10 Movies That Perfectly Blend Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Many sci-fi films combine the genre with fantasy elements, and some stand out for seamlessly blending them. Sci-fi and fantasy are often considered to go hand in hand, as some of the biggest titles in sci-fi, like Star Wars and Dune, could also be considered fantasy. However, essential distinctions separate the genres. Science fiction is a genre that explores real possibilities for humankind, exploring concepts like advanced technology, dystopian societies, and space travel. They’re speculative “What if?” stories, exemplified by many of the best sci-fi movies of all time, like Blade Runner or 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Blade Runner and 2001 are distinctly science fiction movies, as they examine possible human futures regarding dystopia and the rise of artificial intelligence. Fantasy has its own specific connotation, as stories in the fantasy genre examine impossibilities like magic and mythological creatures. By that distinction, sci-fi is rooted in possibility, while fantasy explores impossibility. Often, sci-fi incorporates fantasy elements, and vice versa, blurring the lines of the genre and resulting in extraordinary, imaginary worlds, many of which have been explored in cinema.

10
Dune Franchise

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

With Dune: Part Two becoming an early contender to be one of 2024’s most successful movies, both critically and commercially, it serves as the perfect example. Frank Herbert’s original Dune novel was a prolific sci-fi work that notably mixes fantasy elements. It takes place in a distant future, where humanity has spread to other planets and lives in an intergalactic society that draws inspiration from historical feudal society. Dune is science fiction because it imagines how human society could look thousands of years in the future.

Dune may be recognized as a sci-fi work, but it’s also deeply rooted in fantasy elements. The world-building resembles an epic fantasy, with certain elements standing out in particular. Unlike most sci-fi futures where computers rule, the mind is the most powerful weapon in Dune, as the Bene Gesserit have mastered an essentially supernatural ability to control human psychology. The idea of the Kwisatz Haderach is also mystical. While these ideas aren’t attributed to “magic” in Dune and can be explained by science fiction elements, how they’re portrayed lends to fantasy.

9
Star Wars Franchise

Created by George Lucas

Star Wars takes a ton of inspiration from Dune, so it’s only natural that George Lucas’s space opera epic also blends sci-fi and fantasy. Like Dune, Star Wars takes place in a galactic society ruled by an Emperor, and its trilogies often examine themes of societal corruption and spirituality in a futuristic world. Star Wars builds its world with futuristic devices, such as laser-powered weapons, space travel, and artificial intelligence, so in that sense, it’s undoubtedly a sci-fi story.

The fantasy elements in Star Wars are generally centered around the force. While the prequels created biological reasoning for the force, it’s still a mystical element that can be trained for different forms of power. Narratively, Star Wars also draws its influence heavily from mythological stories, with ideas of family, heroism, and love often overshadowing its sci-fi themes. George Lucas himself has commonly referred to Star Wars as a space opera fantasy or science fantasy rather than directly science fiction.

8
Avatar Franchise

Directed by James Cameron

James Cameron’s Avatar films imagine a future human society that begins its colonization of an alien world using spaceships and future technology. In setting and theme, Avatar is certainly a sci-fi film. However, it’s hard to deny that the world of Pandora takes significant inspiration from iconic fantasy tales like The Lord of the Rings, which also examine the natural world rising up to defend itself against industrialism. Avatar expertly blends the two genres, creating a distinctly imaginative cinematic experience.

7
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Directed by Taika Waiti

Most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or superhero films, in general, can be categorized as science fiction or fantasy. Superhero movies fit into their own genre at this point, but the genesis of superhero stories comes equally from classical myths as it does from sci-fi concepts. Many superhero origin stories see an ordinary human in a freak, scientific accident, like The Flash or Spider-Man, but the themes of superhero stories are rooted in mythological concepts. Thor: Ragnarok, one of the best MCU movies, stands out for blending those aspects in film.

Of course, the Marvel character Thor is based on Norse mythology, with the comic book version of Asgard established as a planetary body rather than a spiritual realm. Thor: Ragnarok stands out for its mix of Norse mythology elements with epic sci-fi adventure. Taika Waititi’s vision is heavily inspired by the vibrance of 1980s science fiction adventure movies like Flash Gordon and, of course, Star Wars.

6
Godzilla Franchise

Created by Ishirō Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya

The Godzilla franchise leans more into sci-fi than fantasy thematically, as it typically examines the destruction of humankind with allegories for nuclear warfare. Still, in its subject, the idea of enormous imaginary creatures coming together for battle draws elements from fantasy and mythology. The human aspect of Godzilla films remains primarily in the sci-fi realm, commonly examining characters dealing with the fallout of devastating disasters and the bureaucracy surrounding them.

5
Hellboy (2004)

Directed by Guillermo del Toro

Guillermo del Toro is a filmmaker who’s worked within the bounds of both sci-fi and fantasy, with movies like Pacific Rim and Pan’s Labyrinth. His 2004 rendition of Hellboy is his best blend of the genres, mixing ideas of demons and mysticism combined with typical sci-fi action aesthetic tropes. Hellboy comics have typically mixed sci-fi and horror elements, but del Toro’s touch hones in on mythological components.

4
The Fountain (2006)

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain is one of the most unique science fiction films ever, mixing elements of fantasy and spirituality. The movie sees Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz playing three sets of characters at different points in time, bound by their love for each other. Darren Aronofsky’s movies are always hard to pin down to one genre, and The Fountain is one of his most intense, complex works.

3
Serenity (2005)

Directed by Joss Whedon

A sequel film to the infamously canceled TV show Firefly, the 2005 film Serenity leans more into fantastical elements than its predecessor series. Serenity embraces the TV show’s space Western roots but leans into fantasy with Summer Glau’s character, River. River is a psychic and also becomes quite the warrior in the film. Not to mention, the show and film’s themes focus more on the heroic journeys of its characters rather than the notions of its galactic dystopian society.

2
Bride Of Frankenstein (1935)

Directed by James Whale

1935’s Bride of Frankenstein is the best of the Universal Classic Monster movies, distinguishing itself from the other campy sequels in its series through its meaningful thematic depth. The Frankenstein stories commonly draw from sci-fi, as they consider the possibility of reanimation and non-organic human-made lifeforms. Still, the black-and-white masterpiece lends itself to the fantastical, primarily in its gothic aesthetic.

1
Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind (1984)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Many of Hayao Miyazaki’s best movies can be categorized as fantasy, while his early film Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind is one of the few to cross genres with sci-fi. The film takes place in a dystopian future where a nuclear war has all but destroyed civilization. The concept is deeply science fiction, much like other ’80s anime films like Akira. Still, Miyazaki’s affinity for fantasy and mythology shines through in Nausicaä with its creatures and world-building in the post-apocalyptic society.