The Best Magical Realism Films Of All-Time
“What are the best Magical Realism movies ever made?” We looked at 144 of the top Magical Realism films and ranked them so we could answer that very question!
The top 32 films, all appearing on 2 or more “Best Magic Realism” movie lists, are ranked below by how many times they appear. The remaining 100+ movies, as well as the sources we used, are in alphabetical order on the bottom of the page.
Happy Scrolling!
Top 32 Magic Realism Movies
32 .) A Little Princess (1995) directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Lists It Appears On:
- Uproxx
- Wikipedia
When her father enlists to fight for the British in WWI, young Sara Crewe goes to New York to attend the same boarding school her late mother attended. She soon clashes with the severe headmistress, Miss Minchin, who attempts to stifle Sara’s creativity and sense of self- worth.
31 .) Adaptation (2002) directed by Spike Jonze
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Prezi
A love-lorn script writer grows increasingly desperate in his quest to adapt the book ‘The Orchid Thief’.
30 .) Being John Malkovich (1999) directed by Spike Jonze
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Uproxx
One day at work, unsuccessful puppeteer Craig finds a portal into the head of actor John Malkovich. The portal soon becomes a passion for anybody who enters it’s mad and controlling world of overtaking another human body.
29 .) Cinema Paradiso (1988) directed by Giuseppe Tornatore
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- The Cinemaholic
A filmmaker recalls his childhood, when he fell in love with the movies at his village’s theater and formed a deep friendship with the theater’s projectionist.
28 .) Field of Dreams (1989) directed by Phil Alden Robinson
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Uproxx
Ray Kinsella is an Iowa farmer who hears a mysterious voice telling him to turn his cornfield into a baseball diamond. He does, but the voice’s directions don’t stop — even after the spirits of deceased ballplayers turn up to play.
27 .) Groundhog Day (1993) directed by Harold Ramis
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- The Cinemaholic
A narcissistic TV weatherman, along with his attractive-but-distant producer and mawkish cameraman, is sent to report on Groundhog Day in the small town of Punxsutawney, where he finds himself repeating the same day over and over.
26 .) Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2011) directed by Jay Duplass
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Uproxx
Dispatched from his basement room on an errand for his mother, slacker Jeff might discover his destiny (finally) when he spends the day with his brother as he tracks his possibly adulterous wife.
25 .) Midnight’s Children (2012) directed by Deepa Mehta
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Wikipedia
The story of a pair of children born within moments of India gaining independence from England, growing up in the country that is nothing like their parent’s generation. A Canadian-British film adaptation of Salman Rushdie’s novel of the same name.
24 .) Moulin Rouge! (2001) directed by Baz Luhrmann
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Prezi
A celebration of love and creative inspiration takes place in the infamous, gaudy and glamorous Parisian nightclub, at the cusp of the 20th century. A young poet, who is plunged into the heady world of Moulin Rouge, begins a passionate affair with the club’s most notorious and beautiful star.
23 .) Prelude to a Kiss (1992) directed by Norman René
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Wikipedia
A couple fall in love despite the girl’s pessimistic outlook. As they struggle to come to terms with their relationship, something supernatural happens that tests it.
22 .) Synecdoche, New York (2008) directed by Charlie Kaufman
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- The Cinemaholic
A theater director struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he attempts to create a life-size replica of New York inside a warehouse as part of his new play.
21 .) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) directed by David Fincher
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Uproxx
Tells the story of Benjamin Button, a man who starts aging backwards with bizarre consequences.
20 .) The Milagro Beanfield War (1988) directed by Robert Redford
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Wikipedia
In Milagro, a small town in the American Southwest, Ladd Devine plans to build a major new resort development. While activist Ruby Archuleta and lawyer/newspaper editor Charlie Bloom realize that this will result in the eventual displacement of the local Hispanic farmers, they cannot arouse much opposition because of the short term opportunities offered by construction jobs.
19 .) The Shape of Water directed by Guillermo del Toro
Lists It Appears On:
- Film School Rejects
- Wikipedia
An other-worldly story, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962, where a mute janitor working at a lab falls in love with an amphibious man being held captive there and devises a plan to help him escape.
18 .) The Tin Drum (1979) directed by Volker Schlöndorff
Lists It Appears On:
- Uproxx
- Wikipedia
Oskar is born in Germany in 1924 with an advanced intellect. Repulsed by the hypocrisy of adults and the irresponsibility of society, he refuses to grow older after his third birthday.
17 .) Time of the Gypsies (1988) directed by Emir Kusturica
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Wikipedia
In this luminous tale set in the former Yugoslavia, Perhan, an engaging young Romany with telekinetic powers, is seduced by the quick-cash world of petty crime that threatens to destroy him and those he loves.
16 .) Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Lists It Appears On:
- The Dissolve
- Wikipedia
Suffering from acute kidney failure, Boonmee has chosen to spend his final days surrounded by his loved ones in the countryside. Surprisingly, the ghost of his deceased wife appears to care for him, and his long lost son returns home in a non-human form. Contemplating the reasons for his illness, Boonmee treks through the jungle with his family to a mysterious hilltop cave—the birthplace of his first life.
15 .) Wings of Desire (1987) directed by Wim Wenders
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Uproxx
Two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, glide through the streets of Berlin, observing the bustling population, providing invisible rays of hope to the distressed but never interacting with them. When Damiel falls in love with lonely trapeze artist Marion, the angel longs to experience life in the physical world, and finds — with some words of wisdom from actor Peter Falk — that it might be possible for him to take human form.
14 .) Big Fish (2003) directed by Tim Burton
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- The Dissolve
- Wikipedia
Throughout his life Edward Bloom has always been a man of big appetites, enormous passions and tall tales. In his later years, he remains a huge mystery to his son, William. Now, to get to know the real man, Will begins piecing together a true picture of his father from flashbacks of his amazing adventures.
13 .) Birdman (2014) directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Lists It Appears On:
- Book My Show
- Film School Rejects
- Wikipedia
A fading actor best known for his portrayal of a popular superhero attempts to mount a comeback by appearing in a Broadway play. As opening night approaches, his attempts to become more altruistic, rebuild his career, and reconnect with friends and family prove more difficult than expected.
12 .) Donnie Darko (2001) directed by Richard Kelly
Lists It Appears On:
- Film School Rejects
- IMDB
- The Cinemaholic
After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
11 .) Life of Pi (2012) directed by Ang Lee
Lists It Appears On:
- Book My Show
- Uproxx
- Wikipedia
The story of an Indian boy named Pi, a zookeeper’s son who finds himself in the company of a hyena, zebra, orangutan, and a Bengal tiger after a shipwreck sets them adrift in the Pacific Ocean.
10 .) Pleasantville (1998) directed by Gary Ross
Lists It Appears On:
- Book My Show
- IMDB
- Uproxx
Geeky teenager David and his popular twin sister, Jennifer, get sucked into the black-and-white world of a 1950s TV sitcom called “Pleasantville,” and find a world where everything is peachy keen all the time. But when Jennifer’s modern attitude disrupts Pleasantville’s peaceful but boring routine, she literally brings color into its life.
9 .) Scott Pilgrim vs. the World directed by Edgar Wright
Lists It Appears On:
- Book My Show
- Film School Rejects
- Prezi
Scott Pilgrim is a 23 year old radical Canadian gamer and wannabe rockstar who falls in love with an American delivery girl, Ramona Flowers, and must defeat her seven evil exes to be able to date her.
8 .) The Fall (2006) directed by Tarsem Singh
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Uproxx
- Wikipedia
In a hospital on the outskirts of 1920s Los Angeles, an injured stuntman begins to tell a fellow patient, a little girl with a broken arm, a fantastic story about 5 mythical heroes. Thanks to his fractured state of mind and her vivid imagination, the line between fiction and reality starts to blur as the tale advances.
7 .) The Green Mile (1999) directed by Frank Darabont
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- The Cinemaholic
- Wikipedia
A supernatural tale set on death row in a Southern prison, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people’s ailments. When the cell block’s head guard, Paul Edgecomb, recognizes Coffey’s miraculous gift, he tries desperately to help stave off the condemned man’s execution.
6 .) The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) directed by Woody Allen
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Uproxx
- Wikipedia
Cecilia is a waitress in New Jersey, living a dreary life during the Great Depression. Her only escape from her mundane reality is the movie theatre. After losing her job, Cecilia goes to see ‘The Purple Rose of Cairo’ in hopes of raising her spirits, where she watches dashing archaeologist Tom Baxter time and again.
5 .) Midnight in Paris (2011) directed by Woody Allen
Lists It Appears On:
- Book My Show
- IMDB
- The Cinemaholic
- Uproxx
- Wikipedia
A romantic comedy about a family traveling to the French capital for business. The party includes a young engaged couple forced to confront the illusion that a life different from their own is better.
4 .) Like Water For Chocolate (1992) directed by Alfonso Arau
Lists It Appears On:
- Film School Rejects
- IMDB
- Prezi
- The Dissolve
- Wikipedia
Tita is passionately in love with Pedro, but her controlling mother forbids her from marrying him. When Pedro marries her sister, Tita throws herself into her cooking and discovers she can transfer her emotions through the food she prepares, infecting all who eat it with her intense heartbreak.
3 .) Beasts Of The Southern Wild (2012) directed by Benh Zeitlin
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- The Cinemaholic
- The Dissolve
- Uproxx
- Wikipedia
Hushpuppy, an intrepid six-year-old girl, lives with her father, Wink in ‘the Bathtub’, a southern Delta community at the edge of the world. Wink’s tough love prepares her for the unraveling of the universe – for a time when he’s no longer there to protect her. When Wink contracts a mysterious illness, nature flies out of whack – temperatures rise, and the ice caps melt, unleashing an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs. With the waters rising, the aurochs coming, and Wink’s health fading, Hushpuppy goes in search of her lost mother.
2 .) Amélie (2001) directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Lists It Appears On:
- Film School Rejects
- IMDB
- The Cinemaholic
- Uproxx
- Wikipedia
At a tiny Parisian café, the adorable yet painfully shy Amélie (Audrey Tautou) accidentally discovers a gift for helping others. Soon Amelie is spending her days as a matchmaker, guardian angel, and all-around do-gooder. But when she bumps into a handsome stranger, will she find the courage to become the star of her very own love story?
1 .) Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) directed by Guillermo del Toro
Lists It Appears On:
- Film School Rejects
- IMDB
- The Cinemaholic
- Uproxx
- Wikipedia
Living with her tyrannical stepfather in a new home with her pregnant mother, 10-year-old Ofelia feels alone until she explores a decaying labyrinth guarded by a mysterious faun who claims to know her destiny. If she wishes to return to her real father, Ofelia must complete three terrifying tasks.
The 100+ Additional Best Magical Realism Movies
| # | Movies | Directors | Lists |
| 33 | A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings (1988) | Fernando Birri | IMDB |
| 34 | A Walk in the Clouds (1995) | Alfonso Arau | IMDB |
| 35 | About Time (I) (2013) | Richard Curtis | IMDB |
| 36 | Alice (1990 film) | Wikipedia | |
| 37 | Always, | Uproxx | |
| 38 |
An Ambiguous Report About the End of the World
|
Wikipedia | |
| 39 | And Then Came Lola (2009) | Ellen Seidler | IMDB |
| 40 | Anti-Christ | Uproxx | |
| 41 | Antonia’s Line (1995) | Marleen Gorris | IMDB |
| 42 | Arizona Dream | Wikipedia | |
| 43 | Asleep in the Sun (2010) | Alejandro Chomski | IMDB |
| 44 | Babette’s Feast (1987) | Gabriel Axel | IMDB |
| 45 | Bagdad Cafe (1987) | Percy Adlon | IMDB |
| 46 | Big (film) | Wikipedia | |
| 47 | Black Cat, White Cat (1998) | Emir Kusturica | IMDB |
| 48 | Blue Velvet | Uproxx | |
| 49 | Breaking The Waves, | Uproxx | |
| 50 | Buy Now, Die Later | Wikipedia | |
| 51 | Charlie Countryman | Wikipedia | |
| 52 | Chocolat (2000) | Lasse Hallström | IMDB |
| 53 | Christopher Robin (film) | Wikipedia | |
| 54 | Cows (1992) | Julio Medem | IMDB |
| 55 | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | Uproxx | |
| 56 | Defending Your Life | Uproxx | |
| 57 | Delicatessen, | Uproxx | |
| 58 | Don’t Look Now (1973) | Nicolas Roeg | IMDB |
| 59 | Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (1976) | Bruno Barreto | IMDB |
| 60 | Donovan’s Echo (2011) | Jim Cliffe | IMDB |
| 61 | Dreams (1990 film) | Wikipedia | |
| 62 | Edward Scissorhands | Uproxx | |
| 63 | El bosc (2012) | Óscar Aibar | IMDB |
| 64 | El bosque animado (1987) | José Luis Cuerda | IMDB |
| 65 | El lado oscuro del corazón 2 (2001) | Eliseo Subiela | IMDB |
| 66 | El Norte (film) | Wikipedia | |
| 67 | Electrick Children | Wikipedia | |
| 68 | Eréndira (1983) | Ruy Guerra | IMDB |
| 69 | Eve’s Bayou (1997) | Kasi Lemmons | IMDB |
| 70 | Everyone Says I Love You, | Uproxx | |
| 71 | Everything Is Illuminated (film) | Wikipedia | |
| 72 | Fly Me To Polaris | Uproxx | |
| 73 | Forget Paris (2011) | Christopher Presswell | IMDB |
| 74 | Frida (2002) | Julie Taymor | IMDB |
| 75 | Ghost | Uproxx | |
| 76 | Happy Accidents (2000) | Brad Anderson | IMDB |
| 77 | Heaven Can Wait. | Uproxx | |
| 78 | Intacto | Wikipedia | |
| 79 | Interstate 60: Episodes of the Road (2002) | Bob Gale | IMDB |
| 80 | It’s A Wonderful Life, | Uproxx | |
| 81 | Jacob’s Ladder (I) (1990) | Adrian Lyne | IMDB |
| 82 | Jane the Virgin |
Film School Rejects
|
|
| 83 | Kiki’s Delivery Service | Uproxx | |
| 84 | L.A. Story, | Uproxx | |
| 85 | La tigra (1990) | Camilo Luzuriaga | IMDB |
| 86 | Leap of Faith (1992) | Richard Pearce | IMDB |
| 87 | Liar Liar | Wikipedia | |
| 88 | Little Buddha (1993) | Bernardo Bertolucci | IMDB |
| 89 | Lost Highway | Uproxx | |
| 90 | Love in the Time of Cholera (2007) | Mike Newell | IMDB |
| 91 | Ma Vie en Rose (1997) | Alain Berliner | IMDB |
| 92 | Magnolia, | Uproxx | |
| 93 | Mararía (1998) | Antonio José Betancor | IMDB |
| 94 | Mars (2004 film) | Wikipedia | |
| 95 | Mood Indigo (2013) | Michel Gondry | IMDB |
| 96 | My Neighbor Totoro | Uproxx | |
| 97 | Narcos |
Film School Rejects
|
|
| 98 | No One Writes to the Colonel (1999) | Arturo Ripstein | IMDB |
| 99 | Odiyan | Wikipedia | |
| 100 | One Day (2010 film) | Wikipedia | |
| 101 | Orfeu (1999) | Carlos Diegues | IMDB |
| 102 | Oviedo Express (2007) | Gonzalo Suárez | IMDB |
| 103 | Paddington |
Film School Rejects
|
|
| 104 | Pedro Páramo (1978) | José Bolaños | IMDB |
| 105 | Penelope (2006) | Mark Palansky | IMDB |
| 106 | Ponyo | Uproxx | |
| 107 | Porco Rosso (1992) | Hayao Miyazaki | IMDB |
| 108 | Prospero’s Books | Wikipedia | |
| 109 | Repentance (1987 film) | Wikipedia | |
| 110 | Return to Me | Wikipedia | |
| 111 | Ruby Sparks |
Film School Rejects
|
|
| 112 | Sliding Doors (1998) | Peter Howitt | IMDB |
| 113 | Sohra Bridge | Wikipedia | |
| 114 | Spirited Away | Uproxx | |
| 115 | Sucker Punch (2011 film) | Wikipedia | |
| 116 | The Brothers Bloom (2008) | Rian Johnson | IMDB |
| 117 | The Butcher Boy | Uproxx | |
| 118 | The City of Lost Children | Wikipedia | |
| 119 | The Cobbler (2014 film) | Wikipedia | |
| 120 | The Dark Side of the Heart (1992) | Eliseo Subiela | IMDB |
| 121 | The Dark Tower (2017 film) | Wikipedia | |
| 122 | The Fisher King (1991) | Terry Gilliam | IMDB |
| 123 | The House of the Spirits (1993) | Bille August | IMDB |
| 124 | The Last Judgment (1961 film) | Wikipedia | |
| 125 | The Legend of Bagger Vance | Wikipedia | |
| 126 | The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) | Wes Anderson | IMDB |
| 127 | The Mighty | Uproxx | |
| 128 | The Miracle of Father Malachia | Wikipedia | |
| 129 | The Mistress of Spices | Wikipedia | |
| 130 | The Path of Zarathustra | Wikipedia | |
| 131 | The Princess Bride (1987) |
The Cinemaholic
|
|
| 132 | The Red Violin (1998) | François Girard | IMDB |
| 133 | The Secret Of Roan Inish. | Uproxx | |
| 134 | The Summer of Miss Forbes (1989 TV Movie) | Jaime Humberto Hermosillo | IMDB |
| 135 | The Sun Also Rises (2007 film) | Wikipedia | |
| 136 | The Wizard Of Oz. | Uproxx | |
| 137 | The World According to Garp (1982) | George Roy Hill | IMDB |
| 138 | To Rome with Love (film) | Wikipedia | |
| 139 | Un secreto de Esperanza | Wikipedia | |
| 140 | Underground (1995) | Emir Kusturica | IMDB |
| 141 | Undertow (2009 film) | Wikipedia | |
| 142 | Whale Rider (2002) | Niki Caro | IMDB |
| 143 | Winter’s Tale | Uproxx | |
| 144 | Zelig, | Uproxx |
8 Best Films Featuring Magical Realism Sources/Lists
| Source | Article |
| Book My Show | Best Movies That Have Magical Realism |
| Film School Rejects | A Guide to Magical Realism in Film |
| IMDB | Magic Realism in the Top Movies, films, Cinema. |
| Prezi | Magical Realism In Books/Movies |
| The Cinemaholic | 10 Best Magic Realism Movies of All Time |
| The Dissolve | Five magical-realism movies in the spirit of the late Gabriel García |
| Uproxx | 40 films that manage to get magical realism right where |
| Wikipedia | Category:Magic realism films |
