15 Best Fairy Tale Movies That Are Not Retellings, Ranked

Summary

• The Princess Bride has had a bigger impact on pop culture than most movie retellings of classic fairy tales, thanks to its original story and beloved characters.
• Fairy tales have straightforward storylines, magical elements, and usually take place in a medieval setting.
• Movies like The Princess Bride, Stardust, and Howl’s Moving Castle adapt modern fairy tale novels, incorporating recent themes while still capturing the charm and nostalgia of the genre.

The Princess Bride’s original fairytale-like story has undeniably had a much bigger impact on pop culture than most movies retelling classic fairy tales. Many movies like The Princess Bride are adapted from novels, written by authors who set out to create their own modern fairy tales. These original stories use elements of the fairy tale genre while incorporating more recent themes and modern dialogue. Netflix’s Damsel (2024) starring Millie Bobby Brown shows that this concept is still popular today.

Fairy tales are characterized by straightforward storylines — a princess needs to be rescued, a curse needs to be broken, a villain needs to be defeated — typically including some magical elements. Fairytale-themed movies from the last 50 years include stock characters like princesses, knights, wizards, and magical creatures, and usually have a medieval setting. The world-building is minimal and the story is self-contained, contrasting with the extensively developed and high-stakes setting of Lord of the Rings and other epic fantasies. However, fairy tales owe their enduring popularity to a mix of nostalgia and the pleasantness of a guaranteed happy ending (most of the time).

15 The NeverEnding Story (1984)

Bastian, Atreyu, and the rest impart the power of stories and wishes.

Adapted from Michael Ende’s fantasy novel of the same name, The NeverEnding Story is about a boy named Bastian who is struggling because of his mother’s recent death and dives into books as an escape. When he comes across a book called The NeverEnding Story, the boundaries between the story and his life begin to blur. The cast of The NeverEnding Story also includes the luck dragon Falkor and the boy hero Atreyu. The NeverEnding Story is interesting because it slowly reveals that Bastian is a part of the adventure himself, even if the rules of how the magic works are not always clear.

14 Willow (1988)

The hopeful tale of Willow’s quest to protect Elora.

In Willow, an aspiring sorcerer is tasked with delivering a baby girl who is foretold to be the downfall of an evil queen to safety. Willow introduces some new character types to the fairy tale structure, such as the evil queen’s daughter Sorsha, who leads her own regiment of soldiers and eventually turns against her mother. If only her joining the heroes had not been mainly because of her romantic subplot with Val Kilmer. Disney+ released a TV series sequel to Willow, featuring original cast members Warwick Davis as Willow Ufgood and Joanne Whalley as Sorsha. Season 2 of Willow is unconfirmed.

13 The Secret World Of Arrietty (2010)

Fairy-like people in a beautiful Studio Ghibli setting.

Studio Ghibli’s The Secret World of Arrietty is adapted from Mary Norton’s children’s fantasy novel The Borrowers. The movie is about an ailing boy who is sent to live with relatives in the country. He discovers tiny people who call themselves “Borrowers” living in the house and befriends their daughter Arrietty. He also protects Arrietty’s family from the housekeeper trying to capture them. While not considered one of Ghibli’s best movies, The Secret World of Arrietty still features satisfying elements of fantasy, animation of the natural world, and themes of friendship.

12 The Dark Crystal (1982)

A Jim Henson Creature Shop classic adventure.

Jim Henson and Frank Oz’s The Dark Crystal is a quest story about the last of the Gelflings, who are on a mission to save their world. It was one of the first fantasy movies for which the Jim Henson Creature Shop designed puppets and produced creature effects. One of Jim Hensen’s best movies, The Dark Crystal is vividly imaginative, introducing the viewers to several fictional species and a fascinating world. However, it is the practical effects that evoke nostalgia today when much of the fantasy genre is overwhelmed by CGI.

11 Labyrinth (1986)

A girl on a mission with a rock star villain.

Labyrinth adapts a common fairy tale plot where the protagonist makes a wish they instantly regret. Either the results are not what they imagined or the wish was made in a moment of weakness, and they didn’t truly want anything to happen. In Labyrinth, a teenage girl named Sarah wishes for the Goblin King to take her infant brother away and subsequently must navigate a labyrinth to rescue the baby. It is a straightforward quest with the clear message that Sarah needs to make more time for her family. Yet the presence and music of David Bowie and Jim Henson’s puppets make Labyrinth so much fun to watch.

10 The Last Unicorn (1982)

A melancholy tale about a Unicorn confronting humanity.

Adapted from Peter S. Beagle’s acclaimed fantasy novel, The Last Unicorn is about a unicorn who leaves her forest home to search for others of her kind. The main character is determined to protect other animals and magical creatures and free them from captivity. This alludes to the real-world crisis of beautiful animals being hunted to extinction. Other characters are stunned and moved to tears by the sight of the unicorn, who is more beautiful and pure than anything they have ever seen. The Last Unicorn’s ending is bittersweet because the unicorn has learned the pain of being human.

9 Ladyhawke (1985)

Isabeau and Navarre are separated by a curse.

In this underrated romantic fairy tale, starring Matthew Broderick, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Rutger Hauer, a pair of lovers seek a way to break the curse that keeps them apart. Isabeau (Pfeiffer) is a hawk during the day while Navarre (Hauer) is a wolf at night, so they only see each other for a moment when the sun rises and sets. Broderick plays a noble thief who helps them along the way. It’s a classic fairytale set-up taking place in a darker and more realistic world.

8 The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (2005)

Ordinary children become kings and queens of Narnia.

In the dedication of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C. S. Lewis reveals that the book is a fairy tale written for his goddaughter Lucy. In the movie adaptation, the Pevensie siblings discover the world of Narnia and become the kingdom’s benevolent rulers. The setting is gorgeous, and the story suggests anyone can be a hero or a noble leader. But Narnia also implies the more practical moral that one cannot live in a fantasy. The Pevensies learn valuable lessons from their time in Narnia and bring them back when they return to the real world.

7 Stardust (2007)

Neil Gaiman’s cheesy but lovable romantic adventure.

Based on one of Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novels, Stardust includes lots of low-budget CGI and somewhat goofy storylines. But it is completely earnest in its adventure and romance elements, making it delightful to watch. The story focuses on a young man named Tristan who ventures into a magical realm in search of a fallen star to win the heart of Victoria. However, Victoria is a shallow person and Tristan’s love for her isn’t real. Tristan ultimately realizes this as he falls in love with the star herself, who turns out to be a woman called Yvaine.

6 Enchanted (2007)

A love letter to the Disney classics.

Director Kevin Lima calls Enchanted a “love letter to Disney” (via The Hollywood Reporter). The movie includes both live-action and animated sequences, the latter in the 2D style of the Disney animated classics. The plot comprises elements from several Disney Princess movies, including a poisoned apple, an evil stepmother queen, and a sleeping princess. There are also many visual references to movies such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Lady and the Tramp, and The Little Mermaid. The movie’s magic is also conveyed through its several Oscar-nominated songs written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz.

5 The Shape Of Water (2017)

Del Toro’s take on the fairy tale structure.

The Best Picture-winning movie The Shape of Water has the stock characters of a fairy tale: a central romantic pairing, a few friendly supporting characters, and an irredeemably evil villain. Except The Shape of Water includes the del Toro twist of the “prince” being an amphibian-like creature. It is a surprisingly hopeful story demonstrating the cruelty of the real world, while the lovers ultimately escape the evil that wants to destroy them.

4 Coraline (2009)

Be careful what you wish for in Gaiman’s creepy tale.

Coraline is also based on a Gaiman novel and is another “be careful what you wish for” story. It is about a bored girl who discovers a small door in her new house that leads to a seemingly wonderful alternate world, where her parents and neighbors give her presents and constant attention. But her Other Mother does not want to let her go, and Coraline must devise a plan to escape her clutches. Coraline is so scary that some people wonder if it should be marketed to children, but the detailed stop-motion animation is entrancing.

3 Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

Ghibli creates a winning romance and found family story in one movie.

Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle is adapted from the fantasy novel of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones. Sophie is a girl cursed to be an old woman who travels with Howl and his gang of unique misfits, such as a sentient flame called Calcifer. She finds romance and family in her adventures and helps end the war in her country. Howl’s Moving Castle includes themes of the power of love and family, the need to let someone go, and the toll war takes on a country.

2 Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Dark fantasy set against post-Civil War Spain.

Pan’s Labyrinth’s ending is notably ambiguous. It is unclear if Ofelia’s fantasy world was real or if she imagined it as a way to cope with her mother’s difficult pregnancy and living with her cruel stepfather. Del Toro’s dark, whimsical style comes to life in this movie where Ofelia’s adventures are set against the adult characters contending with the circumstances of post-Civil War Spain. The movie is framed as a bittersweet tragedy since Ofelia does escape to a happier world in the end, but loses her life in the real world in the process.

1 The Princess Bride (1987)

Wesley and Buttercup’s story is one of the most beloved fantasy movies of all time.

The Princess Bride, based on William Goldman’s novel of the same name, boasts swooning romance, elaborate sword fights, and some of the most quotable lines ever. A story within a story, even the boy listening to his grandfather read a book is slowly drawn into the adventure. The fun action sequences and classic quests for true love and revenge are mixed in with hilarious comments from characters who are forever ingrained in the cultural zeitgeist. The characters, script, and themes make The Princess Bride one of the most beloved fantasy fairy tale movies ever made.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter