Fantasy movies are the perfect opportunity to forget about the limitations of our world. When screenwriters and filmmakers can create their own world, that imagination is contagious. Magic. New species. Different social norms and political systems. Of course, in order not to lose viewers, the films have to be grounded in some way whether it be with the characters’ personalities and motivations to a common theme of “what does it mean to be human?”
However, even with the leaps hardcore fantasy fans are willing to take when stepping into the genre, some films go too far. Plenty of great fantasy movies are head-scratchers, with a nonsensical plot or jarring special effects that remind viewers they’re watching a movie. Not all weird films are bad, of course; some fully embrace their uniqueness and provide a great viewing experience. Others go off the rail and forget to get back on. Here are 10 of the most absurd fantasy movies ever made.
10 The Nutcracker in 3D
The Nutcracker in 3D
- Release Date
- November 24, 2010
- Director
- Andrei Konchalovsky
- Cast
- Elle Fanning, Nathan Lane, John Turturro, Frances de la Tour, Richard E. Grant, Yuliya Vysotskaya
- Rating
- PG
- Main Genre
- Fantasy
- Genres
- Fantasy, Action, Family, Musical
Everyone loves a good Christmas or holiday film, but The Nutcracker in 3D is one from your nightmares. There are many different interpretations surrounding the lore of The Nutcracker. Set in Vienna, Austria in the 1920s, this movie follows a girl named Mary (Elle Fanning), who just wants to spend Christmas with her parents and brother. One of the gifts Mary receives is a Nutcracker doll from her uncle. Eventually, Mary’s Christmas gift comes to life, and it’s not the only suddenly anthropomorphic toy in the house. Soon, Mary is thrust into a mission to save the toys from the evil Rat King and Queen.
What Makes It Absurd
There are many puzzling elements to this movie. That uncle who gave Mary the present? Oh, it’s just her dear Uncle Albert Einstein, and he casually breaks the fourth wall every now and again, which never seems to flow with the film’s tone. The Nutcracker is a central character in the film, which is too bad because the CGI and overall look of the wooden boy is freaky in a way the filmmakers surely didn’t intend. Unfortunately, it’s not the worst design choice in the film as the half-rat, half-human villains are also quite unsettling. You may also find the film referred to as The Nutcracker: The Untold Story and perhaps it should’ve remained untold.
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9 The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
Baron Munchausen is something of a legend in this world, as evidenced by a play that tells the story of his life. However, an audience member interrupts the show claiming he is the true Baron and that the playwrights got so many details wrong. In The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Baron opts to set the story straight and provides the theatergoers with a tale of how he almost died. However, this is not a peaceful time to recount memories, as a war is plowing through the country and interrupts Baron’s stories time and again. Throughout the film, the character interacts with fantastical creatures, travels outside of earth, and more.
What Makes It Absurd
There are random moments of beheading (granted, they’re not graphic) and moments when the characters are more like Looney Tunes characters rather than humans. Unlike other entries on the list, the bizarreness of the film definitely seems intentional. However, such exaggerated characterization and pushing the boundaries of believability clashed against the wartime backdrop. One scene shows the characters in the midst of battle, and it could be quite scary and dark for children, yet within the same scene a character is riding a cannonball through the night sky. This film doesn’t quite know what it wants to be.
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8 Rubber
Rubber
- Release Date
- November 9, 2010
- Director
- Quentin Dupieux
- Cast
- Stephen Spinella, Jack Plotnick, Wings Hauser, Roxane Mesquida, Ethan Cohn, Charley Koontz
- Rating
- R
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Genres
- Comedy, Documentary, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Whenever horror films come out, fans are eager to see who the “big bad” will be. An immortal sporting a hockey mask? A man with knives for fingers and a bad taste in Christmas sweaters? Rubber focuses on the most unique killer of them all: a tire. Our protagonist Robert (yes, the tire) rises from the sandy desert and is all alone. He soon realizes he has the ability to blow things up and thus starts his rampage of killing and destruction. There are a few people who interact with the tire and are trying to escape its line of fire, but it's hard to focus on anything else but the murderous wheel.
What Makes It Absurd
Sometimes movie buffs complain that films are becoming carbon copies of one another. “Where is the originality?” they may say. Rubber may make a case for there being such a thing as “too unique” of a concept. The movie does try to excuse the disjointed plot and premise at the start by breaking the fourth wall and admitting things will happen without reason or logic. Whether it be trying to show emotions on an object without a face and without speaking and the random inclusion of a turkey, “absurd” may be too light a descriptor for Rubber.
Rent on Prime Video
7 Mortal Kombat Annihilation
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation
- Release Date
- November 11, 1997
- Director
- John R. Leonetti
- Cast
- Robin Shou, James Remar, Talisa Soto, Sandra Hess, Brian Thompson, Lynn Williams
- Rating
- PG-13
- Main Genre
- Action
- Genres
- Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Mortal Kombat Annihilation mixed martial arts with fantasy in this film inspired by a video game. Shao Kahn is the emperor of The Outworld and plans to invade the Earthrealm which will lead to its destruction. Three Earthrealm warriors named Liu, Sonya, and Johnny, hope to put an end to Shao’s plan. However, with the death of one of the core members and the introduction of new characters, their plan becomes even more complicated. Competing and winning in the Mortal Kombat competition may be the only way to save the Earthrealm.
What Makes It Absurd
Some may call it unfair to point out the bad special effects in a film that came out so long ago. Yet even without comparing the film to modern ones, it’s still quite bad. When much of the film relies on portraying dangerous, scary creatures, it makes it all the more obvious when said creatures look more like cheap Halloween costumes.
Many of the actors dialed their deliveries of the already dramatic script up to 10. What resulted were moments intended to be intimidating ending up funny. The action sequences were too ridiculous, even for a fantasy film, and the plot itself didn’t have a clear direction. Ultimately, even fans of the series and videogame admit this film missed the mark.
Rent on AppleTV
6 The Cat and the Hat (2003)
Many children grew up reading Dr. Seuss’ famous The Cat in the Hat book, so it only made sense that it’d be adapted for the screen. The film follows two siblings, Sally and Conrad. They are given explicit instructions not to go into a certain room in the house while their mom is out. But a sound coming from the closet piques their interest and when they go to investigate it, out comes The Cat in the Hat.
If a giant talking cat that follows them around the house isn’t scary enough, Thing 1 and Thing 2 make an appearance. The fantastical creatures and the two little kids get wrapped up in each other’s lives, including the children's mother and her sleazy boyfriend.
What Makes It Absurd
A common theme among the entries on this list is the CGI/special effects that don’t quite land the way the filmmakers intended. Mike Myers gives it his all as the Cat, but it never fully clicks. The other Dr. Seuss live-action, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, faced similar challenges with The Grinch, but Jim Carrey gave just enough in his iconic performance. The introduction of the fantastical world the Cat is from feels jarring and doesn’t blend with the tone of the movie. Despite the kookiness, the film does possess some redeeming qualities, propelled by the three leads. Strange? Yes. Horrible? Not exactly.
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5 Labyrinth
Labyrinth
- Release Date
- June 27, 1986
- Director
- Jim Henson
- Cast
- David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Toby Froud, Shelley Thompson, Christopher Malcolm, Natalie Finland
- Rating
- PG
- Main Genre
- Adventure
- Genres
- Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Musical
Labyrinth is an '80s musical fantasy that stars rock legend David Bowie and the prolific Jennifer Connelly in one of her earlier roles. It’s about a teenager named Sarah (Connelly) who is late to babysit her baby brother, whom she finds quite bothersome. There are goblins in a book she’s reading, and Sarah wishes her brother would be taken by them. In a classic “be careful what you wish for” scenario, her brother is taken and Sarah must get to the center of a labyrinth to save him. Goblin King Jareth (Bowie) is the one who gives Sarah the task, hoping she’ll fail and her baby brother can be transformed into a goblin.
What Makes It Absurd
In a setup like this, viewers expect to come across weird creatures. But a talking worm with a scarf and blue hair fashioned in three ponytails? That probably wasn’t among the beasts people expected. The talking “helping hands” are freaky and fascinating, but the creatures that poke out and eat their own eyeballs will make readers consider watching the rest of the film with one eye open.
By the end, Jareth creepily divulges he wants Sarah to “fear him, love him, do as [he says]” and he’ll be her slave, which was a peculiar choice. Despite this, Labyrinth is still a fun fantasy film. Bowie may have been the big name going into the film, but Connelly truly shone in the role.
Stream on Hulu
4 Willow
Willow
- Release Date
- May 20, 1988
- Director
- Ron Howard
- Cast
- Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Warwick Davis, Jean Marsh, Patricia Hayes, Billy Barty
- Main Genre
- Action
- Genres
- Action, Adventure, Documentary, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
In the high fantasy world of Willow, a queen learns about a prophecy that a child will be born, and it will end her evil reign. She goes to extreme lengths to ensure her survival, locking up all pregnant women. But one of those women is able to sneak her recently-born child outside of the castle. The queen sends an army to capture the baby girl. In a village of dwarves, the baby is found and reluctantly taken in by a farmer named Willow. Once his village is attacked due to the baby’s presence, Willow is ordered to find the baby a family elsewhere.
What Makes It Absurd
It’d be hard not to include a movie that has a scene with a man riding a bird flying off with an infant and screaming, “I stole the baby while you were taking a pee-pee!” Many of the dwarves speak in a throaty, scratchy voice that’s peculiar but hilarious. Suspension of belief is required to get into the film, even small details like a newborn baby looking at least several months old with a full head of hair. The queen’s plan is weirdly convoluted and complicated for the sake of adding more tension to the plot.
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3 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2
- Release Date
- November 13, 2012
- Director
- Bill Condon
- Cast
- Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Ashley Greene
- Rating
- PG-13
- Main Genre
- Adventure
- Genres
- Adventure, Documentary, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 is the conclusion to the smash hit Twilight series, which documented the life of ordinary Bella Swan when she moves and falls in love with a vampire. In the finale, Bella is a newly-transformed vampire, with heightened senses and a thirst for blood. She is also a new mother to a daughter Renesmee. While Bella was worried about her own safety in previous films, in this one she is desperate to protect her daughter from the Volturi, the governing clan of vampires, who believe Renesmee is a threat to their existence.
What Makes It Absurd
Twilight almost took itself too seriously in the first three films, with its melodramatic romance scenes and over-the-top fight sequences. It’s a bit refreshing how much they let loose in this film, leaning more into humor and poking fun at itself. From Bella yelling, “You nicknamed my daughter after the Loch Ness monster?” to Michael Sheen's campy performance, it's a wild ride. There’s also the disconcerting use of CGI on Bella’s baby that is truly unnecessary and was quite bad even for its time.
Those are absurd moments the filmmakers chose, others were simply part of the source material. Jacob, in his late-teens, falls in love with (“imprints”)... with a baby. Additionally, the love triangle fans were invested in for several movies was based on the future child Bella had yet to conceive. The film tried to water down the weirdness, but it still is quite absurd.
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2 The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl follows Max, who isn’t either of the titular characters, but did create them. He has a wild imagination, which provides a great escape from bullies and his parents' constant bickering. Among his dreams include a place called Planet Drool, where there are a host of wacky characters and places, but Sharkboy (who was raised by sharks) and Lavagirl (who burns everything she touches) are his favorites. One day while in class, his two imaginary superheroes bust into his classroom and request Max’s help to set things right on Planet Drool.
What Makes It Absurd
One of the huge draws of children’s fantasy movies is they can bend reason a bit more and truly lean into the feeling of whimsy and wonder that adult films often don’t. However, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl takes that leeway to the next level, and it ends up feeling like a disjointed fever dream. A lot happens, but it's unclear how they all interconnect or relate to the overarching plot.
If you’re expecting all of the loose plot threads to get wrapped up by the end, you’ll be disappointed. And this ambiguity doesn’t necessarily feel intentional, it just seems like the filmmakers wanted to include every idea from their brainstorming session and didn’t leave anything behind in the writer’s room.
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1 Cats
Cats
- Director
- Tom Hooper
- Main Genre
- Musical
- Genres
- Musical
Cats is a musical fantasy based on a play by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The film follows life-sized and human-like cats living in London. Victoria is tossed aside by her owners and soon meets a gaggle of cats interested in befriending her. They inform her about a ball in which one lucky cat will get to be reborn into a new life. The different cats she meets sing about their lives and why they hope they’ll be the one to receive the great honor. With a strong fan base allowing the stage play to be one of the longest-running Broadway shows and an ensemble cast consisting of Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, James Cordon, and Taylor Swift, among others, it had all the ingredients to be a hit.
What Makes It Absurd
Bad CGI and special effects have come up a few times on this list, but Cats wins for the most uncanny viewing experiences of them all. It’s as though filmmakers couldn’t decide if they wanted the characters to lean more feline-like or more human, and the in-between that it landed on wasn’t appealing to watch. The musical numbers could’ve been a reprieve but instead were repetitive. Cats often finds a spot among worst-films of all time lists, but it also deserves a spot on this one.
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