10 Best Oscar-Winning Fantasy Movies to Watch Again

Here's a list of Academy Award-winning fantasy movies that are worthy of a rewatch.

Oscar-winning movies are typically in the genre of drama. Comedies have won, but they are few and far between, comparatively. Of course, the genre that is often the most overlooked is fantasy, despite it being an all-encompassing one. Fantasy can feature magic and otherworldly or futuristic elements. A fantasy film can also center horror, drama, and comedy in its plot. While the genre may be overlooked at the Oscars, some films have won in various categories, from Best Original Score to Best Picture.

The time-traveling film Midnight in Paris and the horror-comedy film Death Becomes Her won a single Oscar. Ghost won two Oscars, while the superhero film Black Panther won three. Among the fantasy genre, one franchise has won a total of 17 Oscars across three films: the Lord of the Rings trilogy earned 17, with the final installment winning a total of 11! With autumn in full swing, below are 10 Academy Award-winning fantasy movies that deserve a rewatch with a cozy blanket and pumpkin spice latte, or tea.

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10. Midnight in Paris

Originality might seem difficult to come by, especially over the last decade or so in Hollywood. From reboots to remakes, the cinematic experience can feel like a stumble through the forest of nostalgia. Yet nostalgia, and to an extent repetition, can be cultivated into something original. As Psychology Today discusses, nostalgia can bolster our relationships, give us a stronger meaning of life, and even help us overcome past obstacles.

For these reasons and more, nostalgia in film isn’t just a marketing campaign gone well, but a means of growth. In the center of the fantasy film Midnight in Paris, a struggling author discovers a portal to the past where he meets artists like Salvador Dalí and writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald. The film was so original, it won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

9. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

With the release of The Matrix in 1999, fight sequences using slow-motion was the beginning of a new technique in cinema. By utilizing pulleys and multiple cameras to capture bullets moving through the air or the protagonist leaping and pausing midair before delivering a blow to their enemies, the reimagining of fight sequences would inspire future fantasy films. Comedies like Charlie’s Angels utilized similar techniques for fight sequences, but it was an international fantasy film that won four Oscars for its Matrix-inspired fight sequences.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was nominated for 10 Oscars and won four. The film won Best Foreign Language Film, Best Art Direction, Best Original Score, and Best Cinematography. With four wins for the fantasy and foreign-language genres, Crouching Tiger, and Hidden Dragon signaled a new era. One in which an artful display of fight sequences can win against moving dramas like Gladiator and O Brother, Where Art Thou?

8. The Shape of Water

Horror movies are rare winners at awards shows despite their major following. Although followings don’t necessarily equate to Oscar wins, horror films build a detailed and gripping storyline just as dramas do. Therefore, when horror movies win Oscars, it can be huge for the genre to be seen as "more serious." While The Shape of Water is a blend of horror and fantasy, director Guillermo del Toro’s artistry finally won two Oscars when his film picked up two awards.

The director won Best Motion Picture of the Year and Best Achievement in Directing. He was up against films like Get Out for Best Picture and directors like Christopher Nolan for Best Director. The Shape of Water also won Best Original Score and Best Production Design.

7. Mary Poppins

Based on a children’s novel, the musical Mary Poppins was a marvel to behold from Walt Disney Studios in 1964. The film mixed interactive animation with live-action actors to bring an extraordinary world to life. Walt Disney and his beloved studio were no strangers to winning at the Oscars as they won a collected 25 since its inception.

But Mary Poppins was the first time the studio won five awards for a single movie. The film won Best Visual Effects, Best Editing, Best Original Song for “Chim Chim Cher-ee”, Best Original Score, and Best Actress. For Julie Andrews, who portrayed the title character, the film earned her the first and only Oscar she has received in her career. She was up against Anne Bancroft, Sophia Loren, Debbie Reynolds, and Kim Stanley for Best Actress in 1965.

6. Death Becomes Her

Before CGI and computer animation, visual effects in movies relied on camera angles and real items in disguise. While it’s a well-known fact that films like Psycho used chocolate syrup, a real item, disguised as blood, films that were made within the last 30 years relied on these tricks. According to Yahoo, two scenes in the 1992 film Death Becomes Her revolutionized computer graphics: Madeline’s broken neck and Helen’s bullet wound.

Doug Chiang, one of the visual artists of the film, recalls using robots for Madeline’s broken neck and the comedic tone it added to the film. Chiang also revealed that the original Hole in Helen was too realistic, but thanks to 90s computer editing, he was able to make the hole hollow to maintain the comedic tone of the fantasy film. Death Becomes Her won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Writers in every industry face an otherwise daunting task: utilizing language to evoke emotion. Those who are in marketing must bring out a sense of recognition, so potential clients turn into returning customers. If a writer works in Hollywood, they have the task of fluidity. A fantasy film has to maintain a fluid tone between characters, setting, and plot line all while bringing a mystical place to life.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The film takes place in modern times and focuses on a couple choosing to have their memories wiped out because of their tumultuous relationship. Compared to the dramas in the same category, which were Vera Drake and The Aviator, it’s clear why Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind won the Oscar for this category.

4. Ghost

Romantic drama films are often more gut-wrenching than romantic comedies. While the formula is the same in the two sub-genres, romantic dramas often win the best couple category compared to romantic comedy couples. If fantasy is added into the mix, the potential for an iconic couple becomes more likely. In the case of 1990’s Ghost, Sam and Molly achieve this premier status through plenty of heartfelt scenes, including the potter wheel's iconic kissing scene.

Though the Academy doesn’t award Best Kiss, Ghost did win two of the five Oscars for which it was nominated: Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Original Screenplay. For the former, it was awarded to Whoopi Goldberg, who was nominated along with Annette Bening, Lorraine Bracco, Diane Ladd, and Mary McDonnell. This marked Goldberg’s first and only Oscar win.

3. Everything Everywhere All at Once

For some fantasy films, like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, winning multiple Oscars makes sense. The fanfare holds up to the story because of how it’s written, the actors attached to it, and the cinematography. The 2022 film Everything Everywhere All At Once was the ultimate fantasy movie of the year. The Academy nominated the film in 11 categories, of which it won seven.

Everything Everywhere All At Once marked the second-highest win at the Oscars for a fantasy film since Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. The film won in the following categories: Film Editing, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Leading Actress, Directing, Original Screenplay, and the coveted Best Picture.

2. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Wrapping up one of the most iconic fantasy trilogies, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was hopeful for the Oscars. The first two films had won six Oscars between them in various categories. Fellowship of the Ring took home four of the 13 Oscars for which it was nominated. The Two Towers won two of the six Oscars it was nominated for, including Best Visual Effects in 2003.

Considering the wins of the first two movies, The Return of the King warranted at least two wins. As Polygon explains, the final film of the trilogy broke an Academy Awards record for winning every category for which it was nominated. Furthermore, a fantasy film swimming in wins, it also broke barriers for how fantasy could tell timeless stories that hold up with dramas.

1. Black Panther

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has largely been criticized for its lack of diversity and plot lines by Hollywood mega-stars and movie-goers alike, particularly in the earliest phases. In the grand scheme of Hollywood, the MCU has done something largely unseen: making fantasy accessible to non-fantasy fans. From the science that kept Steve Rogers alive while frozen for 70 years to the Afro-futurism of the Black Panther universe, originality is at the core of Marvel’s success.

Specifically regarding Black Panther, which marked the studio's first nearly all-Black cast in the movie, the film also won the studio its first three Oscars, two of which are firsts for Black women in Hollywood. In addition to winning Best Original Song, Black Panther won Oscars for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. Ruth E. Carter, who was the lead costume designer, and Hannah Beachler, who was the production designer, are the first Black women to win in their respective categories.