Mythology is a field that attracts the attention of many of us, big or small. When the mythological stories and events we read with admiration are adapted to the cinema, they have a different flavor. These mythological films , combined with successful special effects, take us back to ancient times. In this content, we bring together the films that best live the atmosphere of ancient times. If you are ready, let’s take a closer look at our list of mythological films together.
25) Noah – Noah: The Great Flood (2014) | IMDb: 5.7
- Director: Darren Aronofsky
- Cast: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins
- Mythology: The Mythology of Religions
One of the greatest and well-known legends in the history of religions is undoubtedly Noah’s Flood . Ansambl cast member Noah brings this legend to the big screen. Humanity, descended from Cain, has deviated quite a bit from the path drawn by the creator. While humanity is drifting towards evil, a decision from the heavens will determine the fate of all humanity.
24) Wrath of the Titans – Wrath of the Titans (2012) | IMDb: 5.7
- Director: Jonathan Liebesman
- Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Rosamund Pike
- Mythology: Greek Mythology
Wrath of the Titans , the sequel to the next movie on our list of mythological movies, continues the story of Perseus. In the movie, which we go 10 years after the first movie, 10 years have passed after the events and Perseus has kind of retired. The war between the Gods and the Titans is also starting to escalate. Kronos, the father of the Olympian gods, takes action to reclaim his throne.
23) Clash of the Titans – Clash of the Titans (2010) | IMDb: 5.8
- Director: Louis Leterrier
- Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes
- Mythology: Greek Mythology
Clash of the Titans is a movie that we haven’t seen many Titans despite its name. Because the main focus of the movie is the rebellion of people against the gods and the adventures of Perseus. son of Zeus, demigod Perseus; He is forced to complete a series of challenging missions to protect the world and humanity against Hades’ plans.
22) Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief – Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) | IMDb: 5.9
- Director: Chris Columbus
- Cast: Logan Lerman, Kevin McKidd, Steve Coogan
- Mythology: Greek Mythology
Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a very popular mythological series in the literary world. This series, which tells the story of Perseus again, this time carries the famous adventures to modern times. At the same time, although Percy has great similarities with the Perseus myth, he actually appears as the son of Poseidon. Accused of stealing Zeus’ lightning bolt, Percy embarks on a relentless adventure to prove his innocence.
21) Exodus: Gods and Kings – Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) | IMDb: 6.0
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Cast: Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley
- Mythology: Ancient Egyptian Mythology, Jewish and Religions Mythology
As we all know, Mr. Moses and Pharaoh II. The story of Ramses is brought to the big screen in the movie Exodus: Gods and Kings . Musa and II. We are watching what Ramses went through. Moses, who is the voice of the Hebrews who were employed as slaves in the construction of the pyramids, grew up like a brother. He rebels against Ramses in the way of God. Burning with the dream of the promised land, Hz. Moses embarks on a 40-year journey with 600,000 Hebrews.
20) Hercules – Hercules: Freedom Fighter (2014) | IMDb: 6.0
- Director: Brett Ratner
- Cast: Dwayne Johnson, John Hurt, Ian McShane
- Mythology: Greek Mythology
Hercules, where Dwayne Johnson jumps into the role of Hercules , returns the beloved hero to the cinema once again. The movie is based on the Hercules: The Thracian Wars comic book series by Steve Moore.
Hercules, who had to complete 12 challenging missions as a result of Hera’s betrayal for a while, doesn’t remember much in the movie. Instead, he spends his days as the superhuman soldier of the King of Thrace.
19) Immortals – Immortals: War of the Gods (2011) | IMDb: 6.0
- Director: Tarsem Singh
- Cast: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, John Hurt
- Mythology: Greek Mythology
With Immortals , we embark on a journey to the times when Theseus, the legendary king of Athens, was not yet king. Although it has little to do with the real Theseus myth, Theseus is chosen by Zeus in the movie as a mortal who will stand up to the Titan King Hyperion. Hyperion’s goal is to capture the Epirus Bow made by Ares. For this, Hyperion, who declared war on all Ancient Greece, intends to capture the bow and save the other Titans.
18) Beowulf – Beowulf: Immortal Warrior (2007) | IMDb: 6.2
- Director: Robert Zemeckis
- Cast: Ray Winstone, Crispin Glover, Angelina Jolie
- Mythology: Anglo-Saxon Mythology
Beowulf , shot with the “motion capture” technology that we are used to seeing among mythological films, brings the famous Anglo-Saxon epic to the big screen. The glorious Anglo-Saxon hero Beowulf is a warrior who can withstand any force. It’s the same for Grendel, the creature that terrorizes the surrounding villages. Beowulf, who easily defeated Grendel, will give the real test after meeting Grendel’s mother.
17) 47 Ronin (2013) | IMDb: 6.3
- Director: Carl Rinsch
- Cast: Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ko Shibasaki
- Mythology: Japanese Mythology
Ronin, meaning masterless samurai, has an important place in Japanese culture. 47 Ronin also brings to the screen a tragic event that actually happened. Of course, the movie presents this event to us by blending it with elements from Japanese mythology.
The lives of the people of Ako, who live under the auspices of the samurai Lord Asano, are turned upside down when Lord Kira kills their master. The 47 Ronin left without a master set out to avenge their master by killing Lord Kira. Today, a memorial service is still held at the mass grave of these 47 Ronin every December 14th.
16) The Forbidden Kingdom – Forbidden Kingdom (2008) | IMDb: 6.6
- Director: Rob Minkoff
- Cast: Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael Angarano
- Mythology: Chinese Mythology
If you are looking for a non-Greek or Scandinavian production among mythological films, The Forbidden Kingdom will be the movie for you. In the movie, which is inspired by many Chinese legends such as the Monkey King, the Bride with White Hair and the Eight Immortals, we follow the adventure of a young man from the USA that goes all the way to China.
The journey of this young martial arts lover, named Jason, will not end where he expected. Because Jason will have to go on a journey to Ancient China to save the Monkey King.
15) The 13th Warrior – 13. Warrior (1999) | IMDb: 6.6
- Director: John McTiernan, Michael Crichton
- Cast: Antonio Banderas, Diane Venora, Dennis Storhøi
- Mythology: Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian Mythology
A rewrite of the Beowulf saga, The 13th Warrior brings together multiple mythologies. We begin the film with the Arab poet Ahmed bin Fadlan, who lived during the Abbasid era. But after he complains to the ruler, Ahmed is exiled to a northern city where Vikings live.
Here is his 13th. He is believed to be a warrior. Ahmed, who suddenly finds himself in the middle of a tough battle, actually becomes a part of the legendary Beowulf and Grendel saga. Adapted from Michael Crichton’s novel Eaters of the Dead , the film is directed by the author himself for the re-shot scenes.
14) King Arthur: Legend of the Sword – King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) | IMDb: 6.7
- Director: Guy Ritchie
- Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Astrid Berges-Frisbey, Jude Law
- Mythology: King Arthur Mythology (Anglo-Saxon)
King Arthur; one of the most famous mythological characters that has been adapted into countless movies, TV shows, novels and comics. So it wouldn’t be right not to include a King Arthur movie in the list of mythological movies. When his father is killed by his uncle Vortigern, Arthur grows up on the streets unaware of his past.
His whole life changes when Arthur, whose kingdom has been stolen from him and wretched, pulls the implacable Excalibur from the stone he is stuck in. We watch this retelling of the classic Arthurian story with Charlie Hunnam and Jude Law.
13) The Trojan Women – The Trojan Women (1971) | IMDb: 7.0
- Director: Michael Cacoyannis
- Cast: Katharine Hepburn, Vanessa Redgrave, Genevieve Bujold
- Mythology: Greek Mythology
The Trojan Women is based on the tragedy of the same name by Euripides, one of the greatest masters of theatrical art. The film focuses on the destruction of the war rather than the heroism of the gods, humans and demigods in the Trojan War. Kassandra, the famous prophetic daughter of the Trojan King, has an important place in the film.
With this film, the Trojan epic is told from the eyes of women in a different way than usual. In this way, The Trojan Women presents a famous mythological event from a different perspective. Christina Wolf’s 1983 novel Cassandra is also a play by Euripides and has similarities with this movie.
12) The Mummy – The Mummy (1999) | IMDb: 7.0
- Director: Stephen Sommers
- Cast: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah
- Mythology: Ancient Egyptian Mythology
The horror classic The Mummy , shot in 1932, returned to the big screen in 1999 with modern techniques. The movie, which earned huge revenues at the box office for its period, tells the story of two British archaeologists and a US guide. Looking to find an ancient Egyptian city, two brothers embark on a relentless journey with Indiana Jones-like adventurer Rick.
What these two brothers and Rick don’t know is that with the city they want to find, they will actually awaken an ancient curse. Because Imhotep, who was buried alive with the Hom-Dai curse, is waiting to wake up and take his revenge.
11) Thor (2011) | IMDb: 7.0
- Director: Kenneth Branagh
- Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman
- Mythology: Norse Mythology
Marvel movies contain many characters and events from world mythology. The most prominent of these is Thor and his movies. Telling a kind of origin story of Thor, Thor leaves us alone with one of the most powerful gods of Norse mythology. Blending mythological stories with modern times, Thor’s solo films also have a great importance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
10) Midsommar – Ritual (2019) | IMDb: 7.1
- Director: Ari Aster
- Cast: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Vilhelm Blomgren
- Mythology: Norse Mythology
Especially if you are interested in Pagan culture and mythology, Midsommar is a movie that will sound like a drug to you. In the movie, a young couple and their friends set out to attend the Midsommar festival in Sweden.
Although the village where the festival is held looks like a paradise with its nature, it does not take long for the facts underlying this festival to come to light. Because the pagans living in this village perform a terrible ritual every 90 years, which is the subject of legends.
9) Stargate – Stargate (1994) | IMDb: 7.1
- Director: Roland Emmerich
- Cast: Kurt Russell, James Spader, Jaye Davidson
- Mythology: Ancient Egyptian Mythology
Stargate , one of the biggest rivals of the Star Wars universe, uniquely blends science fiction and mythology. Stargate, which is a favorite of Ancient Egypt and alien theorists, turns the theories put forward in this field into a cleverly processed movie.
In the movie, an extraterrestrial ring with strange hieroglyphs is discovered on the Giza Plateau. To solve the mystery of this ring, Egyptian history expert Dr. It’s up to Daniel Jackson. Stargate, where the Egyptian God RA is an alien, offers a feast of Egyptian mythology.
8) Highlander – Scottish (1986) | IMDb: 7.1
- Director: Russell Mulcahy
- Cast: Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown
- Mythology: Norse Mythology
Highlander is a movie that combines many elements from Norse mythology with fantasy elements. In Highlander’s world there are immortals who are constantly trying to kill each other. These immortals, who have existed for thousands of years, only die when their heads are separated from their bodies. Divided into good and evil, these immortals are doomed to fight until only one immortal remains.
Our hero Connor is also a Scottish warrior born in the 1500s. The immortals who have lived for thousands of years in the movie also contribute a lot to the mythological dynamics of the movie. While watching the movie, we can encounter references to the mythologies of different cultures when we least expect it.
7) Jason and the Argonauts – The Golden Fleece Warrior (1963) | IMDb: 7.3
- Director: Don Chaffey
- Cast: Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Gary Raymond
- Mythology: Greek Mythology
Jason and the Argonauts brings a mythological story that can be handled with today’s special effects to the big screen with the practical effects of 1963. In the movie, the events in Argonautika, another ancient Greek epic as famous as the Iliad and the Odyssey, are handled. Jason—mythologically named Jason—must have the legendary Golden Fleece to reclaim his kingdom.
Having built a ship called the Argo, Jason pursues the Golden Fleece with a group of 50 people, including Hercules. The goddess Hera helps Jason and his team on this journey. This adventure, which goes back to the Kingdom of Colchis, also includes the story of the famous mythological character Medea.
6) Troy – Troy (2004) | IMDb: 7.3
- Director: Wolfgang Petersen
- Cast: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom
- Mythology: Greek Mythology
The Trojan War is something we are all familiar with. Troy , in which Brad Pitt appears as the legendary Achilles, is one of the best films about this war. Thanks to this war, which is the starting point of Greek mythology and the center of the Iliad, we can know so much about Greek mythology today. This war, which was ignited by the escaping of the matchless beautiful wife of the Spartan king Menelaos, Helen, with the Trojan prince Paris, lasted for ten years and is the most well-known mythological event.
5) Wonder Woman (2017) | IMDb: 7.4
- Director: Patty Jenkins
- Cast: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright
- Mythology: Greek Mythology (Amazons)
As in the Marvel universe, there are some mythological characters in the DC universe. Wonder Woman is one of the most famous superheroes in popular culture. Wonder Woman is also a mythological character. Because she is from the nation of the Amazons, which is made up entirely of female warriors.
His mother is the Amazon queen Hippolyte, daughter of Ares. In the movie, we watch Wonder Woman leave her hidden home and fight against evil in a war-torn world. Although superhero movies do not come first when it comes to mythological movies, these movies bring a different perspective to the mythological events and characters we love, as well as their magnificent visuals.
4) Whale Rider – On the Whale’s Back (2002) | IMDb: 7.5
- Director: Niki Caro
- Cast: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton
- Mythology: Māori Mythology
Based on Witi Ihimaera’s novel of the same name, Whale Rider takes us on a journey right into the heart of New Zealand culture. In the movie, we watch the story of a Māori young girl from the Whangara Tribe. This tribe believes their lineage reached the land where they lived on the back of a whale thousands of years ago.
At the same time, the leaders of the tribe always have to be the first male born. But our hero Pai intends to break this tradition. Even if it means losing everything he has and falling out of favor with his beloved grandfather…
3) 300 – 300 Spartans (2006) | IMDb: 7.6
- Director: Zack Snyder
- Cast: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham
- Mythology: Greek Mythology
One of Zack Snyder’s most acclaimed films, 300 Spartans was in many ways a revolutionary film of its time. Adapted from Frank Miller’s comic book of the same name, 300 is about the Battle of Thermopylae. In the film, 300 Spartan soldiers, led by Leonidas I, try to stand up to the legendary Persian King Xerxes, who has come to invade their lands.
Although the film is criticized for distorting historical facts, Zack Snyder reveals one of the best mythological war films of recent years with a solid story and a very appealing cinematography.
2) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – Tiger and Dragon (2000) | IMDb: 7.8
- Director: Ang Lee
- Cast: Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang
- Mythology: Chinese Mythology
The Tiger and the Dragon, which won 4 Oscars, including Best Cinematography and Best Foreign Language Film, embark on an action-packed journey into Chinese mythology. 19 in the movie. It takes place during the Qing dynasty, the last dynasty of the Chinese Empire. In the movie, which is legendary with its fighting and sword scenes, events develop with the stealing of the mythological sword called Green Destiny.
The film, which mixes the fictional Wu-Tang clan and many other Chinese cultural elements, finds its place in our list of mythological films. If you are into Asian and fighting movies as well as mythological movies, Tiger and the Dragon will be a movie for all your interests.
1) El laberinto del fauno – Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) | IMDb: 8.3
- Director: Guillermo del Toro
- Cast: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López
- Mythology: Greek Mythology, Mythology of Religions
It’s a common concept to take refuge in fantasy worlds to escape the devastating reality of war and scary fathers. In Pan’s Labyrinth , historical facts are also included along with this concept. At the same time, there are references to many mythological beings and mythological events in the film.
In addition, the original name of the movie does not actually have Pan, and director Guillermo del Toro says that the creature called Fauno in the movie is not actually the full depiction of Pan in Greek mythology. When we translate the movie directly, it becomes Fauno’s Labyrinth.
But the English title of the movie uses the name Pan, which people will be more familiar with. These fantastical events that our little girl Ofelia experienced during the Spanish Civil War contain a piece of many timeless myths.
Other movie lists you can browse after our list of mythological movies:
Best Natural Disaster Themed Movies
Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
This post is also available in: Türkçe
Yorumlar (0) Add Comment