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Sci-fi blockbusters like the Star Wars trilogy and Back to the Future may have ruled the ’80s, but it was also a golden age for fantasy movies.
This was a decade when Hollywood wasn’t afraid to make some big swings in the fantasy genre, many of which remain among the best ever made.
The Watch With Us team has revisited the films of this era to compile our picks for the seven best fantasy movies of the 1980s.
If you grew up during the ’80s and had cable, then chances are very good that you’ve already seen these. However, some of our selections aren’t as easy to stream as others.
7. ‘Excalibur’ (1981)
There have been countless films about the legend of King Arthur and Camelot, but few done as well as Excalibur. Director and cowriter John Boorman boils down the entire mythology into a single film, including the love triangle between Arthur (Nigel Terry), Guenevere (Cherie Lunghi) and Lancelot (Nicholas Clay).
The wizard Merlin (Nicol Williamson) attempts to bring about a golden age by guiding Arthur and his knights. However, Arthur’s half-sister, Morgan le Fay (Helen Mirren), wants the power for herself. And she’s got more than enough dark magic to challenge Merlin and destroy Arthur’s dreams for Camelot. Sharp-eyed viewers will recognize Liam Neeson and Patrick Stewart in supporting roles years before either actor broke out.
Excalibur is streaming on Kanopy.
6. ‘The Dark Crystal’ (1982)
The Muppets creator Jim Henson attempted to go in a darker creative direction with The Dark Crystal, and this film featured some of his workshop’s most memorable creations. There are no human characters in this story, and all of the primary heroes and villains were brought to life via puppetry and special effects.
In the fantasy world of Thra, the Skeksis have ruled over the planet since the Dark Crystal was shattered 1,000 years ago. Now, two young Gelflings, Jen (Henson) and Kira (Kathryn Mullen), may be able to heal their broken world if they can find the lost shards of the Dark Crystal before the Skeksis can make their dominance into an everlasting reign of terror.
The Dark Crystal is streaming on Peacock.
5. ‘Legend’ (1985)
Director Ridley Scott‘s Legend wasn’t widely appreciated at the time of its release, but it has since reached cult status. In this dark fantasy, Tom Cruise stars as Jack, a young man who lives among the animals of an enchanted forest as their protector. Mia Sara also stars as Lili, a princess who has fallen in love with Jack.
Tim Curry has an absolutely terrifying performance as Darkness, the embodiment of evil who wants to destroy the light of the world. First, he’ll steal a unicorn’s horn, and then he’ll corrupt the innocent heart of Lili to make her into his bride. To save the unicorn and his true love, Jack will have to face Darkness by himself.
Legend is available to rent or buy on Prime Video.
4. ‘Conan The Barbarian’ (1982)
A pre-Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger was the perfect choice to bring Robert E. Howard‘s Conan the Barbarian to the big screen. Schwarzenegger embodied the classic pulp hero who had made a comeback in Marvel’s comics during the ’70s. This story serves as an origin for Conan, as he is enslaved as a boy following the murder of his parents by the sorcerer Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones).
Conan remains unbroken by his ordeal, but Doom’s powers have only increased in the decades since their last meeting. There’s nothing that Conan won’t do to get his revenge on Doom, and that’s his downfall. Because now that Conan has fallen in love with his fellow warrior, Valeria (Sandahl Bergman), he has something that can be taken from him.
Conan the Barbarian is streaming on Prime Video.
3. ‘The Princess Bride’ (1987)
The Princess Bride is one of the truly timeless films in the fantasy genre, and no remake could recapture the spirit that’s on display in Rob Reiner‘s film. William Goldman adapted his story for the screen, which includes a clever framing device of a grandfather (Peter Falk) reading a book to his grandson (Fred Savage).
Cary Elwes stars as Westley, a man who is deeply in love with Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright). To save her from marriage to the evil Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), Westley teams up with a sword fighter out for revenge, Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), as well as a gentle giant named Fezzik (Andre the Giant). To say more would spoil the magic.
The Princess Bride is streaming on Disney+.
2. ‘Labyrinth’ (1986)
Behold the movie that launched thousands of Hot Topic shirts. The late David Bowie made quite an impression as Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth, but so did Jennifer Connelly, who became a star with her performance. Connelly plays Sarah, a teenager who resents her infant half-brother, Toby (Toby Froud). But when she wished him to be taken away by goblins, she wasn’t seriously expecting it to happen.
Jareth isn’t inclined to give Toby back, but he offers Sarah a chance to reclaim her brother if she can make it through his Labyrinth before time runs out. This was the final theatrical film of Jim Henson, and the creatures his workshop created for this movie are exquisite. This movie may have been a box-office disappointment, but it’s become a true cult classic in the four decades since its release.
Labyrinth is streaming on Paramount+.
1. ‘The NeverEnding Story’ (1984)
Placing The NeverEnding Story ahead of Labyrinth and The Princess Bride may be considered an upset, but this film defined fantasy for ’80s kids. Everyone who grew up with this flick also has the shared trauma of the Swamps of Sadness, which we won’t spoil for anyone who hasn’t experienced it for themselves.
The story starts firmly in our reality as a bullied young boy named Bastian (Barret Oliver) who ignores a warning from a shop owner about a book called The Neverending Story. While hiding away at school, Bastian is engrossed in the story of a child warrior named Atreyu (Noah Hathaway), who agrees to go on a quest to save the land of Fantasia and its Childlike Empress (Tami Stronach) from the Nothing that threatens to destroy them all. The longer Bastian reads the story, the more it seems like he has become a part of it. The Neverending Story may be more than just a book, and Bastian has to see it through to the end.
The NeverEnding Story is available to rent or buy on Prime Video.
Led by Senior Editor and experienced critic Jason Struss, Watch With Us’ team of writers and editors sees almost every movie and TV show from the distant past to the present to determine what’s worth your time and money. Our countless hours of multimedia consumption — combined with years of experience in the entertainment industry — help us determine the best movies and TV shows you should be streaming right now.
To be considered “the best,” these films and series can be visually engaging, intellectually stimulating or simply just fun to watch, but the one trait they must have is that they are all, in some way, entertaining. We then check which platform they are streaming on and how you can access them as a subscriber. No algorithm nonsense or paid endorsements here — our recommendations are based purely on our love and interest for the films and shows we love.
