15 Best Movies Like The Lord Of The Rings

Directed and co-written by Peter Jackson, “The Lord of the Rings” (“LOTR”) trilogy (which Looper’s dubbed the best fantasy film of all time)  was a high-water mark for fantasy buffs everywhere. Not only was each movie beautifully shot and plotted, but each was nominated for numerous Academy Awards, and the last one, “The Return of the King,” won in every category it was nominated for, including best picture. It’s no wonder, then, that these films, released between 2001 and 2003, spawned their own universe.

Since the release of the “LOTR” trilogy, there has been a separate trilogy of “The Hobbit,” again directed by Jackson; an animated “War of the Rohirrim” movie, executive produced by Jackson; a Prime Video series, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”; and another movie on the way, “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,” directed by Andy Serkis, the man who played the titular twisted hobbit in the “LOTR” and “Hobbit” trilogies. Clearly, fantasy fans yearn for stories involving the creations of author J.R.R. Tolkien however they can get them.

But those aren’t the only fantasy movies that deserve a watch. While the “LOTR” films present a world of hobbits, wizards, orcs, and elves, they weren’t the first to do so. Fantasy movies have been having a moment since the ’80s, when many of these were filmed. These are the 15 best movies like “The Lord of the Rings.”

“The Princess Bride,” directed by Rob Reiner and written by William Goldman, is a fantasy film that shares many elements with “The Lord of the Rings,” especially seen in its swashbuckling protagonists and gorgeous sets. However, the former movie also has a unique style that helped it become a cult classic after its theatrical release in 1987.

First, it was styled as a storybook that’s being read to a sick child (Fred Savage) by his grandfather (Peter Falk). Second, “The Princess Bride” is funny. Despite the serious nature of the subject matter, everything that happened around the primary storyline is seriously amusing, whether it’s Westley (Cary Elwes) constantly evoking the phrase “As you wish” to his love, Buttercup (Robin Wright), or the giant Fezzik’s (Andre the Giant) fetish for rhyming anything and everything, the film constantly amuses its audience.

“The Princess Bride” centers on Buttercup and farmhand Westley; they fall in love, but he’s too poor to marry her, so he goes off to seek his fortune and is presumably killed by the Dread Pirate Roberts. Five years later, Buttercup is betrothed to Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon) when she is kidnapped by Vizzini (Wallace Shawn). The man in black pursuing them is revealed to be none other than Westley, and from there the story has all the derring-do, romance, and comedy you could want.

C.S. Lewis, the writer of the “The Chronicles of Narnia” books, and J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of the “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, were friends at Oxford University, where they both attended and later taught. In fact, they were each other’s first readers, so it’s no surprise that “Narnia” and “LOTR” bear a striking resemblance to one another.

Despite the similarities, though, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” has significant differences, too. It’s far more kid-friendly, featuring a lot of talking animals, which remains true of the 2005 movie. The four Pevensie children (William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, and Georgie Henley) are the protagonists of the film as they find the passage through their wardrobe into the magical land of Narnia. However, it’s Aslan (voice of Liam Neeson), the Jesus-like lion, who is the star of the show. Director Greta Gerwig is currently rebooting Narnia for Netflix.

“The Dark Crystal” is a 1982 film directed by Jim Henson and one of his biggest collaborators, Frank Oz — but this is a far darker tale than Henson’s typical kid-friendly fare. The film follows the evil Skeksis and the gentle Mystics, who resemble the evil and light sides of the war in “Lord of the Rings.” But in “The Dark Crystal,” the two enemies are literally the same; once upon a time, the Skeksis and Mystics were a single race that was split a thousand years ago when they came to the planet Thra. A convergence of the planet’s three suns will signal the reign of the Skeksis forever, unless a Gelfling, Jen (Stephen Garlick), manages to return a shard to the broken titular crystal, thus making it whole again.

This movie has many fantastical creatures in it, but the story is of an invasive alien species killing the planet. The Skeksis have laid waste to Thra, killing off all but two of the native Gelflings. Fighting back, as the Gelflings ultimately do, is their best chance at reclaiming the planet, even if it’s a Mystic that tells Jen to do it.

“Pan’s Labyrinth” is a beautifully made dark fairy tale. Soon after the Spanish Civil War, a little girl, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), and her pregnant mother, Carmen (Maribel Verdu), go to live with her wicked stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez). Though the situation with her stepfather is dire, Ofelia escapes to the land of fables, where she meets a Faun (Doug Jones) who gives her three tasks to perform to prove she deserves to return to her true kingdom beyond Earth.

This movie, which came out in 2006, has a grand design like “Lord of the Rings,” and although the films have some serious differences — most importantly that “Pan’s Labyrinth” takes place, at least partially, in the real world — they both deal with profound immorality and the way those on the side of good deal with it. “Pan’s Labyrinth” was a high-water mark for visionary Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro, ranking among the best films of the 21st century and among the best sci-fi/fantasy films of all time.

“Excalibur,” named after King Arthur’s sword, started life as an adaptation of “The Lord of the Rings.” Director John Boorman wanted to make a film about Merlin, the sorcerer of King Arthur, but the studio that had financed his previous film had the rights to “Lord of the Rings,” and so they asked him to write that movie instead. It turns out Boorman didn’t mind because “The Lord of the Rings” draws heavily from Arthur’s story for its plot, with the hobbit Frodo representing Arthur and the wizard Gandalf representing Merlin. When that project fell apart, Boorman was instead able to make 1981’s “Excalibur,” loosely adapted from “Le Morte d’Arthur” by Thomas Malory, but there are many parallels between the two works.

“Excalibur,” tells the whole tale, from the story of Arthur’s (Nigel Terry) father and mother before he was born, to his finding and retrieving the sword in the stone, to being betrayed by his wife, Guinevere (Cherie Lunghi), and his knight, Lancelot (Nicholas Clay), to his half-sister, Morgana (Helen Mirren), having his child. The story is sweeping in its telling and a classic of fantasy cinema.

“The Green Knight,” which wowed critics, is an adaptation of the 14th-century poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” — but this is no “Excalibur.” Though the story has notes of “Lord of the Rings,” especially in the way that both Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Gawain (Dev Patel) must ultimately accept glory and death, this is more of a fractured fairy tale, complete with a guy who looks like an incarnate tree, a green girdle, and an adorable magical fox.

In the 2021 film, Gawain, King Arthur’s (Sean Harris) nephew, longs to be a true knight but spends most of his days in a brothel accomplishing little. So when, on Christmas, a Green Knight (Ralph Ineson) comes to the round table and declares that anyone who lands a blow on him will win his axe for a year but must then come to his court and receive a reciprocal blow, Gawain takes him up on his offer. The story becomes about Gawain’s journey to the Green Knight the following Christmas. Though Gawain wants fame, he doesn’t want to do what it takes to get it, and the Green Knight lays this bare.

“Legend,” a 1985 film that developed a devoted cult following since its release, initially seems like a children’s film. After all, it has all the markers of one — unicorns, cute elves, fairies, and so on — but it’s far too dark for young audiences because of the evil characters in the movie, especially the Lord of Darkness (Tim Curry), who wears his vile nature on his sleeve. Still, this movie, as directed by Ridley Scott, is one of the most gorgeous ever filmed, something that, combined with a fantastical bent, it shares with “Lord of the Rings.”

“Legend” revolves around Lily (Mia Sara), a princess, and her beloved, Jack (Tom Cruise), a poor forest-dweller who must defeat the Lord of Darkness when he has a unicorn killed and its horn severed. Ultimately, though, the Lord of Darkness claims that the pair can’t defeat him, because light must be balanced with dark, giving “Legend” a somewhat unsettling ending. The many creatures, both good and bad, and the lovely sets and photography come together to form an excellent fantasy film.

In 1988’s “Willow,” an epic fantasy movie directed by Ron Howard from a story by George Lucas, Willow (Warwick Davis) is living his life when a baby washes up on the shore by his home. Though his wife and children want to keep the newborn girl, after a Nockmaar hound arrives and attacks the town, Willow brings the baby to the village leader, who orders him to return the baby.

Thus begins Willow’s epic quest, which includes experiences with a sorceress trapped in the body of a possum, an army of angry soldiers, and the swordsman Madmartigan (Val Kilmer), as Willow takes on the evil magic wielder who is attempting to keep the baby, Princess Elora Danan, from growing up and taking her rightful place on the throne. “Willow” is like “Lord of the Rings” in several ways, not the least of which is that the protagonist is a man of diminutive size. Both films also have numerous battles and various fairy creatures — something the follow-up series, also titled “Willow,” features as well.

There have been several attempts at adapting the tabletop role-playing game “Dungeons & Dragons” to the screen, but the most successful has no doubt been 2023’s “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.” The reason for that is simple: this is a heist movie, albeit a heist with enough dragons, druids, sorcerers, and evil wizards to make this a true fantasy bonanza. In fact, the “Lord of the Rings” movies were cited by the directors, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, as an influence on their movie, even though they shot a comedy.

In the film, a band of thieves — bard Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine), barbarian Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez), half-elf sorcerer Simon (Justice Smith), and druid Doric (Sophia Lillis) — get together to rob a former member of their tribe, the con artist Forge (Hugh Grant), who is now the Lord of Neverwinter and has taken care of Edgin’s daughter, Kira (Chloe Coleman), since he was imprisoned two years prior. “Dungeons & Dragons” doesn’t take itself too seriously and yet never makes fun of the tabletop game or its devotees.

Though “Dragonslayer” now has a cult following, it wasn’t exactly successful when it initially came out in 1981. At the time, fantasy films about dragons were mostly considered kids’ stuff, so “Dragonslayer’s” violence and scary reptilian star were rejected by the general public. But critics enjoyed it, and when people took a second look at the movie, they decided they liked it too.

The story is about a medieval kingdom in England that’s being terrorized by a terrible dragon with the noteworthy name Vermithrax Pejorative. A small band goes to find the sorcerer, Ulrich of Cragganmore (Ralph Richardson), whom they believe can help them — but when he abruptly dies, his apprentice, Galen (Peter MacNicol), must attempt to stop the dragon instead. The movie has whiffs of “Lord of the Rings,” especially in its art direction, which includes the lush countryside, a medieval village, a monarch’s overblown throne room, and the spooky underground dragon’s lair.

The 2006 film “Eragon,” based on author Christopher Paolini’s book of the same name, has an epic scope like the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, complete with dragons, a dark sorcerer, and sword fights galore. But unlike “LOTR,” it didn’t do well at the box office and was a critical disappointment, to boot. As a result, no further books in the series were adapted outside of the first. However, this movie deserves a second look from those who enjoy fantasy.

The film focuses on Eragon (Ed Speleers), a farm boy who picks up a stone only to learn it’s actually a dragon egg. The dragon soon hatches and imprints on Eragon, making him the first Dragon Rider in his kingdom in a long time. Brom (Jeremy Irons) takes Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, to the Varden, who oppose King Galbotorix’s (John Malkovich) rule. With wonderful, lived-in performances by Speleers and Irons and a lush setting, some of which evoke the Shire from “LOTR,” “Eragon” has a lot to make it worth recommending.

1986 cult classic “Highlander” kicked off a whole slew of films plus a TV series, but the original is still the best. “Highlander” is the nickname given to the lead character, Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert), by his nemesis, the Kurgan (Clancy Brown), because he comes from the Scottish Highlands, though the immortal has moved around over the centuries and lands in New York in the 1980s. His nickname and country of origin lead to a series of flashbacks to Connor’s life — which lands the film on this list, as they have a similar look and feel to “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

“Highlander” is a dynamic tale of a warrior who fights other immortals throughout time. Knowing that “there can be only one,” he battles others like himself — invincible unless they are beheaded — to experience “the Quickening,” an energy release from another warrior’s death, until he and the Kurgan eventually meet in the final battle for supremacy. Highlander is currently getting a reboot with Chad Stahelski directing and Henry Cavill starring; we can only hope it’s as vital as the original.

Millie Bobby Brown became well known for starring in Netflix’s ’80s-based “Stranger Things,” but she’s also starred in numerous movies, including the future-set “The Electric State” and the 1800s-based “Enola Holmes,” as Sherlock’s little sister. But in 2024’s “Damsel,” she plays a medieval princess, Elodie, who ends up marrying a handsome prince in a faraway land. However, as she says in the movie’s prologue, this isn’t the story of how a charming man rescues an innocent woman. Instead, the prince is complicit in making sure Elodie is thrown into a dragon’s lair to be eaten.

“Damsel” is a more insular story than “The Lord of the Rings,” but Elodie and “LOTR”‘s Eowyn (Miranda Otto) bear more than a passing resemblance to each other. That said, while Eowyn fights on the battlefield, in “Damsel,” Elodie takes on the dragon — a battle of a different sort, but just as harrowing — ultimately learning how to save herself.

“The Last Unicorn,” based on Peter S. Beagle’s novel of the same name, is an animated fairy tale directed and produced by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass in 1982. In it, a Unicorn (Mia Farrow) discovers she is the last of her kind and goes off to discover where the others could have gone. The film bears a resemblance to the “Lord of the Rings” movies in the way that it depicts a clash of good versus evil, particularly in how King Haggard (Christopher Lee) of “The Last Unicorn” resembles the old king from Gondor (John Noble) in “LOTR.” However, in “The Last Unicorn,” the protagonist is a unicorn who turns into a human.

While the Unicorn has many adventures during the movie and meets several people she works alongside, she never wants to become human herself. But because a magical red bull comes to drive her into the sea, one of her allies, a magician named Schmendrick (Alan Arkin), makes the change. After her transformation, the Unicorn, known as Lady Amalthea in human form, learns about regret, love, and longing.

The “Harry Potter” series follows the adventures of a young boy named Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) as he discovers his heritage as a wizard and embarks on his education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The series of eight fantasy films sees Harry meeting his besties Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) before ultimately going up against his nemesis, the Dark Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).

Both the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and the “Harry Potter” series are high fantasy series that have captured the hearts of millions of fans since their first films came out in 2001. In fact, “Harry Potter” has been so beloved, full of heart-swelling and heartbreaking moments, that Warner Bros., the studio that holds the rights to the “Harry Potter” stories, is now rebooting the entire franchise as a TV show based on the books by J.K. Rowling, with an all-star cast attached.