Collider has published a ranked list of the best fantasy films released since 2010, arguing that the genre has shifted away from traditional battles and prophecies towards more intimate, emotionally driven storytelling. The selected films largely avoid conventional villains, with the author highlighting how each uses fantastical elements, such as ghosts, monsters or a woman built from scratch, to explore themes like grief and memory rather than adventure for its own sake.

Among the entries detailed are Isao Takahata's hand-drawn "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya" (2013), Guillermo del Toro's Best Picture-winning "The Shape of Water" (2017), and David Lowery's atmospheric "The Green Knight" (2021) starring Dev Patel. Each is praised for distinctive craftsmanship, from Takahata's memory-like pencil animation style to Sally Hawkins' wordless performance and Doug Jones' physical creature work in "The Shape of Water".