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Top 20 Favorite Fairy Tale Films Full of Imagination

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase fairy tale? Do you think of happy endings like those seen in popular Disney cartoons (i.e., Cinderella, Snow White, and Tangled)?  Not all fairy tales are indeed happy, however.

La Belle et La Bete movie poster with brown background. Featured image for Top fairy tale films.

Consider the literary version of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen, in which the little mermaid chooses to die (becoming a spirit seeking a soul) rather than kill the man she loves. Fairy tales can be dark, with themes far beyond the Disney adaptations of some of these popular stories.

In fairy tales, for instance, we find themes of sacrifice, romance, class structures, power, etc. While the OED defines a fairy tale as “A tale about fairies” and uses brief words like “fairy legend, faerie,” they also define a fairy tale as “an unreal or incredible story.”

Furthermore, not every ‘fairy tale’ contains fairies because some tales are just born from folklore and oral tradition, stories told from one generation to the next. Snow White is more of a folk tale than a fairy (though technically both), with several variants of the tale told across several cultures (the Grimm brothers were certainly not the first).

Sometimes, the dwarves are robbers, or the moon can stand in for the mirror, as told in the Armenian version, “Nourie Hadag.”

The universal archetypes within these fairy and folk tales resonate with audiences and stand the test of time, from the oral tellers in the past to the filmmakers of today. The film versions are merely another retelling of what is considered a fairy tale.

Below is a list of some of my favorite fairy tale adaptations (some more folk than fairy). A few are also adapted from literary fairy tales, while certain choices just have the ingredients of a good old-fashioned fairy tale as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary.

Remember that I haven’t seen everything out there (though I am attempting to do so), so if you think I’m missing something important or have made a grave error in my selections, let me know. Until then, here are my personal favorite top 20 fairy tale films (as of 2013):


TOP 20 FAIRY TALE FILMS


#20

Snow White Tale of Terror movie poster

Title: Snow White: A Tale of Terror

Year: 1997

Director: Michael Cohn

My Take: Dark but strangely captivating in a good way. My favorite bit is the romance between Snow White and one of the ‘dwarves’ who is really just an unfriendly miner trying to make it rich.


#19

Hook movie poster

Title: Hook

Year: 1991

Director: Steven Spielberg

My Take: An adaptation of Barrie’s literary fairy tale that is highly original because it plays out like a sequel. My favorite version of this story is actually Finding Neverland, but that ventures too close into biographical territory, so Hook is the next best thing (though I also love the 2003 adaptation of Peter Pan).

I adore Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell and the unrequited romance between her and Peter, as well as the wonderfully villainous Hook, played by Dustin Hoffman. Plus, who can forget Rufio?


#18

Alice in Wonderland movie poster

Title: Alice in Wonderland

Year: 2010

Director: Tim Burton

My Take: This Tim Burton adaptation is fun and entertaining. And extra points for including Johnny Depp! Also, the adult interpretation of Alice was exactly how I have always imagined her to turn out. This is truly imaginative and visually stunning.


 #17

Mirror Mirror poster

Title: Mirror Mirror

Year: 2012

Director: Tarsem Singh

My Take: It’s an imperfect film, but nevertheless, I love it and have watched it over and over again with my nieces. It is hilarious (I personally think Julia Roberts’ bad accent was purposeful), and the costumes are exquisite.


 #16

Alice TV poster

Title: Alice

Year: 2009

Director: Nick Willing

My Take: A psychedelic interpretation of the literary fairy tale that gets better each time I watch it. It also finally has the romantic relationship between Alice and Hatter that I had been waiting for for years. This is so creative and mind-bending that I could not take my eyes away.


#15

The Little Mermaid movie poster

Title: The Little Mermaid

Year: 1989

Directors: Ron Clements and John Musker

My Take: I don’t include many Disney animated fairy tale interpretations on this list just because I tend to love the original tales (to the degree some ‘can’ be original) so much more than these watered-down versions (not to mention, I almost always prefer live-action).

However, this was a favorite of mine growing up, and even though I like Anderson’s darker story better, I love that we get a happy ending for Ariel and her Prince.

#14

Snow White and the Huntsman movie poster

Title: Snow White and the Huntsman

Year: 2012

Director: Rupert Sanders

My Take: I thought this was engaging and romantic. The kiss between Snow White and the Huntsman was swoony. Moreover, the theme of age versus youth played out wonderfully.


#13

Tin Man TV poster

Title: Tin Man

Year: 2007

Director: Nick Willing

My Take: From the same creators of Alice, I loved this sci-fi, modern interpretation of Oz. Turning the Tin Man into an Indiana Jones-type rogue definitely works. I also love the references to the Judy Garland film. This is pure imagination at its best.


#12

The Village movie poster

Title: The Village

Year: 2004

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

My Take: Arguably a loose adaptation of “Red Riding Hood.” I know many people didn’t like this film because they were expecting something it wasn’t. Go back and watch this as a fairy tale.

I love the subtle romance, deep themes of human nature, and aspects of Hawthorne that combine seamlessly to make a beautiful film.


#11

Ondine movie poster

Title: Ondine

Year: 2009

Director: Neil Jordan

My Take: Inspired by folktales about the Selkies, I adored this quiet film set in Ireland. I rooted for the two protagonists to come together by the story’s end. If you can handle slow-paced films, I highly recommend giving this lesser-known gem a chance.


#10

Beauty and the Beast 1991 movie poster

Title: Beauty and the Beast

Year: 1991

Directors: Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise

My Take: My only other cartoon on the list. I chose this adaptation of my favorite fairy tale because it was fantastic. I loved the music, the romance, the characterization of the Beast, and the humor. And who doesn’t love Gaston?


#9

Stardust movie poster

Title: Stardust

Year: 2007

Director: Matthew Vaughn

My Take: Based on Neil Gaiman’s literary fairy tale, it has all the right ingredients, including evil witches and romance. This is one of my favorite things to pop into my DVD player or stream when I want a comfort movie. The romantic story gets bonus points.


#8

The Wizard of Oz movie poster

Title: The Wizard of Oz

Year: 1939

Director: Victor Fleming

My Take: This is another favorite film of mine from when I was growing up. I wanted to be Dorothy, and I still want to be Dorothy entering the fantastic world of Oz. I never could understand why she wanted to go home (at least this is remedied in the literary sequels by Baum). It is a masterpiece that will hopefully be around forever.


#7

Enchanted movie poster

Title: Enchanted

Year: 2007

Director: Kevin Lima

My Take: A fun film that pokes fun at Disney fairy tale adaptations. It is romantic, funny, and just solid entertainment.


 #6

Ella Enchanted movie poster

Title: Ella Enchanted

Year: 2004

Director: Tommy O’Haver

My Take: Witty, satirical, magical, and romantic. Hugh Dancy plays the prince (enough said), but I adore the mix this story takes between The Wizard of Oz and Cinderella. Even though this is nothing like the book (which I enjoy for its own merits), I love this adaptation because it is clever and fun, thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end.


#5

Penelope movie poster

Title: Penelope

Year: 2006

Director: Mark Palansky

My Take: This is one of my favorite romances on this list, with fantastic chemistry between Christina Ricci and James McAvoy. I love how this story plays out like an animal bridegroom folktale with just a touch of Beauty and the Beast in it.

It has a nice twist ending, too, that sends an important message about learning to love ourselves just the way we are (in a less cheesy way, of course).


#4

The Princess Bride movie poster

Title: The Princess Bride

Year: 1987

Director: Rob Reiner

My Take: Passionate, hilarious, and a true classic. It is probably time to watch again.


#3

Edward Scissorhands movie poster

Title: Edward Scissorhands

Year: 1990

Director: Tim Burton

My Take: A perfect Tim Burton version of the Beauty and the Beast story. We have a gothic tale, intense chemistry between the leads, and gorgeous visuals that invite you into this realistic yet fantasy-esque world. I still think this is Burton’s best film and one of Depp’s best performances.


#2

La Belle et La Bete movie poster

Title: La Belle et La Bête (Beauty and the Beast)

Year: 1946

Director: Jean Cocteau

My Take: This is the French adaptation of Beaumont’s version of the fairy tale. Jean Cocteau, also an amazing artist, used groundbreaking special effects to create a visual masterpiece of the timeless love story. I always leave this film believing in magic.


#1

Ever After poster

Title: Ever After: A Cinderella Story

Year: 1998

Director: Andy Tennant

My Take: I am not sure why I chose this as my favorite, but I love everything about it (despite the weird accents). The script took the familiar tale and told it as if it were real (Leonardo Da Vinci as the fairy godmother and all).

The interpretation of the wicked stepmother finally made her a layered character, and Angelica Huston’s performance is pure genius. I love well-written costume dramas, and this one definitely delivered.


Do you agree with my choices? Do you have favorites of your own to list? Now that the comments are closed, please message us to discuss.


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By on August 21st, 2013

About Autumn Topping

In second grade, Autumn wrote her first story, “The Spinach Monster,” and hasn't stopped writing since. Intrigued by the tales her grandmother told of vampires, witches, and ghosts as a girl, she's always been drawn to the fantastic. Later, Autumn studied English and Creative Writing (continuing her love for classic literature and everything old-fashioned) and graduated with an MA in Children’s Literature and an MS in Library & Information Science from Simmons College. Currently, she co-runs this lovely site and works as a YA Librarian.

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4 thoughts on “Top 20 Favorite Fairy Tale Films Full of Imagination”

  1. Wow! There are some fabulous ones on here. Love ‘Ever After’ and so many others. Fantastic list. 🙂

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