Dark fantasy films love to take inspiration from myth, making foreign language dark fantasy movies particularly fascinating for Western audiences.
Dark fantasy is a popular genre that mixes surrealism, horror, and magic into its settings and storylines. Ancient myths and legends are popular subjects of dark fantasy, so when a foreign film fits into the dark fantasy category, local legends and occult elements are often a part of the story.
Other times, these films are closer to adaptations of classic stories, or in some cases, inspirations for them. From ancient legends to modern mockumentaries, these are the best dark fantasy foreign language movies. 7 Black Orpheus
Original Language: Portuguese
Directed By: Marcel Camus
Starring: Breno Mello, Marpessa Dawn
Release Date: June 12th, 1959
The ancient Greek legend of Eurydice and Orpheus is one of the original dark fantasy stories, telling the story of a mortal traveling to the underworld and making a deal with the God of Death to return his lost love. This movie is an adaptation of a stage play called Orfeu da Conceição by Vinicius de Moraes, also from Brazil, that also recreated that ancient legend.
The story of Black Orpheus is told against the frenzied, colorful backdrop of a Carneval celebration in a typical « favela » or Brazilian working-class neighborhood. The story is told using a critically acclaimed soundtrack that helps create a bright yet foreboding atmosphere along with some very creative lighting and costuming choices. With characters like Hermes also present, it’s also a beautiful example of the ancient world depicted on film. 6 Pan’s Labyrinth
Original Language: Spanish
Directed By: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Ivana Baquero
Release Date: May 27th, 2006
One of Guillermo del Toro’s masterpieces, the film is known as El laberinto del fauno in its native Spanish and is one of the best modern examples of fantasy and horror in movies. The director intended to craft a parable set in a fairy tale world, and the vivid connections to a reality set in the later days of World War 2 only add to the tension. The 22-minute standing ovation this movie got when it was shown at Cannes indicates he was successful.
The main character of this story is a little girl named Ofelia, who moves to a new city with her pregnant mother to be with her new stepfather. She comes to believe that she’s the reincarnation of a mythical princess from the Underworld, and through a tragic series of circumstances, she travels through a labyrinth to find her way back.
