big screens. Pan’s Labyrinth is everything fantasy should be – moving, beautiful, and full of meaning.

3

The Princess Bride (1987)

96% On Rotten Tomatoes

The Princess Bride must be one of the best fantasy romance movies ever made. The 1987 movie The Princess Bride is a genre classic for good reason. This astounding romance set a standard for all heartwarming movies, whether fantasy or not, proving how fantasy could be a metaphor for the world’s most familiar realities. The movie’s near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score is absolutely fair.

Based on a 1973 novel by William Goldman, the hilarious The Princess Bride focused on Buttercup and Westley’s love story, bringing audiences the sweetness they needed. Still iconic, the movie has aged in its fashion and audiovisual quality only. The script stands the test of time, remaining one of the funniest and most relatable rom-coms of the century and the fantasy genre.

2

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

96% On Rotten Tomatoes

The final Harry Potter movie is ranked the highest on Rotten Tomatoes, and indeed, it is most likely the best movie of a brilliant set. Based on the phenomenon Harry Potter – the J.K. Rowling books – the Warner Bros. movies were flawlessly cast and musically scored. The Golden Trio of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, brought immense comedy to a perfect script.

The Harry Potter TV show is set to launch in 2026.

The Harry Potter movies were immensely exciting at the time and are now giving way to what could be one of the best fantasy series of all time. HBO is launching a Harry Potter TV series, promising to dive even deeper into the books than the movies did. As such, fans of the story can look forward to even more Potterverse content, celebrating the impact and influence of the movies all over again.

1

The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

98% On Rotten Tomatoes

The Wizard of Oz will be a genre classic forever, with 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. As close to perfect as fantasy movies come, this 1939 flick starred Judy Garland as the famous Dorothy. Based on the 1900 novel, The Wizard of Oz was funny, charming, endearing, and a great adventure. The best fantasy movies all have weird and wonderful adventures at their heart, and The Wizard of Oz epitomized that.

The Wizard of Oz may seem dated in the 2020s, but it was a remarkable feat of visual storytelling at the time. It is impressively relevant, even held up against contemporary work. When a tornado tore through Kansas, Dorothy and Toto, her dog, were slammed into one of the world’s best road stories. Along the legendary yellow brick road, anything seemed possible in this fantastic fantasy movie.