The fantasy genre is a great vehicle for social commentary. The otherworldly existence of dragons and fairies and the timely relevance of socially conscious storytelling are a match made in heaven. It doesn’t always work out: Bright had a great premise for pushing social commentary through fantasy, with a buddy cop dynamic in a world where humans and mythical creatures co-exist, but its script failed to say anything substantial about society.
Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar-winning masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth is a prime example of a fantasy movie with sharp social commentary. It’s essentially a fairy tale, but it takes place against the backdrop of political upheaval in Francoist Spain.
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
The majority of Pan’s Labyrinth takes place in a fantasy world, but it’s set against the very real terror of Francoist Spain. It follows Ofelia, a young girl who encounters a mysterious faun in an abandoned labyrinth. Ofelia’s escapist adventures are contrasted with the war crimes of her ruthless stepfather, Falangist Captain Vidal.
Del Toro’s gorgeous fantasy kingdom is brought to life by Guillermo Navarro’s Oscar-winning cinematography and Eugenio Caballero’s Oscar-winning art direction.
Wonder Woman (2017)
The opening scenes of Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman establish Themyscira, a kingdom full of superpowered Amazonian women that’s closed off to the rest of the world. When a World War I pilot crashes off their shore, they’re drawn into the wider world.
Gal Gadot’s titular heroine s his quest to end the ongoing conflict and has to do battle with the very concept of war. Throughout the movie, Diana clashes with generals who make decisions that cost human lives from the safety of a government building while her own military leaders their soldiers on the frontlines.
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Tim Burton’s romantic gothic fantasy gem Edward Scissorhands stars Johnny Depp as a lonely, peculiar man with scissors for fingers and Winona Ryder as the girl who falls for him.
Thematically, Edward Scissorhands deals with loneliness and introspection. The story has parallels with Beauty and the Beast, while the finale with the angry mob can be compared to James Whale’s Frankenstein.
Donnie Darko (2001)
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in Richard Kelly’s fantastical psychological thriller Donnie Darko as a brooding, lonely teenager who sees a premonition of the end of the world and finds himself committing crimes under the influence of a rabbit man named Frank.
This movie deals with a lot of lofty, ambitious concepts, like the power of making sacrifices and whether or not there’s such a thing as destiny.
The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Like the groundbreaking J.R.R. Tolkien work it’s based on, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy deals with some huge themes like the difference between good and evil and the balance of fate and free will.
The story also features three overt Christ figures, each representing a different facet of Jesus: Gandalf is a prophet, Frodo Baggins is a priest (kind of), and Aragorn is a king.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
The formulaic approach of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its featherlight storytelling usually prevent its movies from exploring any deeper social issues. But Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok has some subtle social commentary underneath the surface of all the zany humor.
The Grandmaster’s rule over Sakaar and Odin’s whitewashing of Asgard’s violent history can be read as a satirical indictment of colonialism. The Grandmaster forbids the use of “the S-word” and instead demands that his staff refer to his slaves as “prisoners with jobs.”
King Kong (1933)
Although the filmmakers denied that it was intentional, King Kong has been widely read as a metaphor for American slavery. An American film crew travels to Skull Island, discovers a giant ape worshipped by a local tribe, and brings the ape back to New York to parade around as an attraction for commercial gain.
In the movie’s iconic finale, of course, Kong escapes from captivity and climbs the Empire State Building with his love Ann Darrow, where he’s shot at by fighter pilots.
Star Wars (1977)
On the surface, Star Wars is a space-bound fairy tale about a bright-eyed farm boy who leaves his humble life behind to become an intergalactic hero. However, there’s a lot of political and sociological depth in this movie, and in the rest of the saga.
George Lucas initially conceived the conflict between the Rebellion and the Empire as an allegory for the Vietnam War, which was fresh in everybody’s memories at the time.
Superman (1978)
Richard Donner’s initial Superman movie from 1978 is the definitive cinematic depiction of the Superman myth. It’s a pitch-perfect telling of the character’s origin story, but it also has a sharp take on the story’s biblical allusions.
At its core, Superman is a love story charting Supes’ relationship with Lois Lane. The movie’s exploration of an alien falling for a human is fascinating.
The Shape Of Water (2017)
Guillermo del Toro returned to Pan’s Labyrinth’s brand of socially conscious fantasy in 2017 with his Oscar-winning sci-fi romance The Shape of Water. Sally Hawkins stars as a mute janitor at a secret government facility in the Cold War who finds a kindred spirit with a fish-man captured in the Amazon.
Doug Jones, del Toro’s go-to actor whenever there’s a monster suit that needs to be worn, plays the fish-man. The movie is a broad study of prejudice, and the love story is surprisingly resonant considering it involves a Creature from the Black Lagoon-style sea monster.
