Today’s category: Magical Realism. The genre where the world is normal… mostly. The magic isn’t about saving the world or defeating a dark lord. It’s about everyday life, memory, love, grief, and the strange, beautiful ways we cope with being human.
Magical realism has always drawn me in, as I would assume most people, but it is our day dreams. Our what ifs. It’s not as crazy an exploring another planet or as mundane as *shudder* real life. It’s more.
As always, these are not ranked.
Prepare for wonder.
- Big Fish
- Pan’s Labyrinth
- Midnight in Paris
- Ruby Sparks
- Spirited Away
- Life of Pi
- Big
- The Green Mile
- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
- Pleasantville
Here are some brief bits of rationale:
Big Fish
This might be the perfect magical realism movie. It’s about storytelling, memory, and the complicated relationships between parents and children. The ending makes me cry every time. Every. Time. And that was even before I had kids. One of my all time favorite movies ever.
Pan’s Labyrinth
This was the other movie where I was on the edge of my seat in the theater. I said magical realism is about the what if, but that what if doesn’t always start in a good place. The idea of a world designed as a coping mechanism is bother awe-inspiring and heartbreaking. And those eyes will always be creepy.
Midnight in Paris
I went into this thinking it’d be a generic Owen Wilson comedy. I was happily wrong. This movie captures the romanticism of nostalgia perfectly. The idea that every generation believes the past was better is true and false at the same time.
Ruby Sparks
This one is clever and unsettling. It starts as a quirky romance and slowly becomes something much darker. It’s about control, creativity, and the ethics of storytelling. And who doesn’t want their stories to come to life?
Spirited Away
This put Miyazaki on the mainstream map in the United States. I was already a fan of Totoro and Castle in the Sky and many others, but the story telling and messaging in this were so profoundly different and applicable that the gravity of this movie makes it hit a bit harder than its predecessors.
Life of Pi
Another one that fits multiple genres and is on multiple lists. It’s philosophical, emotional, and visually stunning. It asks big questions about faith, truth, and the stories we choose to believe. Could there really be a tiger on a row boat? Could there journey really happen. Like Pan’s Labyrinth, there’s a lot for interpretation here.
Big
Simple, heartfelt, and timeless. What kid hasn’t wished to be older, to be a grownup. It takes all the wonder and misconceptions of youth and frames it in a completely entertaining and relatable way. Also… dancing chopsticks. Enough said.
The Green Mile
I often have arguments with people who say Stephen King only writes horror. This is possibly the best adaptation of his works, and it’s because of how real it is. How real it could be. It’s a story about people, not of events, and there’s not single big bad guy. It’s just people being people, and trying learning how to be their best selves.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
This one blends magical realism with video game logic and music and Canada. It’s energetic, weird, and full of visual creativity. It captures that chaotic stage of young adulthood and managed to cast 97.4% of the best actors in it. The nerd in me who looks back at this nerdy movie is tickled by the fact that Superman, Punisher, Captain Marvel, Captain America, Johnny Storm, Death, and The Huntress are all in it.
Pleasantville
I talked about this one the other day. This manages to be dystopic and magical realism at the same time. The shift from black-and-white to color is one of the most powerful visual metaphors in film. It’s about growth, change, and breaking free from expectations.
What magical realism movies would you add? Which ones did I miss? Let me know.
Eric Taveren 