For a marathon to work, you need a few films that people already love, at least one genuine discovery, and something that sparks a conversation at the end.
Despite everything, the 2020s have produced some genuinely remarkable cinema. Films made under pressure that somehow carry none of it.
The best fantasy isn't escapism. It's a different lens on the same world - clearer for being unfamiliar.
Determined teen Din is longing to reconnect with his childhood best friend when he meets a wish-granting dragon who shows him the magic of possibilities.
Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it's up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people.
Luca and his best friend Alberto experience an unforgettable summer on the Italian Riviera. But all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water's surface.
Suddenly finding herself in the never-before-seen Land of Luck, the unluckiest person in the world must unite with the magical creatures there to turn her luck around.
The Demon Slayer Corps are drawn into the Infinity Castle, where Tanjiro, Nezuko, and the Hashira face terrifying Upper Rank demons in a desperate fight as the final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji begins.
These films use impossible settings to tell completely real stories. The dragons and doorways are just the medium.
With the help of the "Dragon Sin of Wrath" Meliodas and the worst rebels in history, the Seven Deadly Sins, the "Holy War", in which four races, including Humans, Goddesses, Fairies and Giants fought against the Demons, is finally over. At the cost of the "Lion Sin of Pride" Escanor's life, the Demon King was defeated and the world regained peace. After that, each of the Sins take their own path.
Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist, brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.
In a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there.
After a guardian of magical jewels turns an awkward girl and a popular boy into superheroes, they can never reveal their identities - even to each other.
While working underground to fix a water main, Brooklyn plumbers-and brothers-Mario and Luigi are transported down a mysterious pipe and wander into a magical new world. But when the brothers are separated, Mario embarks on an epic quest to find Luigi.
The best cinematography is invisible until it isn't. These films have moments where you notice the image and can't look away.
A great fantasy film leaves you with that rare ache - a longing to return to a world that never existed.