(Photo by Warner Bros/courtesy Everett Collection. Movie: The NeverEnding Story.)

35 Best 1980s Fantasy Movies Ranked

The NeverEnding Story celebrates its 40th anniversary!

Star Wars didn’t just open the floodgates for science fiction and space operas. Fantasy movies also erupted in Skywalker’s wake, offering an arena of dreamy imagination for audiences seeking worlds beyond our own. 1980s fantasies have a distinct feel to them, with their classical and romantic storytelling, top puppetry and makeup, and some early (and dodgy) computer graphics. The Princess Bride is arguably the ultimate ’80s fantasy movie, a postmodern yet timeless tale of true love, piracy, and rodents of unusual size.

For our guide to the best 1980s fantasy movies, we’ve collected practically every movie of the genre with a Tomatometer and ranked them by score, with Certified Fresh films first. Industry originals like Don Bluth (The Secret of NIMH), Terry Gilliam (Time Bandits, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen), and Jim Henson (The Dark Crystal) were at their creative height. But even established directors made uncharted moves, like Ridley Scott and Tom Cruise in Legend. The Neverending Story (directed by Wolfgang Petersen) has stuck around because of its featured creatures and heavy emotional beats, while the physically charged fairy tale Labyrinth was a revelation for young women and older children.

Disney turned to the dark side, with the surprisingly violent Dragonslayer and the moody Black Cauldron, a box office bomb that got the studio to lighten up with The Little Mermaid, kicking off their late ’80s and ’90s renaissance. Independent animation took big swings (Heavy Metal, The Last Unicorn), Arnold Schwarzenegger got his break as Conan the Barbarian, and Willow is now summoned back to the Daikini world with a Disney+ series.

And now, as you wish: The best 1980s fantasy movies by Tomatometer, with Certified Fresh films first.

#1

The Princess Bride (1987)
Tomatometer icon 96%

#1
Critics Consensus: A delightfully postmodern fairy tale, The Princess Bride is a deft, intelligent mix of swashbuckling, romance, and comedy that takes an age-old damsel-in-distress story and makes it fresh.
Synopsis: A fairy tale adventure about a beautiful young woman and her one true love. He must find her after a [More]
Directed By: Rob Reiner

#2

The Little Mermaid (1989)
Tomatometer icon 92%

#2
Critics Consensus: The Little Mermaid ushered in a new golden era for Disney animation with warm and charming hand-drawn characters and catchy musical sequences.
Synopsis: In Disney's beguiling animated romp, rebellious 16-year-old mermaid Ariel (Jodi Benson) is fascinated with life on land. On one of [More]
Directed By: Ron Clements, John Musker

#3

The Secret of NIMH (1982)
Tomatometer icon 93%

#3
Critics Consensus: The Secret of NIMH seeks to resurrect the classical style of American animation and succeeds, telling a mature story with rapturous presentation.
Synopsis: Mrs. Brisby (Elizabeth Hartman), a widowed mouse, must move her children out of their home in a field before the [More]
Directed By: Don Bluth

#4

Time Bandits (1981)
Tomatometer icon 92%

#4
Critics Consensus: Time Bandits is a remarkable time-travel fantasy from Terry Gilliam, who utilizes fantastic set design and homemade special effects to create a vivid, original universe.
Synopsis: Young history buff Kevin (Craig Warnock) can scarcely believe it when six dwarfs emerge from his closet one night. Former [More]
Directed By: Terry Gilliam

#5
Critics Consensus: Bursting with Terry Gilliam's typically imaginative flourishes, this story of a possibly deranged Baron recounting his storied life is a flamboyant and witty visual treat.
Synopsis: During the "Age of Reason" of the late 18th century, the Turkish army lays siege to a European city where [More]
Directed By: Terry Gilliam

#6

Flash Gordon (1980)
Tomatometer icon 83%

#6
Critics Consensus: Campy charm and a knowing sense of humor help to overcome a silly plot involving a spacefaring ex-football player, his adoring bevy of groupies, and a supervillain named Ming the Merciless.
Synopsis: Although NASA scientists are claiming the unexpected eclipse and strange hot hail are nothing to worry about, Dr. Hans Zarkov [More]
Directed By: Mike Hodges

#7
#7
Critics Consensus: A magical journey about the power of a young boy's imagination to save a dying fantasy land, The NeverEnding Story remains a much-loved kids adventure.
Synopsis: On his way to school, Bastian (Barret Oliver) ducks into a bookstore to avoid bullies. Sneaking away with a book [More]
Directed By: Wolfgang Petersen

#8

The Dark Crystal (1982)
Tomatometer icon 78%

#8
Critics Consensus: The Dark Crystal's narrative never quite lives up to the movie's visual splendor, but it remains an admirably inventive and uniquely intense entry in the Jim Henson canon.
Synopsis: Jen (Stephen Garlick), raised by the noble race called the Mystics, has been told that he is the last survivor [More]
Directed By: Jim Henson, Frank Oz

#9

Labyrinth (1986)
Tomatometer icon 77%

#9
Critics Consensus: While it's arguably more interesting on a visual level, Labyrinth provides further proof of director Jim Henson's boundless imagination.
Synopsis: Frustrated with babysitting on yet another weekend night, Sarah (Jennifer Connelly), a teenager with an active imagination, summons the Goblins [More]
Directed By: Jim Henson

#10

Excalibur (1981)
Tomatometer icon 73%

#10
Critics Consensus: John Boorman's operatic, opulent take on the legend of King Arthur is visually remarkable, and features strong performances from an all-star lineup of British thespians.
Synopsis: The magical sword of Excalibur starts off in the hands of British lord Uther Pendragon (Gabriel Byrne) and then, years [More]
Directed By: John Boorman

#11

Quest for Fire (1981)
Tomatometer icon 88%

#11
Critics Consensus: Its characters can't do much more than grunt, but that doesn't keep Quest for Fire from offering a deeply resonant -- and surprisingly funny -- look at the beginning of the human race.
Synopsis: In the prehistoric world, a Cro-Magnon tribe depends on an ever-burning source of fire, which eventually extinguishes. Lacking the knowledge [More]
Directed By: Jean-Jacques Annaud

#12

Dragonslayer (1981)
Tomatometer icon 84%

#12
Critics Consensus: An atypically dark Disney adventure, Dragonslayer puts a realistic spin -- and some impressive special effects -- on a familiar tale.
Synopsis: A terrible dragon is terrorizing the medieval land of Urland in the 6th century. Representatives from the kingdom seek the [More]
Directed By: Matthew Robbins

#13

The Last Unicorn (1982)
Tomatometer icon 75%

#13
Critics Consensus: The Last Unicorn lacks the fluid animation to truly sparkle as an animated epic, but offbeat characters and an affecting story make it one of a kind for the true believers.
Synopsis: In this animated musical, the villainous King Haggard (Christopher Lee) plots to destroy all the world's unicorns. When a young [More]

#14

Highlander (1986)
Tomatometer icon 69%

#14
Critics Consensus: People hate Highlander because it's cheesy, bombastic, and absurd. And people love it for the same reasons.
Synopsis: When the mystical Russell Nash (Christopher Lambert) kills a man in a sword fight in a New York City parking [More]
Directed By: Russell Mulcahy

#15
#15
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A Hobbit faces the powers of darkness as he tries to destroy the Ring of Doom. Based on J.R.R. Tolkien's [More]

#16
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A medieval prince (Lee Horsley) rescues a damsel (Kathleen Beller) and avenges his slain family with a triple-edged sword. [More]
Directed By: Albert Pyun

#17

Heavy Metal (1981)
Tomatometer icon 66%

#17
Critics Consensus: It's sexist, juvenile, and dated, but Heavy Metal makes up for its flaws with eye-popping animation and a classic, smartly used soundtrack.
Synopsis: Adventures from deep space to futuristic New York, and beyond. Each world and story is dominated by the presence of [More]
Directed By: Gerald Potterton

#18

Conan the Barbarian (1982)
Tomatometer icon 67%

#18
Critics Consensus: Though Conan may take itself too seriously for some, this adventure film about a former slave seeking vengeance is full of quotable Schwarzenegger lines and gritty action.
Synopsis: Orphaned boy Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is enslaved after his village is destroyed by the forces of vicious necromancer Thulsa Doom [More]
Directed By: John Milius

#19

Ladyhawke (1985)
Tomatometer icon 68%

#19
Critics Consensus: There are pacing problems, but Ladyhawke has an undeniable romantic sweep that's stronger than most fantasy epics of its ilk.
Synopsis: Upon breaking out of a dungeon, youthful thief Phillipe Gaston (Matthew Broderick) befriends Capt. Navarre (Rutger Hauer), a man with [More]
Directed By: Richard Donner

#20

Clash of the Titans (1981)
Tomatometer icon 63%

#20
Critics Consensus: A goofy, old-school sword-and-sandal epic, Clash of the Titans mines Greek mythology for its story and fleshes it out with Ray Harryhausen's charmingly archaic stop-motion animation techniques.
Synopsis: Perseus (Harry Hamlin), son of the Greek god Zeus (Laurence Olivier), grows up on a deserted island. His destiny is [More]
Directed By: Desmond Davis

#21

Fire and Ice (1983)
Tomatometer icon 67%

#21
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: This fantastical animated movie by cult filmmaker Ralph Bakshi finds the villainous Nekron and his mother, Queen Juliana, attacking the [More]
Directed By: Ralph Bakshi

#22

Return to Oz (1985)
Tomatometer icon 59%

#22
Critics Consensus: Return to Oz taps into the darker side of L. Frank Baum's book series with an inventive, dazzling adventure that never quite recaptures the magic of its classic predecessor.
Synopsis: Dorothy discovers she is back in the land of Oz, and finds the yellow brick road is now a pile [More]
Directed By: Walter Murch

#23

The Black Cauldron (1985)
Tomatometer icon 56%

#23
Critics Consensus: Ambitious but flawed, The Black Cauldron is technically brilliant as usual, but lacks the compelling characters of other Disney animated classics.
Synopsis: In the land of Prydain, lowly pig herder Taran (Grant Bardsley) dreams of becoming a gallant knight. Young Taran receives [More]
Directed By: Ted Berman, Richard Rich

#24

Willow (1988)
Tomatometer icon 52%

#24
Critics Consensus: State-of-the-art special effects and an appealing performance from Warwick Davis can't quite save Willow from its slow pace and generic story.
Synopsis: Enter the world of "Willow." Journey to the far corners of your imagination, to a land of myth and magic, [More]
Directed By: Ron Howard

#25

Erik the Viking (1989)
Tomatometer icon 50%

#25
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A Viking with a conscience, Erik (Tim Robbins) tires of pillaging and decides to set out on a quest. When [More]
Directed By: Terry Jones

#26

The BeastMaster (1982)
Tomatometer icon 50%

#26
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Prehistoric Dar (Marc Singer) uses ESP with animals to save a slave girl (Tanya Roberts) from a sorcerer (Rip Torn). [More]
Directed By: Don Coscarelli

#27

Legend (1985)
Tomatometer icon 43%

#27
Critics Consensus: Not even Ridley Scott's gorgeously realized set pieces can save Legend from its own tawdry tale -- though it may be serviceable for those simply looking for fantasy eye candy.
Synopsis: Darkness (Tim Curry) seeks to create eternal night by destroying the last of the unicorns. Jack (Tom Cruise) and his [More]
Directed By: Ridley Scott

#28

Happily Ever After (1993)
Tomatometer icon 40%

#28
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Snow White tries to rescue her prince with the seven dwarfs' cousins, the dwarfelles. [More]
Directed By: John Howley

#29

Krull (1983)
Tomatometer icon 35%

#29
Critics Consensus: While nostalgic fans may view it through rose-Krullered glasses, this would-be sci-fi epic is painfully derivative.
Synopsis: On the planet of Krull, an evil creature called the Beast decimates the world's army and kidnaps the lovely Princess [More]
Directed By: Peter Yates

#30

Conan the Destroyer (1984)
Tomatometer icon 29%

#30
Critics Consensus: Conan the Destroyer softens the edges that gave its predecessor gravitas, resulting in a campy sequel without the comparative thrills.
Synopsis: In his second cinematic adventure, the mighty warrior Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is tricked into working for the scheming Queen Taramis [More]
Directed By: Richard Fleischer

#31

Sheena (1984)
Tomatometer icon 11%

#31
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The Zambouli tribe raise a young white orphan whom their shaman believes to have been sent as part of a [More]
Directed By: John Guillermin

#32
#32
Critics Consensus: Masters of the Universe is a slapdash adaptation of the He-Man mythos that can't overcome its cynical lack of raison d'etre, no matter how admirably Frank Langella throws himself into the role of Skeletor.
Synopsis: When the evil Skeletor (Frank Langella) finds a mysterious power called the Cosmic Key, he becomes nearly invincible. However, courageous [More]
Directed By: Gary Goddard

#33

Hercules (1983)
Tomatometer icon 22%

#33
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In this adaptation of the Greek myth, Hercules (Lou Ferrigno) -- a semi-divine being -- squares off against King Minos [More]
Directed By: Luigi Cozzi

#34

Red Sonja (1985)
Tomatometer icon 23%

#34
Critics Consensus: Dull, poorly directed, and badly miscast, Red Sonja is an uninspired conclusion to Schwarzenegger's barbarian trilogy.
Synopsis: Power-hungry Queen Gedren (Sandahl Bergman) captures the priestesses guarding the Talisman, a mystical orb that created and can destroy the [More]
Directed By: Richard Fleischer

#35
Critics Consensus: Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure struggles with wooden performances and a formulaic plot that fails to capture the charm and excitement of the larger Star Wars universe.
Synopsis: When a family's spacecraft crashes on the forest moon of planet Endor, teenage son Mace (Eric Walker) and his little [More]
Directed By: John Korty

Henry Cavill in The Witcher season 2

(Photo by Susie Allnutt/Netflix)

Season 2 of Netflix series The Witcher has given fantasy fans life this holiday season. The series follows the adventures of monster-hunter Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) and the sorceresses he loves. Based on Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski’s popular book series — which also spawned a hugely popular video game franchise — the program found its narrative footing in its s second season and further established the storylines for fan-favorite characters like Ciri (Freya Allan) and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) while expanding the show’s lushly brooding universe.

It’s a safe bet that The Witcher is Netflix’s most-successful original fantasy series to date. The program’s second season racked up 142 million hours streamed in its first week on the platform. Those big numbers solidify the series’ standing, which has already been renewed for a third season at Netflix.

Waiting for a new season can be tough, so if you’ve finished binging season 2 of The Witcher and are itching for more Cavill or simply require killer monster-hunting fun in your life, here are 10 fantasy shows and movies to watch next.


The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf is The Witcher’s first official spinoff. The animated movie ventures far into the past and follows a man named Vesemir (Theo James), whose name may sound familiar to fans of Netflix’s flagship series as he was the one who trained Cavill’s Geralt. In this standalone tale, Vesemir is on the hunt for an insidious beast that stalks the forested area near the kingdom of Kaedwen. The drama that unfolds finds Vesemir’s future put in the balance as Lady Zerbst (Mary McDonnell) and a sorceress named Tetra (Lara Pulver) discuss whether it’s best they rid the world of witchers entirely.

Where to watch: Netflix


Tom Cruise, bombastic action sequences, and jaw-dropping stunts — these are just a few things audiences have come to expect from a Mission Impossible movie. Fallout delivers on those fronts while also standing out in the franchise as the first installment to be a direct sequel to its previous movie, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team get into the usual tricky espionage mess with Cavill delivering a brutishly violent performance that stands out as one of his best. He plays August Walker, a towering spy sidekick assigned to make sure Ethan doesn’t stray from the mission. To say that they butt heads would be putting it mildly.

Where to watch: streaming by subscription on Paramount+ and on demand for sale (Vudu) or rent (Amazon, Apple TV, others)


Castlevania follows Trevor Belmont, our main monster-fighting hero, as he ventures on a quest to stop Dracula – the evil vampire who killed his wife Lisa – from destroying all of humanity as we know it. The series is chock full of the horror and action one would expect from an anime adaptation of the iconic games. But what makes it stand out from the pack, aside from the visceral gore that permeates the show’s fight sequences, is the fact that, while the program is mostly inspired by Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, the show picks and chooses story elements and characters from the entries in the game series to create a unique world all its own.

Where to watch: Netflix, 4 seasons


Monster-hunting is in Geralt’s blood and considering the found family dynamic that plays out in season 2 with Ciri, it makes complete sense to add Supernatural to this list. Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) are in the business of battling demons, vampires, werewolves, angels, and more. The monster-of-the-week formula of the series was just one of the reasons why the CW program lasted as long as it did. Supernatural is built on the emotional bond between the hero brothers and has a wonderful sense of humor that permeates many of the program’s episodes. It may have been a network television series, but the horror and sci-fi elements featured throughout the series, along with the show’s memorable characters and deeply complex mythology, make it a worthy watch for any Witcher fan.

Where to watch: Netflix, 15 seasons


It’s about time a different member of Sherlock Holmes’ family gets the spotlight. Enola Holmes followed through on that notion by putting Sherlock’s younger sister (played by Millie Bobby Brown) front-and-center for her own adventure. Based on the YA novel series by Nancy Springer, the Netflix movie finds the precocious sibling getting into a fair share of trouble while solving a mystery or two of her own. It’s worth pointing out that there are no monsters to kill in this movie; however, Henry Cavill does show up as the most dashing, jacked Sherlock Holmes we’ve seen on-screen since Robert Downey Jr. took part in a bare-chested brawl in Guy Ritchie’s 2009 film.

Where to watch: Netflix


It may be that you watched The Witcher because you loved Game of Thrones. When the Netflix fantasy epic first dropped, Game of Thrones comparisons were tossed around with reckless abandon. And that is understandable, given the fact that the HBO series completely changed how genre television worked. Game of Thrones set the standard for fantasy world-building and explored dysfunctional family dynamics and political complexities that exist within the grandiose fictional realm known as Westeros. It is built upon the existing fandom of George R.R. Martin’s books and, over the course of eight seasons, held court as one of the most popular television shows across the globe — much like The Witcher’s pre-existing book and video game fan base. Oh, and if you’re looking for some epic monster battles, the show is chock full of dragons, has a pesky red witch to deal with, and the White Walkers are simply terrifying.

Where to watch: HBO Max, 8 seasons


The Wheel of Time is Amazon Prime Video’s first big-budget fantasy series. Based on Robert Jordan’s best-selling books, the show follows Rosamund Pike as Moiraine, a formidable Aes Sedai (a woman who can channel the One Power), as she goes on a journey to find the Dragon Reborn — the latest manifestation of a person, man or woman, with the skill to take on the Dark One, resulting in either humanity’s salvation or its destruction. The program’s Chosen One motif has sparked many comparisons to Lord of the Rings (the books drew huge inspiration from J.R.R. Tolkien’s work), and The Wheel of Time holds recognizable genre details — monsters, large battles, magic, an epic road trip, and more — that will surely appeal to viewers plagued with Witcher withdrawals.

Where to watch: Amazon’s Prime Video, 1 season


Cavill’s portrayal of Superman was the introduction, for many audiences, to the charm and emotional depth the actor regularly brings in his work. He first appeared in Man of Steel, bringing a sense of purpose, but also vengeful rage, to the superhero story. The follow-up, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, further complicated matters as he tried to clear his name while facing off against the Caped Crusader, bringing the two comic book heavy-hitters together on the big screen along with Wonder Woman (DC fans’ first look at Gal Gadot as the character), and opening up DC’s cinematic universe, in the process. Zack Snyder’s Justice League found Cavill reuniting with Ben Affleck‘s Batman and Wonder Woman in the four-hour-long installment – DCEU’s longest-running release to date. As polarizing as these movies have been among fans, it’s easy to see why Cavill has returned to the role of Superman again and again. He’s just that fun to watch.

Where to watch: HBO Max


The Tudors is not a fantasy series, nor are there any otherworldly beasts that need to be defeated here. This is a work of historical fiction that follows the exploits of King Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). So why is the show on the list? Cavill, of course. He plays Charles Brandon, the 1st Duke of Suffolk, and a close friend of King Henry. The show has a fair share of political intrigue, brutal action, and lascivious drama. And if you’re in need of more Cavill on your television screen, you really can’t go wrong by plugging into The Tudors to get your fix.

Where to watch: Showtime, 4 seasons


No monster-fighting list would be complete without 1981’s Clash of the Titans. The movie brought Greek mythology to the big screen and followed Perseus (Harry Hamlin), the son of Zeus (Laurence Olivier), as he pursues the quintessential hero’s journey to battle a cavalcade of monsters in order to rescue Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker). Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion effects are a true highlight here. If you’re keen on a Greek mythology double feature and/or prefer CGI and don’t mind their low Tomatometer scores, try 2010’s Clash of the Titans remake starring Sam Worthington as Perseus and Liam Neeson as Zeus or Tarsem Singh’s 2011 film Immortals, with action and big monster battles and starring a frequently shirtless Cavill as Theseus and Luke Evans as Zeus. You’ll thank us later.

Where to watch: HBO Max


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Steven Ferdman/Getty Images

(Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images)

If you’re caught up on Starz’ hit series Power, you’re already well acquainted with Omari Hardwick, the Georgia-born actor who stars in the 50 Cent-produced crime drama as Ghost, a drug dealer looking to go straight. If you don’t watch the show, you may still know Hardwick from any of his appearances on series like Saved and Dark Blue or in movies like Kick-Ass, For Colored Girls, or Boots Riley’s acclaimed debut Sorry to Bother You earlier this year.

Currently, Hardwick stars alongside longtime friend Meagan Good in a romantic drama called A Boy. A Girl. A Dream., about a man and woman who meet and begin to fall for each other on the night of the 2016 presidential election in Los Angeles. Like Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Oscar-winning Birdman, the ambitious film is presented in real time, shot in a single take as the two stars make their way from party to party over the course of the evening.

Hardwick spoke to Rotten Tomatoes about his Five Favorite Films, noting that, “These movies I’m giving you, I came up with them knowing that what I have an affinity for presently — I’m 40 years old — I equally had at eight years old.” With that in mind, he found it difficult to narrow them down to just five, so read on for Omari Hardwick’s Seven Favorite Films.


Mean Girls (2004) 84%

One is probably the biggest surprise for my fanbase. If they were to say, “What’s the movie that would most surprise someone that Omari likes?” it would be Mean Girls. I love Mean Girls. Freaking love it.

I think she’s at an age where she can watch it. So, we had it on, days before we get on the plane to come back to New York, because obviously, this time of year, we keep coming back for the start of Power. She started kindergarten, so I thought she’s old enough to watch it. But that fight scene in the hallway, with the girls, when everybody goes crazy on each other. She ran out, into her playroom, and I looked at my wife, like, “It’s Mean Girls. It’s not that bad.”

What I realized is, part of my daughter’s reaction was because it’s so… not necessarily over the top, but it is. Where it’s not over the top is, girls, as you and I know, that’s the way they fight. Whereas, in kindergarten, we punched each other in the face, and then the guy that you punched becomes your best friend for 35 years. So, it’s just the level of truth in it that makes it so freaking funny. The level of how mean girls can be to each other just makes it really, really funny. Also, I just find Tina Fey’s writing to be very subtle, and so good.

Coming to America (1988) 73%

The other one in the comedy genre is an all-time classic, Coming to America. Like Harlem NightsComing to America, the rawness of it, Eddie and Arsenio’s relationship, just all the different characters Eddie was able to play and pull off — not a shabby job, Arsenio played a lot of characters himself —  but the brilliance of Eddie Murphy. If they gave Oscars for comedies back then, that would have been the top of the list.

You know, Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor turned in some incredible ones, too, but I tend to love what Coming to America was all about. Just the fact that it was New York, and how it started and where it went.

Clash of the Titans (1981) 63%

Clash of the Titans raised me, to the point where I probably watched it in my old apartment 35 times. It was a constant. It was so advanced for its time. Harry Hamlin was in it; he went on to be in L.A. Law with Blair Underwood. And the Kraken… It was so good! I could watch it over and over. I think they tried to remake it, right? With Sam Worthington? The original Clash of the Titans, though, is just… I could watch that all the time.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 89%

Shawshank, I guess, because of the quiet nature of the movie, the development of it. I’ve heard that it’s a movie that didn’t really catch the multitude of fanfare for a while. People didn’t catch on immediately. I got it immediately. I got the story, the narrative, and who can’t listen to Morgan Freeman narrate a movie all day long? Also, Tim Robbins killed it. Our very own William Sadler, of course, who has brought to us Tony Teresi, in terms of [Joseph Sikora’s] Tommy’s father in Power. Sadler was great in it. Clancy Brown, who was in The Guardian with me and Kevin Costner, one of my first castmates. The Guardian was probably my second big movie. So, I love Shawshank.

Rocky (1976) 93%

The first Rocky. Just an amazing movie. Whatever the hunger is, the fight, literally and figuratively, that Sylvester Stallone had in him to make the movie, right? To go through people saying, “Nah, nah.” And even Carl Weathers said, at one point, “Okay, this is incredible. So who’ll play Rocky?” And they’re like, “Sylvester Stallone, this young kid nobody knows.” And just him selling the dog, getting the dog back, the whole story behind it — during pre-production he buys the dog back. And Talia Shire was amazing, Francis Ford Coppola’s sister. It was just Sly Stallone at his very best, even as a writer-producer. And the incredible actor who played Mickey, Burgess Meredith. It’s an amazing movie you can watch over and over, no matter the gender or color or creed or religion. Rocky is a survivor’s movie, an American tale of a young kid trying to make good, and he finally makes good. It’s just such a great movie. The wardrobing, the score, the music, it’s unbelievable.

Malcolm X (1992) 89%

Denzel just became Malcolm, and Spike Lee did an incredible job. And again, the story behind that of getting Oprah, whomever else to aid in it, finishing the movie. Even Spike, and what he did as an actor, even if it’s sort of playing his thing. It was just really, really good. He’s done, obviously, great ones. You know the other ones, Mo’ Better Blues and School Daze, and Do the Right Thing was just unbelievable. But there was so much polish and the brilliance in how he did this testimonial of an iconic guy that many people at the end started to really relate to, even more than Dr. King.

An Affair of Love (1999) 86%

Rounding out my list would be a love story, and it’s a French film called An Affair of Love. That has always gotten me. It’s funny, I only know it on VHS; I got it years ago on VHS. I don’t remember if it was to study, you know, as a sprouting actor, and learning my craft, or if I just grabbed it. I had a friend at the time who was a struggling actor — you know, I don’t think God’s call for him was acting — but he worked at Blockbuster while we were all trying to make ends meet. I think he was doing inventory, if I’m not wrong. It was before Blockbuster was going to close, and I think I grabbed it one night, late at Blockbuster, trying to help him do inventory. But it’s An Affair of Love and it’s just incredible. Two lovers who basically, in France, to and from their respective jobs, on the train, to a room, but we never really see them in the room where they’re going, to have this affair. They start to fall for each other, then the cameras come in the room.

Otherwise, we just see their physical persons walking down the hall, and then exiting, and then, sort of with their own friends or co-workers, trying to figure out what this is that’s happening to them. You finally get what they feel, by the cameras coming into the room, once they start to fall, and of course, when they fall in love, then the affair’s over. They can’t take it. It’s just brilliant. It’s called An Affair of Love. It’s a great film.


Ryan Fujitani for Rotten Tomatoes: One of the defining aspects of A Boy. A Girl. A Dream. is that it takes place in real time, and it’s presented all in a Birdman-style single take. How difficult was that?

Omari Hardwick: It was definitely a challenge. It required a level of trust in my fellow actor, specifically Meagan Good, who did an incredible job, but we were aided in the reality of having known each other for 20 years.

When I got cut from the NFL, I did New York first, in terms of theater, crazy grimy theaters, never Broadway, off-Broadway, hole-in-the-wall theaters, and made it to L.A. pre-9/11. I found poetry venues immediately, being a writer. So, the movie definitely was aided by having a relationship that I had developed with her as far back as finding those poetry venues in L.A. Ironically, she was a 16-year-old actress who was really rocking it — she had come off of Eve’s Bayou or what have you, and we got close. But we’ve known each other for so long.

And I would say, you know, she and Curtis, at one point, dated, Curtis being 50 Cent. He and I actually spoke about me and her working together, and how proud I was of her. I never thought that Meagan got enough, perhaps, credence for how intelligent she is, how expansive I believe her to be, but I think the window is not always as opportune for a brown, female actress to succeed, if that makes sense to you.

So, it was a challenge, but it was also one of those things where, as a big brother, perhaps, I took on the backpack to carry the ad-libbing. Let me do what I can at this stature that I’m now blessed to have, obviously being a poet and stage actor, I can use my ability to improv and ad-lib. But more importantly, with her being cast to play it, let me try to work as hard as I can to make her see it in a different light.

It was hard. It was definitely difficult. It was 60 pages, loosely, of us knowing the script, and then it was about 30 pages where they let us riff, and that’s a lot.

RT: That’s a lot of room for improvisation.

Hardwick: There was a lot of room. You know, the other actors… Dijon Talton I had worked with on I Will Follow, the first film of Ava DuVernay, and of course, she was Ava DuVernay. I did two movies with her. I did a movie called Middle of Nowhere, but I did a movie first called I Will Follow, and that was the guy who played the nephew of Salli Richardson, and his name is Dijon Talton. He plays the Uber driver [in A Boy. A Girl. A Dream.], so there was a relationship between us that aided. Jay Ellis and I had a lot of room to improv and riff, being that we were both promoters of a club and trying to figure that whole thing out. Obviously, you’re watching this in real time, as you said, as these two fall in love the night that Donald Trump wins, so again, the prior relationship that I had with Meagan helped a lot. And Qasim [Basir], the director, I know as well.

So, those things are cheat sheets, of a sort. You’ve got CliffsNotes when you’ve got all of those people knowing each other, and I don’t really know if the same challenges would have been there, had we not known each other. That might have been a lot harder.

RT: You just touched upon this, but obviously there is some politics baked into the background of this story, but let’s start with the confrontation with the police that happens in the film. That scene serves the story, providing a way for your character and Meagan’s character to reconcile after their misunderstanding. But considering all the media attention surrounding police brutality lately, how did you feel personally about performing that scene? Is that too personal or political a question to ask?

Hardwick: No, I think it’s a good question, and the reason I think it’s a good question is because, you as a journalist, no matter what race you are or gender,  you can never know who you’re really talking to, but if you weren’t born yesterday — or, if you were born yesterday, if you at least stayed up all night — most people would imagine that at some point, an actor of the age range of an Omari Hardwick, who is an African-American male in this society, has definitely had his hand in that actual experience. We can relate to the fate of the Freddie Grays, the Michael Browns, the Trayvon Martins. It’s one of those things we’ve been through. We’re not that far from the reality of a lot of things, but as a country, we try to brush it under the carpet, is my point.

I don’t think you could ever talk to any African-American actor who’s in the position that I’m in — or even as young as a Michael B. Jordan, who’s a likable brother but younger than me, or a Jay Ellis, or Dijon Talton, or John David Washington, Denzel’s son — you could never speak to these people and not expect that we, at some point, have all experienced the things that Cass did in the film A Boy. A Girl. A Dream. I have definitely had seven to nine knees in my back, those knees being attached to five to seven different cops, of all races and gender, and an Asian cop running in, throwing a flashlight on my face and going, “Pick him up. He’s six shades lighter than the suspect.”

That’s a real story. I was 23 years old and 200 pounds, fresh off the football field, so not yet New York theater. That’s fresh off the football field, living in a $350 apartment that I eventually left pretty soon after. But that night, the milk exploded on the ground as I had just returned from the store — probably living on cereal. The freaking extension cord that I bought from the local Home Depot, because the chick I was dating was super cool and hooked me up with a TV in downtown L.A. — just a little visual for you — and then, it took just a nanosecond of walking down the street, probably literally whistling, minding my own, you know, because I fit the description of a murder suspect.

So it’s not a political question when you’re talking to people, I would imagine, my age, who are African-American, because we probably have been through it. It is what it is. You kind of play those scenes out. You don’t necessarily think about how personal it is to you, but… You know how the saying goes, “All we ever needed to know, we learned in kindergarten?” I would imagine that all we ever really needed to know about how to react to hate, that comes from that of racism. A lot of brown kids have known by a little after kindergarten, if you think about it. It’s there. So that one ain’t as hard to play for me, brother.

RT: Thanks for being open about all that; I appreciate that. Lastly, touching again on the politics in the movie, even with all of that happening in the background, there is a bit of a romance going on, but it’s more about the hopefulness, I think, that your characters are able to hold on to. With that in mind, what would you like viewers to take away most from this movie, which is a technical achievement, an acting achievement, and a statement of politics?

Hardwick: I think that’s a well set-up question. I think that the prior answer to the prior question perhaps is the best segue into that. Adding to what I said before, we live in two different Americas. We really do. We don’t talk about it enough.

Not to become political, but whether you agree with what [Colin] Kaepernick stands for or not, or whether you think it’s motivated by different intentions, the reality is, he’s not off in stating that he wants the country better. I don’t think that a biracial kid who was adopted by white people wants the country to not be better, in terms of forward progress, right?

So, I think with the movie, Qasim and producer Datari Turner — and I gotta give a shout-out to Steve Holleran, our DP, who was able to do all that camera stuff in one take, who is a red-headed white American — we are all in this huddle together, all looking different, obviously the gender of Meagan being different. The reality was, we all believed that there’s an unspoken truth, where we didn’t need to say it verbally, but telepathically we could communicate, as higher thinking beings who happen to be gifted, that A) there are two different Americas, and B) all human beings want a hug, right? Everybody wants a hug. Ultimately, after that, everyone has a dream, even if it’s demented, in terms of how the dream is influenced. Everyone dreams.

I think the best way to answer your question is, how do dreams smell and look, as they pertain to brown people in a country that seems divided in two? Does that mean that if a Ryan Gosling or Leo DiCaprio are playing Cass, and Meagan’s character is played by Rachel McAdams, it looks any different? No. The Notebook was one of the greatest love stories of our time. Our generation goes crazy about it. Diana Ross’ and our boy Billie Dee Williams’ Mahogany, right? Or Lady Sings the Blues. But truly, the blues you’re seeing a little bit, when you are brown, is that you’re still trying to have someone corroborate or justify or validate your dream, whether it be a first grade teacher believing that you can be what you’ve raised your hand and said you wanted to be, or protecting it. Like, Oprah Winfrey, she often brings to the forefront a white teacher — that first grade teacher believed in Oprah. That woman doesn’t look like Oprah.

It doesn’t matter the color of the person who believes in your dreams, but it does matter with the way America is, in terms of how that plays out that dream. So Donald Trump as a backdrop, or him winning the election, with this sort of thematic mantra that he lives his life with, is not befitting of these two guys in the movie that me and Meagan’s characters encounter. Then there’s other people that validate and justify what we feel in the characters. Even a cameo by Kenya Barris, right? In reality, without making it a race issue, we always try to make it a Trump issue, which is, just simply recognize that everyone wants a hug, everybody dreams, who wouldn’t root for somebody dreaming? And at the end of it, the political backdrop sort of speaks to the fact that, how is that dream, in terms of it being executed, and how does that look, if you don’t necessarily look like those that are able to get the American Pie, typically. It doesn’t mean we can’t get it, but the operative word is “typically,” because it doesn’t look the same for brown folks. Maybe this was always America. Who knows, right? You tell me what the painting is or what it used to be. Maybe it’s the same as it’s always been.


A Boy. A Girl. A Dream. opened in limited release on Friday, September 14. It’s also available to stream here.

Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, girls in tan speedsuits! Mass hysteria has gripped the nation since the hyperventilating presence of a femme Ghostbusters swooped in with a trailer, becoming the most disliked in YouTube history. Would a Mannequin remake cause the same tribulation? Only time will tell.

For now, as the Ghostbusters franchise crosses the mainstream once again, we look at 24 more ’80s movie remakes, ranked worst to best by Tomatometer! (Only original properties included — no Annie or Conan — while movies like 2011’s The Thing, which explicitly extend the original plot, are excluded.)