Best movies — fantasy on Apple TV+ : our Top 20

1999 · Frank Darabont

On death row in a Southern penitentiary, a towering, soft-spoken inmate named John Coffey harbors a baffling ability to lift illness and suffering from others. When Paul Edgecomb, the cell block’s chief guard, witnesses Coffey’s restorative gift, he becomes obsessed with preventing the condemned man’s execution. Battling institutional forces and his own uncertainty, Edgecomb mounts a desperate attempt to save a man whose power challenges everything they thought they knew.

With Tom Hanks, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Clarke Duncan, James Cromwell, Michael Jeter and Graham Greene

1946 · Frank Capra

George Bailey has devoted his life to serving his small community in Bedford Falls, and the only barrier to the town falling into the hands of the ruthless financier Mr. Potter is the humble building-and-loan he manages. On Christmas Eve, when eight thousand dollars goes missing from the business, George is thrown into a desperate crisis that threatens his reputation, his livelihood, and the future of the people who depend on him.

With James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers, Beulah Bondi and Frank Faylen

2010 · Gurinder Chadha

George Bailey has dedicated his life to serving the people of Bedford Falls, running a small, community-minded building-and-loan that stands between the town and the greedy tycoon Mr. Potter. On Christmas Eve, when $8,000 suddenly goes missing, George is plunged into a desperate crisis that threatens his business, his reputation, and everything he has sacrificed for.

With Shabana Azmi, Goldy Notay, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Sally Hawkins, Mark Addy, Ray Panthaki and Lalita Ahmed

2003 · Gore Verbinski

Crafty Captain Barbossa seizes Jack Sparrow’s ship and abducts Governor Beckett’s daughter Elizabeth, prompting her childhood friend Will Turner to join forces with Jack in a desperate bid to free her and reclaim the infamous Black Pearl.

With Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush, Jack Davenport, Jonathan Pryce and Lee Arenberg

2011 · David Yates

Harry, Ron, and Hermione press on in their campaign to end Voldemort’s reign for good. Just as all hope seems lost, Harry uncovers three enchanted artifacts that bestow upon him powers capable of matching the Dark Lord’s formidable magic.

With Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter and Maggie Smith

2004 · Alfonso Cuarón

he learns how to approach a proud Hippogriff with care, turns terrifying, shape-shifting Boggarts into comic relief, and even delves into the risky art of tampering with time. But the term is overshadowed by darker forces—the soul-draining Dementors prowl the grounds, a loyal follower of the Dark Lord lurks within the castle, and the notorious escapee Sirius Black has fled Azkaban. As threats close in, Harry must confront these dangers and uncover the truths tied to his past.

With Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman and Alan Rickman

2004 · Alfonso Cuarón

In his third year at Hogwarts, Harry finds a term that mixes whimsical lessons with growing menace. He learns to approach a proud Hippogriff, turns shape-shifting Boggarts into comic relief, and uses a mysterious time-turning device to balance impossible demands. Yet darker threats gather: soul-draining Dementors stalk the grounds, a follower of the Dark Lord hides within the castle, and the notorious Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban. As secrets surface, Harry must face betrayals and dangers that will test his courage and change what he believes.

With Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman and Alan Rickman

1993 · Henry Selick

Jack Skellington, the lanky monarch of Halloween Town, is tired of repeating the same scares year after year. In a bid to reinvent the season, he abducts Santa Claus and plots to replace toys with macabre presents — shrunken heads and other ghastly items — to be delivered on Christmas morning. As Jack’s warped vision of the holidays hurtles toward reality, his patchwork companion Sally, sensing the catastrophe ahead, quietly schemes to stop him.

With Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens and Ken Page

2008 · David Fincher

Arriving into the world under strange circumstances—as an elderly infant in a New Orleans nursing home—Benjamin Button begins life aging backward. When he is twelve, he meets Daisy, a youngster who drifts in and out of his life as she grows into a professional dancer. Though his years are filled with many extraordinary episodes, it is his bond with Daisy and the hope that their timelines will one day align that sustains him.

With Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Julia Ormond, Jason Flemyng, Mahershala Ali and Jared Harris

2001 · Chris Columbus

A neglected boy, raised by his aunt and uncle and made to sleep in a cramped corner beneath the stairs, discovers on his eleventh birthday that he is a powerful wizard and has been accepted into Hogwarts, the famed school of witchcraft and wizardry. As he learns to control his newfound powers with the support of the school's kindly headmaster, he begins to unravel the mystery of his parents' deaths and the dark figure behind them.

With Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman and Robbie Coltrane

1990 · Tim Burton

A stranded, unfinished laboratory creation called Edward appears in a quiet suburban neighborhood, upending everyday life as residents grapple with the unexpected consequences of a runaway experiment.

With Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Alan Arkin, Anthony Michael Hall, Vincent Price and Kathy Baker

2013 · Peter Jackson

Having fled the dangers of the Misty Mountains, the company—dwarves accompanied by Bilbo and Gandalf—presses onward toward the Lonely Mountain; Bilbo now carries the mysterious One Ring as they seek to reclaim their stolen treasure from the formidable dragon Smaug.

With Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly and Lee Pace

2010 · David Yates

Forgoing their final year at Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, and Hermione set out to locate and destroy the remaining Horcruxes—the only way to stop Voldemort’s quest for immortality. With their mentor Dumbledore gone and ruthless Death Eaters roaming free, their mission becomes ever more perilous as the wizarding world teeters on the brink.

With Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes and Michael Gambon

2012 · Peter Jackson

A comfort-loving hobbit is pulled from his quiet life by a wise wizard and a company of thirteen determined dwarves on a perilous journey to reclaim their ancestral mountain stronghold from the dragon Smaug.

With Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Graham McTavish, Aidan Turner, Ken Stott and Dean O'Gorman

1999 · Spike Jonze

While working a dull job, struggling puppeteer Craig stumbles upon a strange portal that opens into the consciousness of actor John Malkovich. Those who enter become obsessed with the heady, invasive rush of briefly inhabiting and controlling another person’s body.

With John Cusack, John Malkovich, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, Mary Kay Place, Orson Bean and Charlie Sheen

2005 · George Lucas

An ancient Sith conspiracy comes to light, dismantling the Republic and clearing the way for a ruthless Galactic Empire — Jedi Anakin Skywalker must make a pivotal decision about where his loyalties lie.

With Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Jimmy Smits and Frank Oz

2007 · Matthew Vaughn

A young man from a sleepy rural village that skirts an enchanted realm vows to his lover that he will recover a fallen celestial fragment by crossing into the otherworld. His quest plunges him into breathtaking landscapes and strange wonders, forcing him to confront hidden family secrets and ultimately discover who he truly is.

With Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, Sienna Miller, Ricky Gervais and Jason Flemyng

1994 · Neil Jordan

An ageless vampire confides in an unduly prying journalist, unspooling a sweeping saga of ardent love, ruthless betrayal, soul-deep isolation, and an unquenchable thirst.

With Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Kirsten Dunst, Antonio Banderas, Christian Slater, Stephen Rea and Thandiwe Newton

2006 · Gore Verbinski

his soul has been claimed by the dreaded Davy Jones, fearsome lord of the ocean’s abysses. Resourceful and unbowed, Jack refuses to go quietly and readies himself to battle for his freedom.

With Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Stellan Skarsgård, Bill Nighy, Jack Davenport and Kevin McNally

2014 · Peter Jackson

After Smaug's assault on Lake-town, Bilbo and the band of dwarves struggle to protect the vast hoard within the Lonely Mountain from rival claimants — the desperate survivors of the ruined town and the wood-elves of Mirkwood. At the same time, Azog the Defiler gathers a massive orc army to march on Erebor, spurred by the darkening influence of Sauron. Forced into an uneasy alliance, dwarves, elves and men must stand together, and the fate of Middle-earth increasingly rests on Bilbo's courage.

With Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans and Lee Pace