The magical and whimsical elements of the fantasy genre have made it a staple of creative filmmaking for generations. Films like *The Lord of the Rings* and *Harry Potter* have become landmark staples, iconic in the world of cinema. This inherent strength of the fantasy genre has clearly translated into 2025, with massive blockbuster films such as *Wicked: For Good* and *Frankenstein*, as well as critically acclaimed indie films like *Eternity* and *Arco*.
However, 2025 has not been without its disappointments. The year has seen its fair share of exceptionally ineffective fantasy films. No amount of otherworldly magic could save these movies from a myriad of issues, ranging from shoddy visual effects to basic, formulaic storytelling. These failures only serve to highlight the truly great fantasy films of the year by comparison.
—
### 9. *Death of a Unicorn*
A24, known for distributing filmmaker-focused independent films, rarely misses the mark with both audiences and critics. Yet, *Death of a Unicorn* falls flat—too bland and unmemorable to match the impact of the distributor’s other fantasy offerings.
The horror comedy presents a unique premise: a father and daughter grapple with the consequences after accidentally hitting and killing a unicorn en route to a weekend work retreat. Despite this fresh idea, the final product feels overly derivative, leaning heavily on overdone class divide themes. The lackluster visual effects fail to emphasize the horror of the unicorn killings, and the humor is unremarkable at best. The plot’s direction becomes obvious within the first ten minutes, and neither Paul Rudd nor Jenna Ortega’s inherent charm can save the film from its overwhelming mediocrity.
—
### 8. *Troll 2*
Not to be confused with the cult classic so-bad-it’s-good film of the same name, 2025’s *Troll 2* tries to capitalize on the surprise success of the original Norwegian *Troll* film on Netflix in 2022.
While the first movie acted as a fantasy Norwegian riff on *Godzilla*, this sequel is more akin to *Godzilla vs. Kong*—sacrificing previous themes in favor of dumb giant troll action. For some viewers, watching two gigantic trolls brawl and destroy a city might be enough, but much like low-quality kaiju films, the excessive focus on uninteresting human characters drags down the experience.
The trolls’ fight scenes are sparse, occupying only a minute fraction of the runtime, while the majority of the film is bogged down by dull exposition and lazy human action sequences.
—
### 7. *Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 4: Dawn of the Vampires*
The *Z-O-M-B-I-E-S* franchise has become synonymous with silly, over-the-top campy fun on Disney Channel. Each previous installment upped the ante with wild dumb fun, but *Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 4: Dawn of the Vampires* feels like a step backward.
This entry attempts to explore deeper themes of persecution, centering on the main characters caught in a centuries-old feud between Daywalkers and Vampires. However, unlike earlier films that embraced their campy, self-aware absurdity, *Dawn of the Vampires* feels drained of energy. It rehashes old plot threads and goes through the motions, resulting in a largely dull and uninspired experience.
—
### 6. *Fountain of Youth*
*Fountain of Youth* is what happens when a typically talented action director like Guy Ritchie is stripped of his usual personality and wit, left to helm a flavorless Indiana Jones-inspired fantasy adventure.
The film desperately tries to capture the magic of classic Indiana Jones films but fails to understand what made them compelling. The characters are bland and superficial, the action scenes muted and restrained compared to Ritchie’s usual style, and the corny writing often breaks the audience’s immersion. It feels like another forgettable fantasy adventure destined for obscurity in the streaming era.
—
### 5. *Red Sonja*
The original *Red Sonja* film from the 1980s was a critical and commercial failure, unable to live up to the strength of its comic book source or the presence of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Despite this, the 2025 reboot seemed inevitable with the resurgence of comic book adaptations.
Unfortunately, this new *Red Sonja* proves just as disappointing as the original. Intended as a gory, action-packed fantasy revenge film, it’s held back by lackluster visual effects and formulaic action sequences. The film feels dated, more akin to a bland straight-to-DVD release from the early 2000s than a modern theatrical blockbuster.
—
### 4. *Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare*
Part of the often-overlooked “cinematic Poohniverse,” where public domain children’s characters become horror villains, *Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare* is an ineffective fantasy horror film.
The movie offers little beyond its baseline premise—“What if Peter Pan was evil?”—relying entirely on the Peter Pan name and the curiosity surrounding its existence for traction. The film’s dark twists, such as Peter becoming a child murderer or Tinker Bell portrayed as a drug-addicted, gaslit trans woman, attempt shock value but fall flat through over-exaggeration.
As a result, many original fantasy elements of *Peter Pan* are abandoned in favor of standard grim realism, making the film feel tired and uninspired.
—
### 3. *In the Lost Lands*
Paul W. S. Anderson has never been a beloved filmmaker, with a divisive career including underrated gems and reviled video game adaptations like *Monster Hunter*. *In the Lost Lands* stands out even among Anderson’s problematic projects as an ambitious but ultimately chaotic effort.
The film tries to mix post-apocalypse, steampunk, fantasy, and a slew of other subgenres and tones, resulting in an incomprehensible mess—energy over substance. At times, the film embraces its absurdity, delivering sequences of dumb fun brilliance that almost transcend notions of good and bad. Other moments, however, fall flat and confuse the audience.
While *In the Lost Lands* might someday gain cult status, in 2025 it is nothing more than a headache.
—
### 2. *Smurfs*
The 2025 *Smurfs* film epitomizes corporate, cookie-cutter family movies, raising questions about the Smurfs’ lasting appeal beyond IP exploitation.
With dated pop culture references, a by-the-numbers story, and countless celebrity voices and cameos, the film is a perfect storm of every tired trope plaguing 21st-century studio animation. It ranks not only among the worst recent films but also as one of the most lazily constructed, forgettable family movies ever made.
Though the earlier live-action *Smurfs* films had some personality and box office success, this latest entry feels generic and uninspired, destined to be enjoyed only by very young children—no matter how much Rihanna’s music is featured.
—
### 1. *Snow White*
Live-action retellings of *Snow White* have been a proven formula for fantasy success long before Disney’s famous remake attempt. Unfortunately, the 2025 *Snow White* finds itself torn between honoring the legacy of the animated classic and forging a new path—ultimately succeeding at neither.
The film has become the center of widespread vitriol and backlash, but even stripped of that controversy, it fails to stand on its own merits. Caught in an uncomfortable middle ground, it manages to alienate audiences and critics alike, delivering an experience that appeals to absolutely nobody.
—
### Conclusion
While 2025 has seen its share of memorable and outstanding fantasy films, it also serves as a reminder that the genre is not immune to failure. These disappointing films—ranging from uneven indie projects to massive corporate blockbusters—highlight the delicate balance needed to truly capture magic and imagination on screen. Hopefully, future fantasy films will learn from these missteps to deliver the enchanting experiences audiences crave.
https://collider.com/worst-fantasy-movies-2025-ranked/
About the Author
