Blending magic with the trending grunge and nihilism, some amazing fantasy movies came out in the decade leading up to the new millennium. This resulted in several great 90s fantasy horror movies, exhibiting the decade’s favored aesthetics as well as supernatural ongoings. The best fantasy movies of the 1990s also demonstrate a certain modern twist, with previously unthought-of creatures and witches parading through high school halls.
Additionally, the 1990s saw a spike in family animation with the Disney Renaissance taking off in the late 1980s. The best Disney Renaissance movies as well as the best Studio Ghibli movies deserve to be considered among the standout fantasy titles of the decade. Furthermore, 1990s fantasy movies are still just a little bit different from the rest of the genre, illustrating the macabre and revisionist ideas on the rise at the time.
10 Mulan (1998)
Mulan Is A Bigger & More Action-Oriented Disney Movie Than Any Before It
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Mulan (1998)
To save her father from death in the army, a young single woman secretly goes to replace him, wearing a disguise, and becomes one of China’s greatest heroes in the process.
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*Availability in US Director Barry Cook , Tony Bancroft Release Date June 19, 1998 Cast Ming-Na Wen , Eddie Murphy , BD Wong , Miguel Ferrer , June Foray , James Hong , Pat Morita , George Takei Runtime 87 Minutes
The Disney Renaissance era saw the rise of several Disney Princesses who demonstrated more developed characters and self-determination than any of their predecessors. However, Mulan is the only one where a branded Disney Princess movie meets a war epic. Using the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan as its source material, Mulan is not completely accurate but is generally regarded as one of Disney’s best classic animated movies.
In addition to enjoyable songs, beautiful animation, and the hilarious talents of Eddie Murphy as Mushu, Mulan pulls off a major battle sequence that has all the gravitas of some live-action counterparts. Meanwhile, Mulan tells a realistic story about belonging and not fitting a role prescribed by society. With an intelligent, resourceful, and determined heroine, Mulan is an empowering movie to watch about someone wanting to do good, but also making their own way.
9 Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Tim Burton Aesthetics Would Dominate The 1990s After Edward Scissorhands
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7.7/10 Edward Scissorhands PG-13RomanceFantasyDrama
From director Tim Burton, Edward Scissorhands follows the titular character, an artificial human created by an inventor, who has scissor blades instead of fingers. After his creator’s death, Edward is taken in by a normal suburban family and becomes attracted to the family’s teenage daughter, Kim Boggs. Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder star as Edward and Kim.
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*Availability in US Director Tim Burton Release Date December 14, 1990 Writers Caroline Thompson Cast Vincent Price , Dianne Wiest , Anthony Michael Hall , Johnny Depp , Winona Ryder , Kathy Baker Runtime 105 minutes
After struggling to work with the executives at Disney, Burton got his big break as a director elsewhere.
Introducing the world to the world to one of the defining movie characters of the 1990s and giving more screen time to actors perfect for what the decade would bring, Edward Scissorhands is one of the earliest classic Tim Burton movies. After struggling to work with the executives at Disney, Burton got his big break as a director elsewhere with Pee-wee’s Big Adventure in the 1980s.
With his newfound fame, Burton was able to kick off a new decade with a movie starring one of his strange, characteristically spooky personages. Edward Scissorhands showcases the worldview of the misunderstood and the mundane cruelty of a nauseatingly suburban setting.
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The plastic world almost calls back to earlier movies and TV, discarding earlier visions for the distinctly new, no matter how it would be received. As well as Johnny Depp, Edward Scissorhands highlights the talents of Winona Ryder, who would star in multiple famous 1990s movies covering an impressive variety of genres.
8 Jumanji (1995)
Jumanji Is A Funny/Terrifying Fantasy Elevated By Robin Williams
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9.3/10 Jumanji PGActionAdventureComedy
Jumanji is an action-adventure comedy film by director Joe Johnston and starring Robin Williams. Two orphan siblings move into a home occupied by the former Parrish family, whose son disappeared years ago. When the two start playing a mysterious board game known as “Jumanji,” they unknowingly release the missing Alan Parrish later, along with various other jungle-themed dangers that can only be stopped if they finish the game.
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*Availability in US Director Joe Johnston Release Date December 15, 1995 Writers Jonathan Hensleigh , Greg Taylor , Jim Strain Cast Robin Williams , Kirsten Dunst , David Alan Grier , Bonnie Hunt , Jonathan Hyde , Bebe Neuwirth Runtime 104 Minutes
“Starring Robin Williams” is almost its own subgenre of fantasy from the 1990s. Williams would star in many more movies both before and after this decade, but his big fantasy movies that came out during it have something of a familiar atmosphere. Aladdin had to adhere to Disney’s conventional style but still has Williams’ customary humor that characterizes more off-beat fantasy movies like Hook and Jumanji.
The latter revolves around the concept of a jungle-themed board game coming to life, for a morbid blend of fantasy, horror, adventure, and comedy. Jumanji features some albeit predictable life lessons but gets very creative with how the game takes over the house and the town. This bizarre fantasy is one of the ways weird manifested itself during the 1990s, helped along by Williams believably alternating between being scornful and caring in his performance.
7 The Crow (1994)
The Crow Is A Perfectly Dark & Gritty Revenge Thriller
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8/10 The Crow RActionDramaSupernatural
Based on the comic series, The Crow is a supernatural-action film that follows a murdered musician who returns from the dead for vengeance. Eric Draven and his fiancee are murdered during a violent home invasion – but supernatural forces have other plans for Draven. Resurrected by the power of a mysterious crow, the now superpowered Draven takes on the mantle of “The Crow” and seeks revenge against the entire gang that killed him and his wife.
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*Availability in US Director Alex Proyas Release Date May 13, 1994 Writers David J. Schow , John Shirley Cast Brandon Lee , Ernie Hudson , Michael Wincott , Rochelle Davis , Bai Ling , Sofia Shinas , Anna Levine , David Patrick Kelly Runtime 102 Minutes
The moody revenge thriller that came before John Wick, The Crow embraces 1990s punk rock and emo aesthetics but leverages them in a movie much more dangerous than The Nightmare Before Christmas. The revenge quest isn’t nearly as straightforward as some other cinematic examples when the protagonist is put through a much more painful discourse on grief. Talented though Bill Skarsgård may be, his movie and performance can’t live up to Brandon Lee’s original.
Lee’s stylish final movie embraces both the musical and fashion trends of the time and boasts some great fight sequences. Lee was sadly killed in an accident while filming The Crow and, therefore, didn’t make any other feature-length movies after he had demonstrated his talent in this one. His performance is recognized as the element holding the movie together, the themes of revenge and grief driven by his intense and layered portrayal of Eric Draven.
6 The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The Blair Witch Project Reinvented Found Footage Horror
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6.1/10 The Blair Witch Project RHorrorMystery
The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 horror film that follows three film students who venture into the Black Hills near Burkittsville, Maryland. As they document their search for the Blair Witch legend, strange and unsettling events unfold. Presented as found footage, the film is directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, and it pioneered the found footage genre in mainstream cinema.
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*Availability in US Director Eduardo Sánchez , Daniel Myrick Release Date July 30, 1999 Writers Daniel Myrick , Eduardo Sánchez Cast Joshua Leonard , Michael C. Williams , Heather Donahue Runtime 81 minutes
The Blair Witch Project’s fantasy operates on ambiguity and the fear of the unknown.
The Blair Witch Project notably gave rise to numerous other “found footage” horror movies, but none were quite so committed. With the leads listed as “missing” on IMDB, The Blair Witch Project went to great lengths to uphold its supposed realism. The “documentary’s” gritty and muted pallet and shaky cinematography captures the dread of the filmmakers getting closer to what they are looking for, even if the latter element famously caused motion sickness in movie theaters.
The Blair Witch Project‘s fantasy operates on ambiguity and the fear of the unknown. With only an abrupt final ending and the claim of the actors’ disappearances, speculation about the “real” Blair Witch is the intended result. The Blair Witch Project also saw several low-brown tie-ins after its major reception, none of which measured up to the original’s daring execution.
5 Hook (1991)
Williams & Hoffman Are The Perfect Peter Pan & Captain Hook
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6.5/10 Hook PGAdventureComedyFamilyFantasy
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Hook stars Robin Williams as Peter Banning, a harried American lawyer who, after his children are kidnapped by Captain Hook, finds out that he is Peter Pan, having lost his memories of Neverland. In order to rescue his children, Peter must find his childlike spirit of adventure and regain his memories as he does battle with Hook and his crew. Dustin Hoffman stars alongside Williams as Captain Hook, along with Julia Roberts, Maggie Smith, and Charlie Korsmo.
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*Availability in US Director Steven Spielberg Release Date April 10, 1991 Writers J.M. Barrie , James V. Hart , Nick Castle , Malia Scotch Marmo Cast Dustin Hoffman , Robin Williams , Julia Roberts , Bob Hoskins , Maggie Smith , Caroline Goodall Runtime 142 minutes
Williams’ other big fantasy movie of the decade (non-Disney category) delves into the emotional state of Peter Pan whereas the original story simply doesn’t. In Hook, a grown Peter is married and has children of his own, and has become the very picture of an adult he once despised. When his children are kidnapped by Captain Hook, the idea of Neverland can no longer be forgotten.
This supports a much more nuanced and meaningful discourse on the relationship between childhood wonder and inevitable adulthood than is seen in the original story. Peter rediscovers his old philosophy when he returns to Neverland, but it is mingled with tragedy, and he still happily returns to his life in the real world.
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Williams’ despicable then melodramatic then heartrending portrayal of Peter is propped up by A-list actors in supporting roles, namely Dustin Hoffman playing a grandiose and genuinely scary Hook and Julia Roberts as a reflective Tinker Bell. Hook is an edgier take on Peter Pan that does justice to its themes when Peter as a child is often too unlikable for his philosophy to work.
4 The Craft (1996)
The Craft Depicts Four Outcast Witches Turning The Tables Before They Turn On Each Other
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The Craft RHorrorFantasyDrama
The Craft is a 1996 teen horror movie starring Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell, Fairuza Balk, and Rachel True. The Andrew Fleming-directed film focuses on a group of outcasts at an LA high school who practice witchcraft and create their own coven. The film received mixed reviews but was a surprise hit at the box office for Columbia.
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*Availability in US Director Andrew Fleming Release Date May 3, 1996 Writers Andrew Fleming , Peter Filardi Cast Neve Campbell , Fairuza Balk , Robin Tunney , Rachel True Runtime 101 Minutes
The Craft is an underrated fantasy movie, although many have now vouched for it. An exploration of the toxicity of high school and certain friendships, The Craft introduces many likable characters who still turn malevolent as the consequences of their revenge take shape. A newcomer at a Catholic prep school joins a group of outcast girls who are practicing witches, but once they have achieved power, three out of four of them go to extreme lengths to keep it.
The Craft covers a lot of ground, as the main group is collectively dealing with racism, body issues, dysfunctional families, poverty, and mental health. Empowerment can be interpreted out of the depiction of a found sisterhood, but when the group becomes pernicious, the protagonist must stand on her own. It is a complex narrative about youth when real teenagers don’t have access to magic but still may make bad decisions when emboldened by social power.
3 Beauty And The Beast (1991)
Disney’s Landmark Animated Movie That Broke Down Boundaries For Animation
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10/10 Beauty and the Beast (1991) AnimationFamilyFantasyMusical
A selfish prince is doomed to become a monster for the rest of his life, unless he manages to fall in love with a beautiful young woman.
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*Availability in US Director Gary Trousdale , Kirk Wise Release Date November 21, 1991 Cast Paige O’Hara , Robby Benson , Angela Lansbury , Jerry Orbach , David Ogden Stiers , Bradley Pierce , Jesse Corti , Richard White Runtime 84 Minutes
One of the best movies of the Disney Renaissance, Beauty and the Beast contributed to Disney’s roster of more independent-minded princesses, Menken-Ashman composed soundtracks, charismatic supporting characters, and deeply detailed settings. Perhaps Beauty and the Beast‘s only glaring weakness is that the concept of the story has been oft-criticized. However, Belle deals with both Beast and Gaston on her own terms — the former is the one to adjust to her requirements.
The Baroque-inspired castle is still gorgeous, while the music remains uplifting. Beauty and the Beast looks fondly on characters like Belle and her father, who think outside the box and are often ridiculed for it, while Gaston is a disturbing villain due to his casual sexism. Its melancholy opening music and epic set designs give it an almost gothic feel that hasn’t found a place in many other Disney movies, while the fantasy elements reinforce the idea of karma and are, at some points, simply dazzling.
2 Princess Mononoke (1997)
Princess Mononoke Depicts The Tragedy Of An Inevitable Conflict
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10/10 Princess Mononoke (1997) PG-13AnimatedEpicHistoricalFantasy
In this epic animated fantasy by Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke explores the struggle between the supernatural guardians of a forest and the humans who consume its resources. The story follows Ashitaka, a young warrior inflicted with a deadly curse, as he navigates a battle that pits the industrialized human society against the gods of the forest, alongside San, a fierce girl raised by wolves.
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*Availability in US Director Hayao Miyazaki Release Date July 12, 1997 Writers Hayao Miyazaki Cast Yôji Matsuda , Yuriko Ishida , Yûko Tanaka , Kaoru Kobayashi , Masahiko Nishimura , Tsunehiko Kamijô , Akihiro Miwa , Mitsuko Mori , Hisaya Morishige Runtime 133 Minutes
Unlike some of Studio Ghibli’s other environmentalist movies, Princess Mononoke implies the need for cooperation between humans and the environment and maybe even condones industrialization in moderation. Lady Eboshi is helping people by providing jobs and shelter at Irontown but at the cost of the environment. The conclusion she comes to is that she will rebuild her town but with better practices. Meanwhile, San’s assertion that she cannot forgive emphasizes that irrevocable damage has been done.
However, Princess Mononoke’s depiction of the tragic and haunting destruction of a wilderness setting is its final word. The complicated characters sometimes have conflicting duties to themselves and their found families, but as always, Ghibli shows how the world must be taken into consideration. Princess Mononoke was brutal enough to make waves in the animation industry, forcing audiences to think about the matter being debated when the movie only shows the people going back to what they were doing, but hopefully better.
1 The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Nightmare Before Christmas Has Unparalleled Style & Surprisingly Resonant Characters
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8.7/10 The Nightmare Before Christmas PGAnimationFantasyHoliday
Henry Selick directs The Nightmare Before Christmas, a stop-motion fairytale from the mind of Tim Burton. Jack Skellington is the king of Halloween and one of Halloweentown’s most beloved citizens, but he longs for something more. When he stumbles across a magical door that leads him to discover Christmas, he makes it his mission to replace Santa Claus and bring festive cheer to his perpetually spooky hamlet.
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*Availability in US Director Henry Selick Release Date October 29, 1993 Writers Caroline Thompson Cast Catherine O’Hara , Glenn Shadix , Ken Page , William Hickey , Chris Sarandon , Paul Reubens , Danny Elfman Runtime 76 minutes
On the surface, The Nightmare Before Christmas may appear mildly redundant when the characters end the story where they began, having only nearly destroyed a holiday in between. However, what makes it a deserving masterpiece of a cult classic is its artistic stop-motion, terrifyingly poetic songs, and relatable characters.
Caught up in the wild holiday world though they may be, Jack and Sally experience real-life scenarios. Jack has become discontent and melancholic because of his repetitive routine, while Sally is forced to innovate and endure when no one else in Halloween Town will help her. It is a story about feeling appreciated, which Jack and Sally eventually find in each other.
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On the other hand, Danny Elfman’s songs are so perfectly written in service of the movie’s tones and themes, and people have been demanding to hear them again and again in concert ever since. The Nightmare Before Christmas is the epitome of a 1990s fantasy movie, exhibiting the attitude and style of the decade in a memorably timeless fashion.