We all have our favorite fantasy movie of all time. For context, mine is 1984’s The NeverEnding Story, a movie filled with surreal moments, fantasy adventure, and a white flying dragon. It was everything I wanted in a fantasy film, from incredible special effects to a compelling plot. The fantasy genre seems like one that was made just for the big screen, as watching these movies in the theaters is a treat to be had.
Because of this, some tend to look down on fantasy shows, as they often lack the budget needed to bring a grand story to life. But what fantasy shows lack in budget, they more than make up for in the time they have to expand their universes and their freedom to include different elements that you otherwise wouldn’t see in a movie. Thus, there are some fantasy shows that are actually better than their big-screen counterparts, and we’re going to give you the 10 that easily outshine anything you’ll see in the cinema.
10
‘WandaVision’ (2021)
Yes, WandaVision was born out of the MCU movies that, at the time, couldn’t do wrong at the box office. MCU shows, as a whole, are a bit more scattershot in quality, with some good and others having no business making it out of the idea stage. WandaVision is the former, with a great storyline that seemed cheeky on the surface but was actually much more tragic.
While Phases 1 through 3 told a cohesive story, WandaVision was able to expand the universe and incorporate different themes that the movies didn’t have time for. It all made for a wonderful miniseries that was filled with superhero action, satirical sitcom comedy, and a devastating ending that will make you feel awful for Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen).
9
‘Fringe’ (2008-2013)
If you were alive in the ‘80s or ’90s (or both, like me), then you are no stranger to the fantasy movie that made absolutely no sense but was beautiful to watch. I should know — as I mentioned in the intro, my favorite fantasy movie ever is The NeverEnding Story. While those decades were iconic for their cheesy, off-the-wall movies, none of them could hold a candle to the 2008 paranormal fantasy series Fringe.
I know some would not call Fringe, which followed an FBI division devoted to investigating unexplained cases related to a parallel universe, a fantasy, but hear me out for a second. While the show is steeped in sci-fi ethos, the main elements of Fringe can absolutely be classified as fantasy television at its wackiest and finest. Nothing here made sense, and that’s the beauty of it. Something like Fringe would be incredibly hard to replicate on the big screen.
8
‘Penny Dreadful’ (2014-2016)
If you check out any “underrated fantasy show” list, you will more than likely see Showtime’s Penny Dreadful. The horror drama created by John Logan is simply a masterpiece at storytelling and bringing horror elements to a plot that could have been a bore, but was anything but.
Now, one could say that Penny Dreadful would be ripped for a movie adaptation, but I’m not so sure. The story, which centers on public domain characters from 19th-century Victorian fiction, is too elastic to be confined to a two-to-three-hour film. With so many characters to follow, Penny Dreadful is actually better as a TV show, which is also the reason why no fantasy movie can really touch it when it comes to quality and storytelling.
7
‘Wednesday’ (2022-Present)
The Addams Family’s legacy was born on TV, thanks to their extremely catchy theme song and ghoulish humor; and while it did have hit movies, it’s the small screen where the Addams feel more at home. This is why Wednesday, the supernatural Netflix phenomenon that focuses on Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega), is better on TV and outpaces the movies in terms of storyline and quality.
While the series does have some “why is this in here?” moments that take away from the overall aesthetics of the show, Wednesday, as a whole, is better told in an expanded universe that fantasy movies simply can’t provide. If you gathered a test group and put Wednesday up against any fantasy movie, I’d bet most would choose the Netflix series over that movie. Hmm, maybe I should try that?
6
‘Supernatural’ (2005-2020)
Let’s be honest for a second — The CW is not necessarily known as a network that pumps out iconic shows. But Supernatural bucked that trend with its horror fantasy that contained the two coolest brothers on the planet (Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki), a storyline that made you question what you learned in Sunday school, and a sweet car that, to this day, I wish I had the funds to buy.
Supernatural’s story and tone aren’t quite unique, but it carved out a special niche for itself that took the genre to a new level with its gritty, down-to-earth plot and emotional moments that are still talked about to this day. Tell me one horror fantasy film that is talked about in the same breath as Supernatural? You will find very few of them, I’ll tell you that much.
5
‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ (2023-Present)
Who would have ever thought that another Disney+ show would make this list? Trust me, I was just as shocked as you are right now. To be honest, I love Percy Jackson and the Olympians, a fantasy show that follows the titular character as a demigod who gets wrongfully accused of stealing Zeus’ thunderbolt and must find it to restore order to Olympus.
I know, I know — we’ve seen this plotline play out in the theaters, but few do it better than Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The show is filled with fantastical action and a storyline that will keep you engaged. The actors, especially Walker Scobell’s take on Percy Jackson, are excellent and treat the source material admirably. There’s no question that this series is much, much better than its disappointing big-budget counterparts.
4
‘Stranger Things’ (2016-2025)
In 2016, Netflix brought the Upside Down to life, and, quite frankly, it was more imaginative than any other sci-fi horror fantasy could even dream of. That’s the beauty of Stranger Things, the show that transformed Netflix from a streaming service with a handful of good original programming into a production juggernaut.
What makes Stranger Things work so well is its huge budget, which is the one advantage fantasy movies normally have over their TV counterparts. That budget allows Stranger Things to bring movie-like quality to the small screen, so it’s no wonder this show often feels like a movie that was squished into 60-minute episodes. Not only that, but the show’s universe is incredibly fleshed out, and the characters are highly relatable. You can’t take what Stranger Things has done and put it on the big screen, as it simply would not work. This is the perfect example of a story made exclusively for TV.
3
‘Attack on Titan’ (2013-2023)
One of the best modern-day anime ever, Attack on Titan is a dark fantasy show that no movie can hold a candle to. It’s an anime that helped bring the popular genre worldwide recognition, thanks to its incredible story and breathtaking cinematography. If you are one of the three people on earth who haven’t heard of Attack on Titan, it follows a group of survivors who live behind giant walls that protect them from humanoid Titans.
While the premise is simple, it takes things to another level with its awesome storytelling, leaving you wondering just how in the world humanoid Titans came to rule things and how people could fight against them. As a show, it has more room to expand on things and tell its story without being forced to condense it like a movie would, which makes Attack on Titan a true “titan” in the TV fantasy universe.
2
‘His Dark Materials’ (2019-2022)
One of the most underrated fantasy dramas on TV, His Dark Materials is a masterclass on how fantasy television can outshine its big-screen counterparts. Working well as a relatively short series, His Dark Materials is a multiverse fan’s dream, with the action of the show seamlessly moving from one world to the next, opening the doors to a story that can be told in a number of fascinating ways.
It is this that makes His Dark Materials so hard to replicate as a movie. With the freedom to move the story to numerous plots, the show has the room it needs to bring an emotional arc to a genre that, oftentimes, lacks it. You could try to find a fantasy film that boosts the credentials of His Dark Materials, but you would be hard-pressed to find one.
1
‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ (2005-2008)
“Often imitated, never replicated.” That should be the unofficial tagline for Avatar: The Last Airbender, which is one of, if not the greatest, fantasy shows ever created. One may have had a hard time ever believing that Nickelodeon could produce a show that drips with greatness at every turn, but that’s exactly what happened with this fantastic series.
The ironic thing is, this show has been adapted into a movie — one that is considered one of the worst films ever made. Thankfully, it didn’t tarnish Avatar’s good name, and the show remains a true testament to how fantasy shows can easily outclass films and transform the genre forever.
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