Unsurprisingly, with so many movies released every year (with a total of 403 movies released in the United States and Canada in 2021), some movies are naturally overlooked. Of course, there are many reasons a film may be forgettable, from an uninteresting cast, bad writing, or just being poorly executed in a general sense.
Fantasy movies are particularly susceptible to being erased from memory, especially during the 2000s and 2010s when fantasy and sci-fi were popular genres. Some movies have been forgotten just by chance, perhaps because starring actors have gone on to bigger and better things, such is the case with the likes of Henry Cavill and Vin Diesel. Alternatively, some films have spelled an early end for would-be stars, leaving them relegated to direct-to-video status.
9 Immortals Stars Henry Cavill As The Mythological Theseus
Immortals is a 2011 mythological-fantasy movie directed by Tarsem Singh, starring Henry Cavill as the protagonist Theseus. Theseus is chosen by the gods to fight King Hyperion, a ruthless despot who is tearing Greece apart in his search for a mystical weapon called the Epirus Bow. Audiences would be forgiven for thinking the movie is the usual tale of Theseus, but the story is instead a mish-mash of various Greek myths.
While not an appalling movie, it is plagued by poor storytelling and lack of character development, making it a somewhat forgettable film despite its box office success.
8 The Last Witch Hunter Is A Self Explanatory Movie Starring Vin Diesel
2015's The Last Witch Hunter stars Vin Diesel (Fast & Furious) as the titular witch hunter Kaulder, who must face the Witch Queen once again after hunting down her minions for centuries by himself. Surprisingly, despite being a box office flop, the movie is supposedly due for sequel treatment.
Audiences enjoyed the film's action and concept, but noted that as most of the movie takes place at night the action is hard to follow. Most disappointingly though are both the story and dialogue, which are bogged down by dull exposition dumps and cheesy catchphrases. The Last Witch Hunter is a fine movie, but a let-down considering its interesting concept.
7 Seventh Son Follows An Aging Wizard And His Apprentice
Seventh Son is a 2014 fantasy adventure story, starring Jeff Bridges and Ben Barnes. Perhaps one of the reasons this movie is forgettable is the fact that its story is painfully unoriginal, following an aging sorcerer who must train an apprentice to save the world.
Based on the novel series The Spook's Apprentice by English author Joseph Delaney, Seventh Son is predictable, corny, and bland. It takes a great story base and really makes a mess of it, as it is not only inadequately made but performances of A-List actors such as Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore are among the worst of their careers.
6 Gods Of Egypt Tackles Egyptian Mythology On A Shiny Scale
2016's Gods of Egypt is a mythological-fantasy movie that fails to hit the mark, starring Gerard Butler and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Butler plays Set, the God of the underworld, who seizes the throne of Egypt and spreads terror throughout the land. Coster-Waldau plays Horus, god of the sky, and bands together with an unlikely mortal to stop Set and return balance to Egypt.
Gods of Egypt is a CGI nightmare, and for some reason makes Ancient Egypt gilded and shiny. Everything is golden, the acting is hideous, and the story is over-the-top silly. Perhaps the only memorable thing about Gods of Egypt is the amount of gold in it.
5 Dragonheart Is A Classic Fantasy Adventure Starring Sean Connery And Dennis Quaid
Dragonheart has become something of a cult classic, at the very least remaining in the hearts of those who were rapt by it when they were children. Dragonheart is a charming and funny (funny, in the sense that it is an odd-couple pairing of dragon and knight, not a direct comedy) fantasy movie, released in 1996. The film stars Sean Connery, Dennis Quaid, David Thewlis, Jason Isaacs, and Pete Postlethwaite.
Following Quaid's Bowen, a disillusioned knight, the film tackles themes of morality as Bowen teams up with dragon Draco (Connery) to end the reign of a crooked immortal king. While the CG looks iffy at best now, it won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, along with other accolades. Dragonheart is often forgotten among other fantasy movies, but remains, overall, a pretty solid day at the movies.
4 The Sorcerer's Apprentice Features Nick Cage As A Master Sorcerer
In the same vein as Seventh Son, 2010's The Sorcerer's Apprentice is another typical apprentice-master story, starring Nick Cage and Jay Baruchel. The movie is based on The Sorcerer's Apprentice series of poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, which were written in 1797.
The story follows Cage's master sorcerer Balthazar as he teaches Baruchel's David the ways of magic in order to defeat the evil Maxim Horvath. The movie is forgettable for many reasons, not only because it is one of many stories of the same type, but because of the poor acting and unimaginative action.
3 The Spiderwick Chronicles Is A Charming Movie Based On A Book Series
The Spiderwick Chronicles, based on the children's book series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, is a fun movie for all ages. Starring Freddie Highmore, Seth Rogen, and David Strathairn, The Spiderwick Chronicles captured many young viewers' hearts upon its release in 2008, so much so that it did incredibly well at the box office.
The Spiderwick Chronicles follows twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, and their magical adventures after they move to Spiderwick Estate with their mother and sister. It is a terrific movie about escapism and the wonders of magic in the natural world, incorporating folklore and mythology. It is perhaps forgettable however as it was one of a slew of releases around that time, focusing on children's live-action fantasy.
2 Bridge To Terabithia Follows Two Unlikely Friends In A Fantasy Setting
Like The Spiderwick Chronicles, Bridge to Terabithia was one of many children's fantasy movies to be released in the early 2000s. It is also adapted from a novel, written by Katherine Paterson and published back in 1977. The movie appeared to be another example of Disney capitalizing on old, well-known children's stories, but was still well received and loved by children.
The story follows Leslie, a rich city girl, and Jesse, a poor country boy. They create Terabithia, a land of magical beings, and become its rulers to help Jesse cope with a tragedy. Bridge to Terabithia tackles childhood trauma and escapism from a child-like, whimsical point of view.
1 Horns Stars Daniel Radcliffe As A Man Falsely Accused Of Murder
Horns, released in 2013, is a comedic fantasy-horror movie starring Daniel Radcliffe and Juno Temple. Following his girlfriend's mysterious death, Radcliffe's character, Ig Parrish, wakes to find he has grown horns after the townsfolk have demonized him, suspecting him of killing his girlfriend.
The movie is enjoyable, albeit slow, but was quickly forgotten as kooky and bizarre. Radcliffe's performance is fine, but the movie was released at a time when fans were still hooked on Harry Potter. Horns has interesting symbolism and visuals, but is at times hard to follow, with the pay-off being predictable and anti-climactic.