30 Best Movies Based on Mythology and Folklore
Many films based on ancient legends could be called revisionist approaches, but thinking about them that way misses a key component of mythology and folklore: in every cultural context, stories bend and are shaped by the storyteller and listeners.
Stories that are less malleable do not have the longevity of these tales, many of which have survived for centuries or even millennia. For proof, take a look at these 30 disparate but mythology-based films you can watch right now.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Inspired by: Various Grail legends surrounding the legendary British King Arthur.
A stunningly truthful look at Arthurian literature and a completely accurate look at life in the Middle Ages.
Where to watch: Netflix
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Inspired by: Heroic outlaw from English folklore, dating back to at least the 14th century.
There is no single, definitive story of Robin Hood, and although variations of the character have existed throughout the centuries, many of the elements we take for granted come from here. Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland are clearly having fun in this bright, colorful and fast-paced film. This is pure joy.
Where to watch: Tubi
Green Knight (2021)
Inspired by: the 14th century chivalric romance Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and related Arthurian stories.
There’s nothing historical here, but David Lowry’s phantasmagoric take on the Arthurian legend captures the strange, almost entirely alien feel of Middle English literature like nothing before.
Where to stream: Max
Eve’s Bayou (1997)
Inspired by: The combination of West African religious traditions, Haitian Voodoo and Roman Catholic practices that form the basis of Louisiana Voodoo.
Writer-director Kasi Lemmons’ Eve’s Bayou is a rich and rewarding Southern Gothic drama with strong hints of magical realism. Diahann Carroll plays Elzora, a voodoo practitioner with shades of Marie Laveau; Laveau was a very real historical figure, religious and social leader, but her vague biography puts her on the line where fact and folklore meet.
Where to watch: Freevee, Mubi, Starz
Virgin Spring (1960)
Inspired by: the 13th century Scandinavian and Swedish ballad Töres döttrar i Wänge .
Ingmar Bergman’s revenge epic (later remade, of sorts, into Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left ) was inspired by a medieval ballad that tells of a local legend about Kärn, Sweden, which shares the origins of a nearby church. The film, which follows the rape and murder of a young girl on her way to church, is among director Ingmar Bergman’s most challenging works, but still manages to find some light in a dark age.
Where to watch: The Criterion Channel, Kanopy.
Ahura (2018)
Inspired by: Stories about genies.
Among the very few monster movies shot in Morocco, Ashura is a confident and impressive debut (even with some dodgy CGI). With shades of It , the film follows four children who are reunited when a friend who went missing twenty years ago reappears, forcing them to confront repressed memories of decades past.
Where to watch: Shudder, Tubi, AMC+, Freevee.
Kiriko and the Sorceress (1998)
Inspired by: Several Senegalese folk tales.
Inspired by several West African folk stories, Kiriku and the Sorceress follows the titular boy as he is forced to defend his village from an evil witch who is not quite what she seems. Like much of the world’s folklore, the stories presented here come to us second-hand, in this case through an early 1900s colonial administrator named François Equilbeck. The film is also directed by a white French director. At the same time, the material is treated with respect and sincere love for the lore. The film inspired two sequels.
Where to watch: Prime Video
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
Inspired by: The 10th-century Japanese prose narrative The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter .
Taking its story directly from a 1,000-year-old tale, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a little less famous than many Studio Ghibli classics, but nonetheless ranks among the best of them. A bamboo cutter discovers a little girl in the shoot, whom he and his wife decide to raise as their own child. Kaguya’s beauty and her father’s desire to always be treated like a princess are in many ways as limiting as her mother’s more traditionally submissive role. Kaguya is challenged to survive many suitors before her true origins are revealed.
Where to stream: Max
Song of the Sea (2014)
Inspired by: Celtic mythology associated with selkies, fairies and Macha, a goddess primarily associated with Ulster.
Tomm Moore’s brilliantly animated film follows 10-year-old Ben as he blames his sister Saoirse for the apparent death of their mother shortly after her birth. Eventually discovering that his sister is actually half human and half selkie seal, he goes with her on a quest to free the fairies from the goddess Mahi. This is the middle chapter in director Moore’s trilogy of Irish folklore films, all of which are worth watching.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Ritual (2017)
Inspired by: Norse mythology and the Jotuns.
What do you do if one of your best friends is killed during a botched liquor store robbery? Obviously, go to Sweden and wander through the forest! Four friends do just that in this powerful thriller that combines get-lost-in-the-woods horror with truly mythological scares. In the best tradition of folk horror, the friends discover that human sacrifice is very important (literally). They will have to survive both the cult and the offspring of Loki himself.
Where to watch: Netflix
Trollhunter (2010)
Inspired by: Trolls from Scandinavian myths and folk legends.
Writer-director André Øvredal’s Trollhunter is a unique blend of genre techniques, combining horror and dark fantasy with a found-footage style and hints of mockumentary. The legend of trolls is old and varies widely, but the film uses some of the most venerable tropes: they can smell Christian blood, eat stones and human flesh interchangeably, and they’re a little stupid. They also turn to stone in daylight, making UV flashlights a powerful weapon. The final act involves a confrontation with a jötnar (a word with many possible meanings, but here mostly refers to enormous size), a mountain troll likely inspired by a reference in Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen. References to Norwegian fairy tales abound , including “The Three Brute Goats”.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Peacock, Tubi, Freevee
Juju Stories (2021)
Inspired by: West African jiju (folk magic that usually involves combining physical charms with spells).
An impressive triple anthology from Nigeria that explores the power of juju in modern Lagos, placing old magic in the modern day and mixing bits of urban legend and horror. The first depicts a lonely woman preparing a love potion from burial water and menstrual blood. The second involves an urban legend about people who keep money they find on the street and turn it into yams (so be careful). The third and best film is about a young university student who fears that her best friend Joy may be a witch. Nengi Adoki plays Joy and her wild performance is a highlight.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Decoy (2015)
Inspired by: Hans Christian Anderson’s 1837 fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” and ancient mermaid legends in general.
Polish director Agnieszka Smoczynska updates Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid, veering away from Disney and incorporating the horrific elements of the original. In neon-lit 1980s Warsaw, two mermaids join the human world and hang out at a nightclub, where their siren songs make them a hot commodity until one of them falls in love with a human, jeopardizing their relationship. With a synth soundtrack, wild with musical numbers and a few kills (the mermaid has to eat, after all), it’s a colorful and wildly inventive film. fish tale.
Where to watch: Max, The Criterion Channel
Blood Quantum (2019)
Inspired by: Haitian zombie mythology (plus zombie movie stories).
During the 1981 zombie uprising, the fictional Red Crow Indian Reservation in Quebec, Canada became a fortress against the undead. Mi’kmaq people are immune to infection, unlike white people. The bloody and very funny zombie film also has something else in mind: Mi’kmaq and Canadian writer-director Jeff Barnaby draw parallels to a 1981 raid by Quebec provincial police on the Listuguj reserve, during which locals fought. back. In doing so, he creates a zombie version of real events.
Where to watch: Shudder
Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
Inspired by: Greek mythological leader Jason and his team of Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece.
This masterpiece from animator Ray Harryhausen brings to life the hunt for the Golden Fleece, which involves any number of gods, goddesses, monarchs and mythical creatures to block their path. Most impressive are the skeleton warriors or the battle with the giant machine gun Talos.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Orpheus (1950)
Inspired by: Greek tales of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Jean Cocteau’s classic, setting the story of Orheus and Eurydice in modern Paris, proved almost as influential as the original myths, or at least breathed new life into them. He inspired generations of poets, artists and filmmakers, exploring the artists’ journey in the context of a doomed love that ends here in the mirror of a Rolls-Royce.
Where to watch: Max, The Criterion Channel
His house (2020)
Inspired by: Apets (night witches) from South Sudanese Dinka religion and mythology.
A pair of South Sudanese refugees struggle to make a new life in a quiet English village and eventually come to the realization that they cannot completely escape their history. The plot mixes elements of religion and folklore of the Dinka diaspora, especially regarding a very hungry night witch who threatens their future.
Where to watch: Netflix
Beowulf (2007)
Inspired by: Beowulf , an old English epic poem based on a much older Germanic legend.
Robert Zemeckis journeys into the past of Western European literature and into the depths of the uncanny valley in his 3D computer fantasy. This is probably the best film adaptation of Beowulf , which is admittedly faint praise but is impressively entertaining. Screenwriters Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery ( Pulp Fiction ) flesh out the story in interesting ways, playing with Freudian interpretations and enhancing the pre-Christian elements amid all the blood and a bit of CGI nudity.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Iphigenia (1977)
Inspired by: the Greek myth of Iphigenia and in particular the play of Euripides.
Like all the best Greek tragedies, there are no easily recognizable heroes and villains, only complex moral questions. And there are certainly victims: in this case, the main character is Iphigenia, the daughter of Agamemnon, king of Argos. In retaliation for her perceived slight, Artemis demands Iphigenia as a sacrifice, lest she doom the entire Trojan expedition. Director Michael Cacoyannis brings a gritty, gritty realism to the story.
Where to stream: Voodoo
Leviathan (2014)
Inspired by: A giant sea creature from the Hebrew Bible (and probably earlier), specifically mentioned in the Book of Job.
The giant whale carcass discovered in co-writer and director Andrei Zvyagintsev’s film isn’t just a set piece; the film takes inspiration from the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible, in which the central godly character becomes a magnet for misfortune after Satan teases God with the idea that Job would not be so righteous without his many blessings. While its allegory isn’t all that haunting, the Russian film is about a mechanic who encounters a corrupt local mayor overseeing Kolya’s property. The film’s bold criticism of corruption in Putin’s Russia made it the subject of controversy upon its initial release.
Where to watch: Starz
Golem (2018)
Inspired by: An animated creature of Jewish folklore, mentioned at least as far back as the earliest written manuscripts of the Talmud.
The clever Israeli historical thriller, set in 1673 Lithuania, maintains a degree of fidelity to the folklore surrounding golems while introducing new ideas. Hannah (Hani Furstenberg) lives in a shtetl that has escaped the nearby plague; this in itself has made them a target of non-Jews in neighboring villages, who see their survival as something insidious. An outcast among her people, Hannah has been studying the Kabbalah in secret for years, learning what she needs to create a golem that will protect the village. Instead of a more traditional clay and mud monster, the creature takes the form of a child.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Peacock, Tubi, Freevee
Oh brother, where are you? (2000)
Based on: “The Odyssey ” by Homer.
This may not be the strictest interpretation of the epic attributed to Homer, but the poet’s inspiration is nonetheless present throughout the Coen brothers’ film – sometimes right there on the surface. O Brother’s team of convicts – Ulysses Everett, Pete and Delmar – face almost mythical obstacles, including three corn whiskeys and sirens, and return home to find Everett’s wife Penny engaged to another man. Even the soundtrack’s surprise hit, “Man of Constant Sorrow,” references the Greek etymology of Odysseus’ name.
Where to watch: Hulu
My Fair Lady (1964)
Inspired by: the classical Cypriot king and sculptor Pygmalion (best known for Ovid’s Metamorphoses ) and his impressive statue of Galatea.
My Fair Lady reimagines the myth of the sculptor Pygmalion (via George Bernard Shaw) as the story of Professor Henry Higgins, who hopes to transform Cockney boy Eliza Doolittle into the model of a sophisticated English lady. This is an option that Ovid surely could not have imagined, but it is useful to remember that all classical myths exist in various forms and were reworked and remade long (long) before modern playwrights and directors got around to them.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Kuroneko (1968)
Inspired by: The vengeful ghosts of Onryo from Japanese folklore.
Japanese folklore tells us that spirits can lose touch with their bodies when they are thrown out of balance, such as when they die a premature, violent or unfair death. This idea has been the basis of cross-cultural ghost stories, but gets one of its best executions in this Japanese thriller about a woman and her daughter-in-law who are raped and murdered by a group of samurai. With the help of a black cat, they return and wreak vengeance on any samurai they encounter – until the woman’s son appears among the samurai sent to destroy them.
Where to watch: Criterion Channel.
Clash of the Titans (1981)
Inspired by: Classic Greek myths of Perseus.
The late, great animator Ray Harryhausen tackled many mythological projects over his long career, but never with such style as his latest project, a relatively straightforward take on the story of Perseus (Harry Hamlin), tamer of Pegasus, lover of Andromeda and slayer of Medusa (who deserved better , but I digress). Computer graphics soon replaced Harryhausen’s stop-motion style, but not always for the better.
Where to stream: Voodoo
Excalibur (1981)
Inspired by: Tales of the legendary British King Arthur (roughly dating from the 5th century AD), particularly Thomas Mallory’s 15th-century Le Morte d’Arthur .
Legend has it that King Arthur was endlessly flexible throughout his long life, his frame being renewed with impressive regularity. We tend to think of Arthur and company squarely in the European Middle Ages, but by the time Thomas Mallory took stock, the once and future king was already approaching the millennium. However, from a cinematic point of view, the king who inspired many unforgettable films had a tough time. John Boorman’s Excalibur is a rare exception, with an all-star cast bringing a ton of style and a bit of substance to the fantasy.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Trollhunter (2010)
Inspired by: Trolls, who appear in written records around the 13th century, but probably predate this by at least several hundred years.
We’ve never been shy about peppering our pop culture with trolls, from children’s fairy tales to Tolkien and Dungeons and Dragons . Trollhunter first succeeds in bringing the creatures back to their Scandinavian roots by setting the story in their native Norway, and then succeeds even further by making them truly terrifying. Even though the found-footage rock-documentary style eschews self-seriousness, these trolls are far from the lovable jerks of other interpretations.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Peacock, Tubi, Vudu, Freevee.
La Llorona (2019)
Inspired by: The “Weeping Woman” from Mexican folklore, dating back to at least the 15th century.
Don’t confuse it with the excellent but forgettable The Curse of La Llorona related to The Craft from the same year; A crying Mexican woman had a moment in 2019. These Guatemalan films make the mythology more interesting (and stylish), mixing it with the absolutely horrific genocide of the indigenous Mayan people in the early 1980s. Soon after the (fictional) general who helped organize the massacre is found innocent, his family hires a new indigenous servant (the other indigenous Mayans are understandably reluctant to work for them). Naturally, this woman is not quite what she seems.
Where to watch: Shudder, Criterion Channel.
Under the Shadow (2016)
Inspired by: Stories of jinn, spirits that first appeared in the pre-Islamic religions of the indigenous Arabs.
Although set in a very specific time and place, writer-director Babak Anvari’s Under the Shadow turns to djinn as a way to talk about the strife and turmoil of war and political conflict, as well as the anxieties of women in repressive societies. So: in a broad sense. In Tehran during the Iran-Iraq War, a woman separated from her husband is forced to protect her child from mysterious supernatural forces as bombs continue to fall. Jinn are controversial figures in religion and folklore, not necessarily good or evil, but potentially dangerous. What we see of them here is far from the usual portrayals in Western media.
Where to watch: Netflix
Black Orpheus (1959)
Inspired by: The classic Greek tales of Orpheus and Eurydice, dating back to around the 6th century BC.
Combining impressionistic fantasy with realism, Black Orpheus by Marcel Camus takes the story of Orpheus and Eurydice to a favela in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival. Two lovers, played by Breno Mello and Marpessa Dawn, are pursued by a figure who could be literal Death or perhaps just a local hitman, as well as a vengeful ex-fiancee. Scenes from the myth have clever analogues, such as when the Rio Missing Persons Bureau takes the place of the underworld. It’s not just the ancient Greeks, as the background and crucial Brazilian (via African diaspora) Candomblé ritual makes clear. The film was hugely influential, both as a piece of filmmaking and because it introduced the Brazilian bossa nova to a receptive global audience. It’s a French film by a white director, based on a play by a white writer, so its portrayal of black Brazilians isn’t entirely uncontroversial, but it’s nonetheless an enthusiastic update of a very old story.
Where to watch: HBO, The Criterion Channel, Kanopy.