THEME EXPLORATION

magical trials

21 films · 3 directors

Tracing the thread…

FILMS THAT EXPLORE THIS
Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time
1922 · Carl Theodor Dreyer
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
2016 · David Yates
Ghost Book
Ghost Book
2022 · Takashi Yamazaki
Macario
Macario
1960 · Roberto Gavaldon
Miracle in Milan
Miracle in Milan
1951 · Vittorio De Sica
Like Water for Chocolate
Like Water for Chocolate
1992 · Alfonso Arau
Atlantics
Atlantics
2019 · Mati Diop
Spirited Away
Spirited Away
2001 · Hayao Miyazaki
Volver
Volver
2006 · Pedro Almodóvar
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
2016 · Scott Derrickson
Zoology
Zoology
2016 · Ivan I. Tverdovsky
Ek Din
Ek Din
2026 · Sunil Pandey
Arisha, the Bear and the Stone Ring
Arisha, the Bear and the Stone Ring
1992 · Wim Wenders
Celine et Julie vont en bateau
Celine et Julie vont en bateau
1974 · Jacques Rivette
The Cassandra Cat
The Cassandra Cat
1963 · Vojtěch Jasný
A Monster Calls
A Monster Calls
2016 · J. A. Bayona
Andrina
Andrina
1982 · Bill Forsyth
Hercules in the Haunted World
Hercules in the Haunted World
1961 · Mario Bava
Kino-Pravda No. 1
Kino-Pravda No. 1
1922 · Dziga Vertov
Macunaima
Macunaima
1969 · Joaquim Pedro de Andrade
The Amulet of Ogum
The Amulet of Ogum
1974 · Nelson Pereira dos Santos
DIRECTORS WHO EXPLORE THIS
Guillermo del Toro Mexico

His films like Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water blend magical realism with trials of survival and moral complexity in richly fantastical worlds.

 Terry Gilliam United States/United Kingdom

His surrealist works such as Brazil and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen present protagonists navigating bewildering magical systems and impossible challenges.

 Hayao Miyazaki Japan

His Studio Ghibli masterpieces like Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle center on characters undergoing transformative magical trials within enchanted realms.