The '90s was a transitional time for fantasy films. Before Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones brought the genre to mainstream popularity, filmmakers were experimenting with how to insert magical plots into films with big and small budgets. They fell across the spectrum, from family films to dark comedies — and everything in between. Before superhero films and wizardry revolutionized big-money movies in the 2000s, there was a bevy of experimental films dabbling in how to incorporate fantastical plots into stories about everyday characters.
Before movies mined authors like J.R.R. Tolkien and Stan Lee, they were adapting children's books from scribes like James Matthew Barrie and Chris Van Allsburg, hoping to capture lightning in a bottle by appealing to kids and adults. Horror masters like Sam Raimi got in on the act, and so too did comedy writers like Albert Brooks and of-the-moment directors like Tim Burton.
Fantasy films hadn't really found themselves as Hollywood commodities, but great films were still being made while the genre coalesced into a more definable set of rules. The following are 11 films from the '90s that used a fantastical approach to redefining film.
11 Hook (1991)
"Bangarang" was the word on the tips of children's lips in 1991, after super producers Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy tried something that Amblin Entertainment hadn't yet dared — adapting a classic children's novel into a big-budget film. The plot served as a sequel to the original Peter Pan novel, Peter and Wendy, written a mere 80 years before Hook's release. Not only did Amblin update J.M. Barrie's work, they dared to introduce new characters, like the unforgettable Rufio — but it was the ultra-imaginative Robin Williams who paced the film as Pan, and the childlike wonder of Steven Spielberg that illuminated it.
Critics Panned Hook But It Didn't Matter
Purists in the world of film critique hated Hook, deeming Spielberg's new take on this tale sacrilege. They forgot one thing — it wasn't for them. It was for a new generation, one that didn't care that Robin Williams was an adult or that the Lost Boys were riding ramshackle skateboards through Neverland. The film was an enormous financial success and added a much-needed new chapter to the Pan mythos, which hasn't reached those heights since.
10 Jumanji (1995)
Another '90s fantasy film — another standout Robin Williams performance. This time, Hollywood's court jester had to conjure a performance basically from scratch, as the children's book that the film sourced was heavy on pictures and light on narrative. No bother, as Williams guided the film with improvised zaniness and creativity that, by all accounts, carried a troubled production towards completion. The result was another box office smash, as the film resonated with kids as much as the book did.
Nostalgia Trumps the Outdated with Jumanji
The subsequent films in the Jumanji series are proof positive of how integral Robin Williams was to the original film's success. Even with some outdated CGI, the film still holds up today, thanks in no small part to great supporting roles from Jonathan Hyde and David Alan Grier.
9 Mr. Destiny (1990)
Mr. Destiny was a reminder of how '90s films banked on a great premise as much as anything, with a plot centered around how one small event can change your destiny. The film was way ahead of the multi-verse game, imagining a universe where Larry Burrows' (Jim Belushi) life went in a wholly different direction thanks to a fateful high school baseball game getting a different outcome. Mr. Destiny banked on an idea we've all considered as children — how one fateful moment going differently could help our dreams come true.
Mr. Destiny Went From Flop to Cult Film
Jim Belushi's everyman appeal, a standout performance from pre-T2 Linda Hamilton, and some hilarious comic relief from Jon Lovitz made Mr. Destiny a winner, even if it flopped big at the time of its release. This film had a big second life on cable television throughout the '90s, and remains a great watch if only for being the type of film that just doesn't get made anymore.
8 Ghost (1990)
Very simply one of the most romantic films ever made, Ghost brought the supernatural into an everyday scenario, as Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) suffers a tragic death, only to try and cross back into the living world. He did so thanks to his undying love for his girlfriend Molly (Demi Moore), and even if we laugh at Swayze and Moore's iconic moment sensually spinning clay on a pottery wheel, at the time of its release the image left audiences shook.
Ghost Redefined What a Romance Film Could Be
Whether it was Patrick Swayze's prime era, Demi Moore's trend-setting short haircut, or Whoopi Goldberg's highly-quotable comic relief, Ghost had so much cultural impact for a relatively small film. Despite the supernatural fantasy elements, it's remembered for its romance more than anything. The Righteous Brothers song "Unchained Melody" will always be associated with the film, which seemed to perfectly personify its heart-wrenching lyrics.
7 Death Becomes Her (1992)
It's hard to say why Death Becomes Her hasn't had a broader influence in film history. Considering its top-notch actors in Meryl Streep and Bruce Willis, an Oscar-winning and generational director in Robert Zemeckis, and some groundbreaking CGI, the film has never gotten its just due. It may have crossed too many genres together, but its fantasy elements endure more than any other aspect of this hilarious and often grotesque movie.
The Plot of Death Becomes Her Was Ahead of Its Time
If you want to understand the importance of Death Becomes Her, look at all the movies that have stolen elements from it. Even the recent film The Substance seemed to mimic the film's plot, which played on Hollywood's obsession with staying young forever. It's hard to believe, but Meryl Streep's career was struggling at the time, and her decision to take on this role seemed a tongue-in-cheek commentary on her own challenges as an aging actress.
6 Practical Magic (1996)
The Grand Canyon-sized chasm between Practical Magic's Rotten Tomatoes audience score and critical score explains a lot about how divisive a film it has been. On the one hand, it failed miserably at the box office, with an absurd-for-the-time $75 million budget that was hard to live up to. On the other hand, it's had a huge second life on TV and streaming. It may have taken a while for fans to appreciate a film that starred the two biggest actresses of the '90s in their prime, but it has slowly gained fan appreciation over the years, despite the critical hate.
Practical Magic Would Be a Blockbuster Today
Another great '90s fantasy premise, Practical Magic had an engaging plot about two reluctant witches who resurrect one of their boyfriends, only to inject an evil spirit into him. This was another film that the world wasn't ready for in the '90s, but would likely be a huge hit if released today — especially with the right Halloween-adjacent marketing. Griffin Dunne's direction has aged really well, and it makes us long for the heyday of Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.
5 Defending Your Life (1991)
The 2023 Albert Brooks HBO documentary shed plenty of light on how pervasive his influence has been on an entire generation of comedy writers. Writers like Judd Apatow recalled how important Brooks' risk-taking was in guiding their own careers, and many pointed to Defending Your Life as the greatest example. Long before shows like The Good Place imagined what purgatory might be like, Brooks did so in hilarious fashion, with the help of one of Rip Torn's greatest movie performances.
Albert Brooks Took Religion Out of the Afterlife
We've all wondered what happens after death, but rather than imagine a Pearly Gates scenario, Brooks placed judgment inside a resort-like environment and some drab courtrooms. Contained therein is a wonderful love story with Brooks playing opposite Meryl Streep — back then underappreciated for her acting genius. In a way, it's the most intelligent film about the afterlife ever made, even if it was completely secular and irreverent about the topic.
4 The City of Lost Children (1995)
A dark, decadent fantasy from directors Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, The City of Lost Children imagined a rapidly aging boogeyman who steals the dreams of children. The film was a little too dark for kids, and a little too imaginative for adults, but somehow still managed to entertain both. Ron Perlman is the film's gentle giant, and his endearing relationship with his son puts a soul at the center of a completely unique film.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet Was Truly a Man of His Time
The sets and miniatures are what is most enduring about The City of Lost Children. It's precisely the type of film that simply doesn't get made anymore, at least not practically. Jeunet's usual cast of characters and tremendous lighting and camera work make the film as much a piece of fine art as it was a film.
3 Being John Malkovich (1999)
Few directors have made as big a splash with their debut feature film as Spike Jonze, who graduated from his seminal music videos and trend-setting skateboarding videos to becoming one of the great artistic talents in movie-making with Being John Malkovich. Another first-timer was screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, who generated so much buzz with the genius of this idea that the script had its own following in Hollywood long before becoming a movie.
Malkovich Was a Good Sport for Taking on the Film
This is the absurdist plot of all absurdist plots, with a magical portal that places a traveler into the hilariously charmed life of actor John Malkovich. Malkovich was gracious enough to play himself — sort of. In Kaufman's imagining, Malkovich is a dilettante who lives lavishly and is best friends with, of all actors, Charlie Sheen. The two refer to each other as "Malkatraz" and "Ma-Sheen." Need we say more?
2 Army of Darkness (1992)
After virtually inventing the splatter film, Sam Raimi veered heavily left with the third installment of his Evil Dead film series. This one is called Army of Darkness, setting Raimi's gory imagination in Medieval times, but sticking with the inimitable Bruce Campbell and all the limb-chopping grotesquery to appease Raimi's loyal horror fans. Raimi threw out the rule book of what can be done with a fantasy film, combining splatter and time travel and wrapping it in a swords-and-shields bow.
Raimi Combined Genres Like Few Could
Army of Darkness instantly transports us to a time when studios weren't so uptight and financially-motivated, allowing for artists like Raimi to experiment with the form. Like many on this list, the practical effects are what make it so nostalgically lovable, and will make any movie-goer question why a film needs millions of dollars worth of CGI to entertain these days.
1 Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Edward Scissorhands created a timeless fantasy from scratch, starting with the slightly goth but very innocent conceptual drawings that Burton made of its main character, which eventually became an unforgettable film. Enlisting timeless performances from Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, and an all-star supporting cast including Oscar winners Diane Wiest and Alan Arkin, the film still pulls on every available heartstring with a rewatch.
Tim Burton Was at His Best With Edward Scissorhands
From the cookie-cutter suburban setting to the dark castle that looms above, Edward Scissorhands has a tremendous sense of place, using sets and locations like characters as we slowly fall in love with Edward, the way you might with a pet. By the film's conclusion, you're so invested in his happiness that the film's bittersweet outcome is enough to elicit tears.
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