Swords, Sorcery and Sandals. Elves, Dwarves and Giants. It was a great time to grow up in the 1980’s with arguably the largest ever release of Sword & Sorcery films. The Lord of the Rings franchise still reigns as the best of the Fantasy Sword & Sorcery subgenre, but the 1980’s ruled when it came to Dungeons and Dragons fantasy come to life.
Of course, not all of these 1980’s Sword and Sorcery films were good. Most were bad…really bad. But, there were some classics to emerge from this decade including Excalibur (1981), Conan The Barbarian (1982), Krull (1983), Highlander (1986) and Willow (1994).
As it typical with most subgenres, the cycle repeats again in the 2000’s but with a divergence between Sword & Sorcery films and Sword & Sandals films. For the Sword & Sorcery subgenre, The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit films were the one ring that ruled them all for 2 decades. The Chronicles of Narnia was also a popular franchise within this subgenre during that time.
On the Sword & Sandals side, Braveheart (1995) was an outlier until the subgenre really took off with Gladiator (2000), King Arthur (2004), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Centurion (2010) and The Eagle (2011).
Our list of Fantasy Films About Sword & Sorcery includes over 80+ films from both the Sword & Sorcery and Sword & Sandals subgenres. For our Top Sword & Sorcery Films You Haven’t Seen list, there are a few caveats:
- Most of the films on this list are from the 1980’s given most of these films were released during that timeframe
- Most of the films aren’t that good (seriously) and are recommended for Nostalgia above anything else
- A majority of the films on this list are Sword & Sorcery films as quite a few of the Sword & Sandals films are included in our lists of Historical Films Set During the Classical Roman Era and Historical Films Set During the Medieval Era and will be on lists from those collections.
We have embedded a compilation video of our Top Sword & Sorcery Films You Haven’t Seen and more details on these films can be found in the list below. Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
#10
Hawk the Slayer
Plot: Brother sets out for revenge against his evil brother with the help of a Giant, Dwarf, Elf and one-armed man with a crossbow.
KBZ’s Take: Ok, this film is bad and has not aged well at all. The film looks like it was shot over a weekend, the actors take the film way too seriously and the special effects are horrible (even for the time period). You’ll know how bad in the opening scene when the sword’s ‘hand’ opens to receive the gemstone. All of that can be forgiven though for the film’s unforgettable and amazing soundtrack.
This film holds a special place in the heart of any child who grew up between 1965 – 1980. If you have a father who grew up during that time, seek this film out and surprise him with it. You won’t regret it.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3gQDhYP
#9
Dragonslayer
Plot: Sorcerer’s apprentice has to kill an evil dragon before it feasts on the King’s daughter.
KBZ’s Take: This film is very dark for a PG-rated Disney film. The special effects make it worth watching as it takes quite a long time to get to our battle of Man vs. Dragon. The Dragon design was done by ILM and it’s amazing for its time. Kids might get bored of the plot, but they won’t be able to turn away when the Dragon appears.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3it98PB
#8
Solomon Kane
Plot: Mercenary redeems himself by fighting evil.
KBZ’s Take: Anything from the Father of Sword & Sorcery, Robert E. Howard, should be seen if you’re a fan of the subgenre. Like Howard’s other popular character, Conan The Barbarian (1982), Solomon Kane is a darker entry into the Sword & Sorcery subgenre. If you liked Conan and Highlander (1984), this is definitely a film you should check out.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3B3cdMV
Plot: Man who can communicate with animals seeks revenge on his father’s killers.
KBZ’s Take: Another film on our list that you likely saw multiple times if you grew up during the 70’s and 80’s. If not, it’s one of the better Sword & Sorcery films and though it’s dark, it’s also fun. The film has some great action sequences and you’ll never forget the ending with the Jun horde and the bird-men.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3XKGslv
#6
Heavy Metal
Plot: A sci-fi and dark fantasy anthology centered around a glowing orb of evil.
KBZ’s Take: The one animated film your parents wouldn’t let you watch. This is R-rated and deservedly so. All of the anthology segments are great with Den and Taarna being the best of the Sword & Sorcery variety. Also features heavy metal classic soundtrack that ties well into the film.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3FkVpn6
#5
Ladyhawke
Plot: A curse turns a man into a wolf at night and his lover into a hawk by day so they can never be together.
KBZ’s Take: This film is more of medieval romantic drama than your typical Sword & Sorcery film, but it’s still one of the best of its era. Though it tends to be slow in parts and resembles a Romeo & Juliet knockoff, Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer anchor the film as the doomed lovers to never see each other in human form.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3iq4Rwl
#4
Wizards
Plot: Mutant wizard with long-lost military technology battles his twin brother.
KBZ’s Take: This film is what you would get if a Sword & Sorcery film was on LSD. Filled with psychedelic imagery integrated with animated fairies, elves and wizards, it’s a film that has to be seen to believed. Ralphs Bashki was the go-to adult animator of his time, creating some of the most popular animated Sword & Sorcery films of the subgenre – Lord of the Rings (1978) and Fire & Ice (1983). The plot is a bit hard to follow but it’s worth checking out for Bashki’s unique use of rotoscoping (more on that later).
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3FjgxK9
Plot: Medieval warrior protects the realm from monsters.
KBZ’s Take: Made for only $30,000 USD and with a short runtime of 72 minutes, there’s not enough that can be said of how great this film turns out. There’s not much of a plot other than the mysterious warrior going to battle (off screen) and returning with the heads of monsters. However, once we get to the final act, there’s a ‘monster’ you won’t be prepared for. Excellent film and highly recommended to check out if you love the Sword & Sorcery subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3B3CXfZ
Plot: The Fellowship of the Ring embark on a journey to destroy the One Ring.
KBZ’s Take: It’s surprising how many fans of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy have not heard of or seen this film. The first filmed attempt at The Hobbit and LOTR trilogies included 2 extremely different animation styles. On the one hand you had Rankin & Bass’ more traditional animation style with The Hobbit (1977) and Return of the King (1980). Lord of the Rings, however, was created by Bashki and included psychedelic backdrops, very dark moments and animation using rotoscoping. Though Jackson had the budget to properly show the Battle of Helms Deep, Bashki had to make due with the rotoscoping method that often times seemed at odds with other animation in the film.
With all that said, this film is a classic and even inspired some moments used in Jackson’s film. Who can forget the hobbits hiding under the log when the Nazgul approaches or the introduction of the Balrog? Even Gandalf arriving with the Riders of Rohan, though smaller in scale than Jackson’s film, still feels more urgent and suspenseful. As fans of both films, the Jackson LOTR trilogy is the definitive version to watch though we’ll always prefer Leonard Rosenman’s soundtrack from the animated version.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3iydIMn
Plot: A mercenary with a three-bladed sword is recruited to help a princess.
KBZ’s Take: I know we’ll likely get a lot of WTF comments for naming this as the #1 Sword & Sorcery Films You Haven’t Seen, but we’ll explain why you need to see it. First, it’s a fun film that never takes itself seriously. All the actors know they’re in a cheesy fantasy film and ham it up all throughout. Second, it’s dark and rated R. From the opening scene of the Sorcerer and the witch’s “now expelled from her chest cavity” heart, you know this film is not going to shy away from blood and gore. Third, it has the three-bladed sword that any 80’s youth will tell you was the #1 Christmas gift they wanted from Santa (even though it didn’t exist and was very impractical as a weapon). This is not an academy award type film by any means, but it is one of the defining films of the entire Sword & Sorcery subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3iq68DD
