10 Hidden Gem Fantasy Movies & TV Shows You Probably Missed

What starts as a crassly comedic take on the fantasy epic quickly transforms into something far more ambitious in The Legend of Vox Machina. Based on the first campaign of the tabletop role-playing game web series Critical Role, the Prime Video animated show follows the titular band of antiheroes as they explore and protect the realm from aristocratic vampires, dragon covens, and an aspiring god.

Deftly animated by Titmouse, the bluntly gruesome action is a fitting comparison to Invincible (2021) by way of the fantasy genre instead of the superhero universe. The cast of lovable and lethal dopes at the center of the show is played with deep authenticity by the veteran voice actor cast, all of whom originated the characters in the TTRPG. Perfect for anyone who loves fantasy as a genre and isn’t afraid to get a little bawdy alongside the epic tenor, The Legend of Vox Machina’s upcoming fifth (and final) season finale could cement the show in action animation history.

A sister show for The Legend of Vox Machina, the more grounded and character-driven drama of The Mighty Nein, serves as a fitting contrast. Set in the same universe but on a different continent from Vox Machina’s adventures, The Mighty Nein purposefully drops some of the more lighthearted touches of the other show to present a high fantasy take on espionage spycraft alongside mysterious seagods and royal court politics.

While it can feel less overtly fun than Vox Machina by direct comparison, the great character work and fusion of political thriller with animated epic recall the kind of genre-blending that made Battlestar Galactica (2004) such a success. The Mighty Nein is a terrific sister show to The Legend of Vox Machina, but it has enough dramatic touches to make it a good stand-alone watch if you like your worldbuilding to be just as focused on character as it is on the fantasy.

Wild in the best of ways, Britannia is a perfect pick for anyone looking for some great time-period fantasy weirdness. The show is set against the backdrop of the Roman invasion of Britannia, which in this world is complicated by resistance from local tribes, as well as the mysterious Druids, whose connections to the old gods make them incredibly dangerous. The handsomely produced series does a great job of replicating the battlefields of 43 AD, with a sense of lived-in grime and pragmatic brutality that matches the tone of shows like Vikings (2013).

Be forewarned, the show was canceled after Season 3, leaving fans hanging with a devastating cliffhanger that may never be resolved. Still, if you love the Roman aesthetic of shows like Spartacus (2010) and don’t mind when the story abandons realistic depictions of the era for the sake of a cool psychic moment, this is a fun version that finds a way to make the magic work alongside the historical creations.

SyFy was a haven for fun fantasy shows, with the five-season mystery series Haven being a great example of the kind of procedural that the network became known for. Based on the Stephen King novel The Colorado Kid, the show follows the Haven Police Department as they contend with the supernatural forces that threaten the small Maine town.

While the grounded police procedural elements quickly give way to increasingly ludicrous turns, the show is a solid drama for audiences who appreciated the ways Lucifer (2016) grounded strange supernatural touches with great performances. While the plotting suffers at times, the cast does a great job keeping the emotional cores consistent, even as the show goes in some wild directions.

One of the most emotionally effective fantasy shows of the last decade, Undone is singularly strange and deeply moving. Brought to life with a rotoscope animation style reminiscent of films like A Scanner Darkly (2006), the show follows a young woman named Alma who finds herself adrift in time after she survives a car crash. This allows her to communicate with her father, who is deceased in the present, and help uncover the truth surrounding his death.

Ambitious in its time-travel trickery, Doctor Who (2005) fans will find plenty to love in this show, with the real selling point being the overall tone established by show creators Kate Purdy and Raphael Bob-Waksberg. The latter, who is also the mind behind Bojack Horseman (2014) and Long Story Short (2025), brings a real emotional core to the story that makes it heartbreakingly authentic even when it's dealing with some really out-there concepts. As a two-season show with a beautifully understated finale, this is a quick but powerful watch that fantasy fans will find a lot of meaning in.

A perfectly kooky pick for fans of shows like Psych (2006) or Elsbeth (2024), Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is a delightful romp that finds the right balance between Poker Face (2023) and Pushing Daisies (2007). Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency was a goofy fan favorite that earned a lot of positive responses for its committed cast and absurdist touches. Based on the novel series of the same name by The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy author Douglas Adams, the show focuses on the eccentric “holistic detective” Dirk and his crime-solving partner Todd.

Samuel Barnett and Elijah Wood are perfectly attuned to the goofy nature of the show’s tone, with the gradually supernatural touches and eccentric vibes giving it a unique energy that’s infectious. If you want a serious mystery show with a touch of humor, try Sherlock (2010), but people who have an appreciation for comedy alongside their mysteries will have fun with this weird series.

One of the best film adaptations of the King Arthur mythos ever made, A24’s The Green Knight is a phenomenal grounded approach to the fantasy trope. Directed by Pete’s Dragon (2016) filmmaker David Lowery, The Green Knight adapts the tale of Sir Gawain with a perfectly attuned blend of the fantastical shades of the story and the grounded human touches. Dev Patel makes the potentially unlikable Gawain likable and ensures this coming-of-age arc across the misty British forests is deeply impactful.

If you’re looking for a more classically coded good versus evil fantasy story like Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), this movie might be a bit too heavy for your liking. Meditative in a way that plenty of other big swords and sorcery films don’t ever become, The Green Knight tackles the subject matter with the same kind of emotional dramatics that fit it atop the grim fantasy film genre that also includes great movies like The Death of Robin Hood (2026) and Outlaw King (2018).

Directed and co-written by Andrew Patterson, The Vast of Night is an engrossing character study that knows how to set up a massive story without losing sight of the grounded world around it. The film follows disc jockey Everett and his friend Fay after they accidentally catch a radio signal that alludes to potential extraterrestrial life. Ambitious in its approach to the sci-fi genre, it feels more in line with Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Disclosure Day (2026) than the typically more action-packed sci-films of the modern era.

It helps that the film has two terrific lead performances that help ground the first-time director's debut effort, keeping the film relatable even when it goes full sci-fi. Impressive in its underlying craft if a little slow for fans of bombastic sci-fi, this approach to sci-fi that puts more emphasis on the strange supernatural nature of it all is definitely worth a watch for fans of headier fantasy.

A good pick for families looking for an underrated fantasy to share, Inkheart is a goofy good time. The film focuses on Mo and his daughter Meggie, who find themselves on the run with the Inkheart, a magical book that can summon characters from the storybook and bring them into the real world.

Venturing across settings that range from the Arabian Nights that inspired Aladdin (1992) to the source material for The Wizard of Oz (1939), this fantasy story flew under the radar when it was released as a peer to the massive success of franchises like the Harry Potter series. While it may lean a little too young for audiences who are looking for a bit more emotional complexity or maturity in their fantasy stories, Inkheart is a good tale to introduce younger audiences to the genre.

Described by fans as a cheery counterpoint to Black Mirror (2011), Tales From the Loop is a clever little sci-fi show that focuses on the inhabitants of the town of Mercer, Ohio. There, scientists like Loretta and George work at a facility for experimental physics known as the Loop. As time goes on, their work begins to impact the state of reality around them, blending time and space together in unexpected ways.

Largely connected through this overarching plot, a series of largely self-contained plots follows that explore the intersection of the potential (and limits) of both the technological future and the human condition. While the show can be a little too slow for audiences who want twists and turns with their sci-fi mysteries, there's a lot to love about the performances, direction, and writing of Tales From the Loop that elevate it beyond the quiet and emotional touchstones that ground the underrated sci-fi series.