10 Dark Fantasy Movies Perfect For ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ Fans

Coraline (2009) is the first Laika Studios stop-motion film, which follows a young girl moving to a new home in a glum town. While exploring, she discovers a way to go to a world that seems perfect, with parents who are even more fun than what she was used to. But the more she explores, she realizes that the perfection is more of a danger than a paradise.

Like Pan's Labyrinth, this film isn't afraid to put a child through a genuinely dangerous situation as she ventures through a magical door in her home. Another film with the theme of escapism, Coraline is all about tone and aesthetic and how it sells the story and has since made it an equally fun, timeless classic.

A film that, in many ways, was ahead of its time, Labyrinth (1986) is about a young girl who wishes her baby brother would be taken away. When the Goblin King, Jareth, grants that wish, she's given 13 hours to solve a strange labyrinth and save her brother, or he's lost forever.

The film has amazing visuals and isn't afraid to get weird, but what makes it a great Pan's Labyrinth pair is its parallel of sisters and younger brothers. While this one is about saving a brother she wanted gone, it's great to see a story about a young girl saving a sibling who can't save himself.

A film made entirely with puppets, The Dark Crystal (1982) follows a young man who is the last of his kind, trying to restore balance to his world and fix the fractured Dark Crystal. But to do that, he must also face the bird-like villains known as Skeksis, as well as the other challenges of the incredibly imaginative world.

Created by Jim Henson, the film has a similar charm to The Muppets Show (1974-1981) but is taken much more seriously. It's a darker film than what Henson has worked on before, but you can see his hard work paid off as it has since then become a cult classic dark fantasy film.

The Company of Wolves (1984) is a folk horror film that takes the tale of Little Red Riding Hood to a totally new level and leans heavily on the werewolf trope throughout. It's the story of a young girl who, when she sleeps, ventures to a fantasy world filled with wolves and werewolves. There are also various smaller stories told in this story.

This is definitely a darker film that may not be perfect for every child, but for those interested, it's a great foundational dark fantasy story that's worth looking into more deeply. Like Pan's Labyrinth, The Company of Wolves' darker tones make the film feel almost like it's not allowed for younger audiences, and while it's dark, it's still a must-watch film.

Legend (1985) may not be a film where fans remember the details of the story, but they easily remember Tim Curry's iconic role as Darkness. The film is about a young man trying to stop Darkness from covering the fantasy world of unicorns and magical swamps in eternal night.

Legend is a feat of practical effects in the same way Pan's Labyrinth is, while also still keeping an air of creepiness that stays with you even after the movie ends. Legend is absolutely worth watching and has a lot of style thanks to the performance of the late Tim Curry.

One of the earliest Disney live-action remakes, Maleficent (2014) is a new look at the Sleeping Beauty story that gives us insight into the origin and motivation of the iconic villain. There's a dark beauty to the film that gives us a traditional understanding of what a dark fantasy should look like. It's scary, but you can't help but want to look deeper, just like in Pan's Labyrinth.

Angelina Jolie delivers a great performance as Maleficent and, unlike other live-action remakes, this one holds up surprisingly well. Maleficent is a great gateway dark fantasy made with love and a desire to be different.

The Wizard of Oz (1939) didn't need a sequel, but Return to Oz (1985) proved that it could be done and feel totally different from what came before. Dorothy, now in a mental hospital, finds herself back in the Land of Oz trying to save her friends while meeting new ones.

Return to Oz has all the wonder of the original film but isn't afraid to get creepy and unsettling, like with the villains, the Wheelers. Pan's Labyrinth is a perfect pair to this because it also doesn't treat children like they can't handle scary elements, making the story even more important.

The NeverEnding Story (1984) is a fantasy film that takes place in a book that a young man reads while trying to avoid bullies. It is about the land of Fantasia, where a force known as "The Nothing" threatens to destroy everything, and only one young boy can save the day.

The NeverEnding Story is a hopeful film with more than a few dark fantasy elements, but what makes it so similar to Pan's Labyrinth is how it forces you to face ideas of loss and sacrifice. There are many heavy themes that come with the story and have the audience and characters taking these ideas into their everyday lives.

A Monster Calls (2016) is about Conor, a young man who has to deal with a sickly mother, an absent father, and a grandmother he doesn't get along with. As things get unbearable, a monster appears to spend time with him and give him an escape he desperately needs.

A Monster Calls comes into its own by exploring themes of escapism and loss, and how the fantasies we make up help us to cope with harsh realities, but the film's ambiguities make this hit home more. Pan's Labyrinth works on a similar foundation and helps the film feel both important and relevant.

Following the death of his mother, The Boy and the Heron (2023) sees a young man follow a heron to a fantasy world after being told his mother is alive. What happens is we enter a world that makes perfect sense as well as is complete nonsense, and this is even shown as the heron transforms from bird to man.

No matter how outrageous the film feels, The Boy and the Heron has a grounded and emotional center that keeps you engaged and helps you cope with loss. It's what made the film feel so special and also makes it an equal to Pan's Labyrinth, as Ofelia deals with her own losses.