heroic journey movies

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Movies That Follow The Hero's Journey, Ranked By How Well They Use The Monomyth

Vote up the movies that most effectively use the hero's journey.

While there are always exceptions, nearly every film relies on some kind of narrative structure. In its most simplistic form, this structure has a beginning, middle, and end. There are problems and solutions. The main character changes and grows. Viewers are inherently familiar with these elements, but may not be aware of their inner workings.

One of the most widely-used storytelling methods is the monomyth - better known as the hero's journey - which was described and codified by writer Joseph Campbell. There are 17 stages to this narrative pattern that can be split across three acts: Departure, Initiation, and Return. In a nutshell, a hero's journey movie sees the protagonist embark on an adventure or quest. Along the way, they face obstacles that make them question themselves and their purpose. Even though they inevitably hit rock bottom, the hero perseveres and grows into a new person in the end.

While Campbell's full structure includes 17 stages, let's quickly break down the 7 main ingredients:

The Ordinary World - The hero lives a familiar and simple life

Call to Adventure - The hero is presented with a challenge in the unknown world, but is reluctant

Crossing the Threshold - The hero decides to enter the unknown world to take on the challenge

Trials - While meeting mentors and helpers, the hero must overcome obstacles that lead to the main challenge

The Abyss - Setbacks accumulate and leave the hero with a sense of hopelessness

Atonement - Through reflection and aid from others, the hero regains their way

The Return - The hero resumes their quest, overcomes the main challenge (the climax), then returns to the familiar world as a changed person

With that basic understanding of how the monomyth works, take a look at the biggest movies that follow the hero's journey to storytelling success.

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

What Is The Journey? Luke Skywalker finds out his father was a Jedi and joins Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and two droids to rescue Leia Organa from the Galactic Empire.

What Trials Do They Face?  At first, Luke is unsure if he's worthy of learning how to become a Jedi and wield the magical power called the Force. However, after his aunt and uncle are killed by Stormtroopers, he embarks on a journey with Obi-Wan and begins to learn the ways of the Jedi. He is pulled into a world he knows nothing about, as he's forced to adapt on the fly, survive, and face the seemingly impossible threats of the Empire and Darth Vader. The danger only grows when Obi-Wan is struck down by Vader, leaving Luke without a teacher.

How Do They Overcome?  While Luke hasn't reached the point where he is the Jedi Master everyone knows here, he starts to believe in his own abilities and trust the power of the Force. He successfully taps into the Force to destroy the Empire's world-destroying weapon, the Death Star, and gains the confidence to join the Rebels in the ongoing fight against the Empire.

The 'Lord of the Rings' Trilogy

What Is The Journey?  The young hobbit Frodo Baggins travels to Mount Doom in Mordor to destroy the powerful One Ring and bring an end to the evil reign of the Dark Lord Sauron.

What Trials Do They Face? Frodo embarks on a literal journey of considerable length, spanning three films. Every twist and turn signals a new threat as the forces of evil try to stop him from reaching Mordor. With each step, he must also resist the temptation of power that the One Ring presents - everyone who has carried it before has become corrupted at some point. As Frodo struggles with the belief that his willpower is not strong enough to resist the ring, his friends and allies, in particular his best friend Samwise Gamgee, aid and encourage him on his quest.

How Do They Overcome? Frodo realizes he isn't an island and needs to rely on the help of others. He shows the ultimate act of bravery by letting go of the burden of believing he is the only one who can complete this mission on his own and accepts the importance and assistance of the Fellowship around him. With Sam's help getting him to Mount Doom and pulling him  back from the brink at the last moment, Frodo completes the mission and returns home to the Shire, irrevocably changed by what he's been through. 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

What Is The Journey?  11-year-old orphan Harry Potter, who has been mistreated his whole life by his uncaring aunt and uncle, discovers he is a wizard. What's more, he's a legend among wizards for defeating the Dark Lord Voldemort as an infant. Now, as he attends the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he must live up to the massive expectations on him as "Boy Who Lived” while Voldemort threatens to rise again.

What Trials Do They Face?  For so long, Harry believes himself to be a nobody. Learning of his true heritage is full of joy and uncertainty, as he has great expectations to live up to, but no magic experience whatsoever. He must learn everything about this world from scratch, while withstanding the pressure of everyone watching him more closely because of who he is. Despite the belief and guidance of mentors such as Albus Dumbledore, Rubeus Hagrid, and Minerva McGonagall, he also has a laundry list of people waiting and rooting for him to fail. Harry also doesn't have the luxury of time on his side either, as whispers about Voldemort's return surface.

How Do They Overcome? Harry embraces his natural curiosity and bravery, facing up to unknown challenges even without the certainty that he'll win. He also forms tight bonds with his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, who have his back no matter how grim the situation gets. Together, they navigate past magical traps and secure the Sorcerer's Stone before Voldemort - whose spirit has been lurking inside of one of their teachers, Professor Quirrell - can use it to restore his life. Harry rises to the challenge and accepts that he will likely have to face Voldemort again in the future.

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What Is The Journey? Teen Peter Parker gets bitten by a radioactive spider, giving him superpowers; however, he needs to learn how to use these special - and sticky - abilities for the greater good of mankind.

What Trials Do They Face? The young Peter loses his mentor, Uncle Ben, and questions if he has the inner strength to juggle life as a teenager and fighting crime as the masked superhero known as Spider-Man. At the same time, a highly powered and deadly villain known as the Green Goblin rises in the city and offers Spider-Man a place by his side. Peter feels a moral obligation to his uncle's teachings and declines the offer, but now he needs to dodge the never-ending pumpkin bombs hurled at him by the Goblin, whom he soon discovers is his best friend's father.

How Do They Overcome? Peter finally understands his uncle's teachings: “With great power comes great responsibility.” He fights the Green Goblin, knowing that this battle will change both Spider-Man and Peter in the end. Finally, he accepts that his life will never be the same again because his powers are both a gift and curse that he needs to learn how to use for the benefit of all - yes, even J. Jonah Jameson, who sees him as a menace.

What Is The Journey?  Computer hacker Thomas Anderson, AKA Neo, suspects something isn't right in the world around him, and discovers what everyone perceives to be real is simply a facade to conceal what's actually taking place. When a mysterious mentor named Morpheus offers Neo the infamous red pill, Neo must forget everything he knows of the world and embrace a new truth.

What Trials Do They Face?  Neo is told he's the chosen one who needs to liberate humanity from its enslavement by the machines. However, he lacks the knowledge and skills to fight back against the Matrix, which requires him to change his way of thinking and develop the skills to manipulate the Matrix, which can extend to slowing down time and bending bullets. Morpheus opens his eyes to the reality of what's happening, but Neo is in a race against time to fulfill the prophecy while keeping the pesky agents - who could double as Ray-Ban models - at bay.

How Do They Overcome?  Neo accepts the prophecy that he's the chosen one. He lets go of everything he thought was real to ascend to a higher plain of existence and embrace his destiny to show other humans that freedom is possible.

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What Is The Journey? After escaping evildoers, genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist Tony Stark realizes he has used his influence, intelligence, and tech for all the wrong reasons. Now, he plans on using his abilities for the benefit of the world.

What Trials Do They Face? After being captured by terrorists, Tony's heart requires technological intervention from scientist Ho Yinsen to keep on ticking, which acts as both a reminder of the power and danger of his creations. Using a newfound appreciation for life and understanding from Yinsen of how his selfishness caused strife, he needs to learn how to harness all his abilities into fighting the very people he used to do business with. At the same time, he meets resistance from some within his company, like Obadiah Stane, who opposes Stark's desire of ceasing extremely profitable weapons manufacturing.

How Do They Overcome? Tony's cockiness, though initially a flaw, turns out to be his biggest asset, as he refuses to accept the status quo. Redirecting his unrestrained confidence from selfish pursuits towards making the world a better place, he becomes the hero no one believed he could be, putting a stop to Stane's plots to take over Stark Industries sell more and more weapons. In the ultimate showboating act and declaration of defiance, he reveals himself to the world as Iron Man, daring anyone to stop him.

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The Lion King

What Is The Journey? After the death of his father Mufasa in a stampede, the young Simba runs away into exile, believing himself to be responsible for the traumatic event. However, he must return to reclaim leadership of the Pride Lands from his uncle, Scar, in order to save the animal kingdom.

What Trials Do They Face?  Due to Scar's manipulation, Simba feels incredible guilt over his father's death. Consequently, he tries to forget who he really is as he lives a carefree life with his pals, Timon and Pumbaa. It takes a combined effort from Nala and Rafiki, plus a message from his father on the other side, to remind Simba of who he is: the rightful king. At the same time, Simba is afraid to return after being away so long, especially due to the danger presented by Scar and his army of hyenas who now control the Pride Lands.

How Do They Overcome? Simba remembers the lessons he learned from his father about the qualities of being a king and how being afraid is never a bad thing. He finds the courage to face his past to create a new future. At the same time, his guilt is unburdened when Scar reveals his role in Mufasa's death, which gives Simba a renewed purpose to fight his uncle. He eventually takes his rightful place as the king of the Pride Lands.

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Finding Nemo

What Is The Journey?  Meek and overprotective clownfish father Marlin must find the courage to embark on an unpredictable quest into the darkest reaches of the ocean to bring his son, Nemo, back home.

What Trials Do They Face?  Marlin fears his own shadow, treating life with the utmost caution and preferring the mundane over adventure. With his son gone, he needs to swim out of his comfort zone in more ways than one. He braves the dangers and uncertainties of the ocean, searching hard and refusing to give up on his son. Joining Marlin is the forgetful Dory, who teaches Marlin more about the importance of living in the moment and experiencing the fun of not knowing what happens next. 

How Do They Overcome? There are two major lessons that Marlin learns in the process of finding Nemo: first, he is brave and doesn't need to live his life in a state of paralyzing fear. Secondly, Nemo is more than capable of looking after himself, so it's up to Marlin to let go and allow his son to live life with all the risks that entails.

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Kung Fu Panda

What Is The Journey? A bumbling panda and kung fu fan, Po is unwittingly selected as the Dragon Warrior, a prophesied hero. However, neither Po nor others believe it to be true.

What Trials Do They Face?  Po is shocked to be named the Dragon Warrior, since he knows he tumbled into a scenario rather than being intentionally selected. He isn't a natural martial artist and struggles under the training of Master Shifu. It also doesn't help that the Furious Five - a group Po adores - don't believe in the poor panda. To make matters worse, the dangerous snow-leopard Tai Lung is on the loose and Po will need to build his skills quickly in order to face him.

How Do They Overcome? Po uses his lovable personality to win over others, while he develops an unorthodox martial arts style. As he progresses and his heart proves to be his greatest strength, he starts to believe in his potential and realizes he is special in his own way.

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The Wizard of Oz

What Is The Journey?  Dorothy Gale dreams of a better life away from Kansas, “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” However, when she her dog Toto get swept up in a tornado and land in the magical, colorful world known as Oz, she needs to follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City and speak to the mysterious Wizard about helping her get back to Kansas.

What Trials Do They Face? From the get-go, Dorothy is in a pickle, as she's stuck in an unknown place. Complicating things more, her house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East, which upsets her sister, the Wicked Witch of the West. Now, not only does Dorothy need to make her way on foot to the Emerald City and find the Wizard of Oz with help from her motley crew of companions, but she also needs to keep looking over her shoulder because the Witch has nefarious plans for her. Then, to top it all off, Dorothy finds out the Wizard is a fraud, and it appears to be like there's no way back to Kansas.

How Do They Overcome? Despite the uncertainty, Dorothy learns to embrace the weird and wonderful land of Oz, and learns a lot from her companions, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. So, when she finds out she can tap her heels and wish her way back to Kansas, she does so. Once she sees her friends and family again, she realizes that there's truly no place like home.

Batman Begins

What Is The Journey?  After the death of his parents, Bruce Wayne trains his mind and body to become Gotham City's protector and the scourge of every criminal.

What Trials Do They Face? Due to his family's high profile, Bruce is burdened with carrying on the legacy of the Wayne name and being a public figure. Internally, he harbors a strong desire for justice to eradicate the city's corrupt criminal justice system. Knowing he will need to shed the Wayne name and become something else, Bruce embarks on an arduous journey to learn from the greatest masters as he trains his mind and body as a weapon to fight crime. However, his choice to become a symbol of justice rather than executioner results in his former master, Ra's al Ghul, turning into his enemy and threatening to burn Gotham City.

How Do They Overcome?  As Batman, Bruce honors the code of standing for justice and believing his actions can inspire hope, even when it would be easier snapping necks and putting bullet holes in fiends. Despite the adversity he faces and the limits he is pushed to, he remembers the promise he made on his parents's grave to protect Gotham City, carrying that with him as he embraces his new purpose as Batman.

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What Is The Journey? As cracks appear in her seemingly idyllic life in Barbieland, Barbie ventures to the real world to find the child playing with her who is connected to her sudden worries about mortality.

What Trials Do They Face?  Barbie's sense of inadequacy kicks off when she starts to feel imperfect in a perfect world. It causes her to have an existential crisis about who she is and what defines her. This isn't exactly helped when she experiences the harshness of the real world, either. Even once she finds her “child” - who turns out to be an adult woman named Gloria - she needs to evade Mattel corporate employees trying to capture her, and also deal with Ken, who comes to believe that turning Barbieland into a patriarchal society is the only way to bring value to who he is.

How Do They Overcome? Barbie learns it's important to form her own self-identity, embracing the messy parts of life that bring meaning. She also shows compassion and empathy toward Ken and his brethren, encouraging the citizens of Barbieland to treat each other equally and in a way that doesn't devalue anyone else. Finally, after a meeting with Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler, Barbie decides to write her own story and become a human rather than an idea.

Men in Black

What Is The Journey?  After NYPD officer James Darrell Edwards III impresses the mysterious Agent K, he is enlisted into a top-secret organization known as the Men in Black, which is responsible for keeping an eye on extraterrestrial life on Earth.

What Trials Do They Face?  Taking the alias of Agent J, James is thrown into the deep end as he tries to wrap his head around the MIB's rules and dealing with extraterrestrials. K isn't exactly the most fun-loving, friendly mentor, either, so J frequently feels like he's letting himself and everyone else down by not being good enough. Among all this inner turmoil, there is a genuine alien threat to deal with, too, and it's up to J and K to avert a massive inter-species war. 

How Do They Overcome?  J trusts his natural instincts and abilities, while also applying everything he has learned from K to save the day. Ultimately, he discovers that K wasn't training him to be his partner, but his replacement. The student becomes the master in a bittersweet but moving passing-of-the-torch moment.

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What Is The Journey?  Paraplegic marine Jake Sully infiltrates the Na'vi tribe of the planet of Pandora through the use of an avatar as part of a mission for the Resources Development Administration (RDA). After he spends some time among the tribe, he begins to question his loyalties, especially as he falls in love with a Na'vi named Neytiri.

What Trials Do They Face?  Sully needs to keep the purpose of his mission a secret to the Na'vi, as they cannot know his real reason for being on Pandora. As he learns more about the nature of Na'vi life and their respect for each other and the world, he becomes torn about what he should do. The RDA promises him they will help walk again if he gives them what they want, while the Na'vi provide a honest way of life. However, the RDA holds all the power here, as they can simply disconnect his body from his avatar.

How Do They Overcome? Sully chooses love and loyalty to the Na'vi over the RDA, revealing the truth to the tribe. While it's a difficult decision that risks his own safety, he finds himself inspired by the Na'vi way of life and chooses to be on the right side of history. Thankfully, the Na'vi come through for him, as well, and he ends up permanently inhabiting his avatar body and becoming a part of their community.

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What Your 6 Favorite Movies Have in Common [Infographic]

By Sara McGuire , Jun 25, 2018

It’s a story we’ve seen many times over: an unlikely hero embarks on a journey that has been thrust upon them.

Along the way, the hero make some allies and enemies, maybe even fall in love. At the outset, they become stronger and wiser than they were when they embarked on their journey.

No matter what the genre or setting of the story is, the central narrative follows the hero’s journey structure. This is known in literary circles as the “monomyth” or, in pop culture, as the “h ero’s journey” .

Here are 6 iconic movies that follow the hero’s journey:

This infographic shows the progression of the hero’s journey in six iconic movies: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001), Star Wars (1977), The Matrix (1999), Spider-Man (2002), The Lion King (1994) and The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003). Click to enlarge.

CREATE A TIMELINE INFOGRAPHIC

Want to learn how to create your own timeline infographic ? Scroll to the bottom of this article for a quick timeline design guide.

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A very brief history of the hero’s journey

The monomyth was first conceptualized by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949).

In Campbell’s monomyth, the hero embarks on a circular journey comprised of seventeen stages. The book identifies a narrative pattern throughout works of mythology (and narrative in general).

The monomyth has since been adapted and condensed into twelve stages by Hollywood executive Christopher Vogler.

Vogler developed his version of the monomyth while working at Disney, and once you recognize the pattern, you’ll be able to identify it in some capacity in almost any film. He’s the one who popularized calling it the “hero’s journey,” and his version focuses specifically on movie narratives.

The 12 stages of Vogler’s hero’s journey

Let’s break down each step in the hero’s journey (warning, many GIFS ahead).

1. The Ordinary World

The hero is introduced in their ordinary world. The mundane ordinary world is presented in stark contrast with the “special world” that the hero will enter when they accept their quest.

In Spider-Man , Peter Parker is introduced as a regular, particularly nerdy teen in Queens–quite the opposite of the kickass crime-stopper he becomes.

2. The Call to Adventure

The initiating incident of the story takes place. The hero is introduced to the challenge or problem that their quest will seek to overcome.

In Star Wars , the call to adventure comes in the form of Princess Leia’s message, delivered by R2-D2.

3. Refusal of the Call

The hero hesitates to accept the call to adventure. This could be because they don’t feel they have the skills to take on the quest or they don’t want to leave the life they know.

In The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Frodo is reluctant to leave his comfortable and familiar life in the Shire in order to face the unknown dangers that await him on his journey.

4. Meeting with the Mentor

The hero meets a wise, usually older, woman or man. The mentor guides the hero in gaining the supplies and knowledge needed to embark on the adventure. However, the mentor can only go so far with the hero.

In The Matrix , this is where Neo meets Morpheus, who tells him to take the red pill or the blue pill.

5. Crossing the First Threshold

The hero commits wholeheartedly to the adventure and integrates into the special world. There is no turning back from this point.

In Spider-Man , Peter crosses the threshold when he catches the thief who killed his Uncle Ben and realizes that he must use his powers to stop crime.

6. Tests, Allies and Enemies

The hero explores the special world, faces trial, and makes friends and enemies along the way.

In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone , this is the part where Harry adjusts to life in the Wizarding world, makes friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and becomes enemies with Draco Malfoy.

7. Approach to the Innermost Cave

The hero draws closer to the center of the story and the special world. Often, this “innermost cave” is where the “object” or “elixir” of the quest is hidden. The object of the quest may be an actual treasure or a symbolic achievement.

The innermost cave takes the form of the Death Star in Star Wars ; Luke and his companions must infiltrate the ship to save Leia.

8. The Ordeal

The hero is pushed to the brink of death or loss and faces the greatest challenge yet. It is through this struggle that the hero experiences a process of death and rebirth (figuratively or literally).

In The Lion King , Simba’s ordeal means he must face the guilt he feels for his father’s death and reclaim his right to Pride Rock, which has been taken over by Scar.

9. The Reward

The hero experiences the consequences of surviving death (figuratively or literally) and retrieves the object of their quest. It’s often at this point that the hero has a love scene with their love interest and reconciles with their enemies.

In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone , Harry passes the obstacles barring the Philosopher’s Stone and discovers that the stone has appeared in his pocket.

10. The Road Back

The hero returns to the ordinary world or continues onward to an ultimate destination, but their trials aren’t over just yet. They are often pursued by a vengeful force that they must face.

In the Lord of the Rings trilogy, this is where Gollum confronts Frodo at the ledge of the volcano and tries to take the Ring back from him.

11. The Resurrection

The hero emerges from the special world fundamentally changed by their experiences.

In The Lion King , Simba learns the truth that it was Scar who orchestrated Mufasa’s death. Simba throws Scar off Pride Rock in order to reclaim his place as king.   

12. Return with the Elixir

The hero brings with them the object of their quest, which they use to better the ordinary world in some way–whether it’s through knowledge, a cure, or some form of protection.

In The Matrix , armed with the knowledge of the truth, Neo delivers a message to the Matrix that he will save humanity.   

What can we learn from the hero’s journey?

Not surprisingly, the hero’s journey has been adopted by content marketers because it acts as a framework for effective storytelling.

The lesson we can take away from the hero’s journey is similar to the lesson we took away from our creepypasta study . The formulas that are recycled again and again in narrative are in place because they work. It’s the same with formulas for design , or any other aspect of creation.

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But while a story revolving around a protagonist’s change makes for a solid base plot, there need to be significant variations to the story, characters, and setting to make the story new and exciting.  Otherwise, you end up with empty clichés and forgettable stories.

This is a lesson that extends beyond movie makers and fiction writers to content creators in general.

Whether you want to make an infographic , write an informative blog post , create a marketing plan or even plan a lesson , the hero’s journey can offer you a basis of how an effective “plot” or content strategy progresses.

How to create your own timeline infographic

Do you want to create your own timeline infographic ? You don’t need years of design experience to make one—just start with an infographic template .

Follow these steps to create your own timeline infographic:

• Create an outline for your timeline infographic
• Pick a layout for your timeline infographic
• Create the framework for your timeline
• Add dates, text, and images to your timeline infographic
• Embellish your timeline infographic with colors , fonts , and decorative shapes
• Download and share your timeline infographic

1. Create an outline for your timeline infographic

Before you get started, make an outline of the information that will be in your timeline. Outline the number of events and the order in which they’ll appear your timeline. Include headers and descriptions for each event, and any design notes you want to keep in mind.

For example, here’s part of the outline for the Google I/O timeline infographic we made:

2. Pick a layout for your timeline infographic

Next, plan how you want to lay out your information. There are several basic timeline layouts you can use.

The tree timeline layout , which has one central line with even branching off from it:

USE THIS TIMELINE INFOGRAPHIC

The snake timeline layout , which winds back and forth across the page (great for saving space):

CREATE THIS INFOGRAPHIC TEMPLATE

And the step-by-step layout , which looks like a more traditional process infographic :

3. Create the framework for your timeline

Once you’ve picked which timeline layout you want to use, it’s time to plot out your timeline. Map out each event and figure out how the information will be arranged on the page.

If you’re using a timeline template , then the framework will already be laid out for you. All you have to do is input your information, add or take away events, and customize the design.

4. Add dates, text, and images to your timeline infographic

With a framework in place, start to fill in your timeline dates, text, and any supporting images. Don’t worry too much about style at this point–you can jazz up the design after you’ve laid out all the information.

5. Embellish your timeline infographic with colors, fonts, and icons

Once you’re happy with how your information is laid out, you can spice up your design. Think about what kind of mood you want your timeline infographic to have. Then, pick a color scheme that reflects that mood. Similarly, pick fonts that reflect the theme of your timeline.

You can also embellish your timeline design with icons. Icons are perfect for emphasizing and visualizing important points on your timeline.

You’re done! Download your timeline and share it with your audience.

For more detailed instructions, read our guide How to Create a Timeline Infographic in 6 Steps .

Check out our other pop culture infographics:

Every Betrayal Ever in Game of Thrones 

7 Essential Design Principles We Can Learn From Star Wars

What Netflix’s Top 50 Shows Can Teach Us About Font Psychology

What Disney Villains Can Tell Us About Color Psychology

The Hogwarts Guide to Company Culture

The infographic in this article was created by Joanna Lu.

10 Good Movie Examples Showing the Hero’s Journey

• April 18, 2022

The Hero’s Journey is an old literary device that appears in a wide variety of stories throughout human history. As such, it has also featured in many popular films since the dawn of cinema.

Although there are some deviations, the hero’s journey usually consists of a cyclical story with some main narrative beats. An ordinary person receives a call to adventure that requires them to leave their known, comfortable life for the unknown. They may refuse this call, but they soon reach a threshold where they need to answer it, which begins their transformation over the course of the story. They then set out on their journey, typically with the aid of a helper and/or mentor. They face challenges and temptations before experiencing a revelation that results in growth and change. The hero then atones and confronts the final conflict. At last, they are rewarded for their efforts and return to a known existence.

The following are ten films in a variety of genres that serve as great examples of the hero’s journey. Given the nature of this subject as an entire narrative story arc, do note that spoilers may be discussed for all films below.

Movie Examples Showing the Hero’s Journey

1. the lord of the rings trilogy (2001-2003).

This classic high fantasy epic is one of the most recognized depictions of the hero’s journey in fiction. The story centers around a hobbit named Frodo, who comes into possession of the Ring of Power, an object of evil that will doom the world if it falls into the wrong hands. With the aid of his mentor figure, the wizard Gandalf, Frodo must leave his idyllic homeland of the Shire and travel across the realm of Middle Earth to see the Ring destroyed. A powerful story about the horrors of war and how the bonds of fellowship carry people through the darkest times, The Lord of the Rings knows who the true heroes are and how they are ultimately changed by their experiences.

Duration: 2h 58m (The Fellowship of the Ring); 2h 59m (The Two Towers); 3h 21m (The Return of the King)

Rating: All PG-13

2. Star Wars (1977)

Almost everyone has heard of Star Wars, and it also happens to be a strong depiction of the hero’s journey. Farmboy Luke Skywalker lives an uneventful life on the remote desert planet of Tatooine. That changes when he comes into possession of a pair of droids holding secret information vital to the resistance against the Empire. He then must set out to ensure the stolen plans for the Empire’s new superweapon, the Death Star, are delivered to the resistance so they stand a chance of destroying it. With the help of his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, he learns the ways of the Jedi, an ancient order of mystical knights. Throughout the story, Luke transforms into a Jedi Knight and true hero. The original film, released in 1977, was an instant sensation that changed the art of filmmaking forever.

Duration: 2h 1m

3. Black Panther (2018)

Many superhero films also follow the hero’s journey, but 2018’s groundbreaking Black Panther, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is one of the best examples. Upon the death of his father, T’Challa becomes king of the hidden African nation of Wakanda. Throughout the story, he goes through death and rebirth and is challenged by the antagonist’s viewpoint. The end sees a return and atonement as he leads his nation and his people forward. Hailed as a breakthrough for Black storytelling and representation, Black Panther is a shining example of a film done right on all counts.

Duration: 2h 14m

Rating: PG-13

4. Airplane! (1980)

This irreverent, hilarious comedy film actually follows the story of the hero’s journey quite closely. A spoof of the earlier airline disaster movie Zero Hour! (1957), Airplane! follows former fighter pilot Ted Striker as he boards a plane in a desperate attempt to keep his ex-girlfriend, Elaine, who is working as a flight attendant, from leaving him. Struggling with the guilt of a command decision he made that saw his entire squadron destroyed, Ted is forced to grapple with his fears and take control of the plane when the flight crew becomes incapacitated due to bad fish. Well-known for throwing silly jokes at the audience non-stop, Airplane! has earned its reputation as one of the funniest films ever made.

Duration: 1h 28m

5. The Matrix (1999)

The Matrix follows the hero’s journey almost step by step. In it, regular office worker Thomas Anderson moonlights as a hacker known as Neo. When he is contacted by the mysterious and seemingly superhuman Trinity and Morpheus, Neo learns that the world in which humans live is a massive simulation run by machines and that he may be “the chosen One” who will save humanity from its prison. The film adheres to the death and rebirth aspect of the hero’s journey, as only through doing so can Neo become what he is destined to be. With a strong story, deep philosophy and jaw-dropping special effects, The Matrix remains a touchstone of cinematic brilliance that has kept audiences talking for years.

Duration: 2h 16m

6. The Lion King (1994)

Disney’s The Lion King tells the story of Simba, a young lion from the Pride Lands, as he learns to follow in his father’s footsteps to become king. Wrenched from his childhood life when his treacherous uncle Scar murders his father, Simba flees from the Pride Lands to the jungle where he would rather start a new life. But as the rightful king, he learns that he cannot hide from his destiny forever and that he must return to the Pride Lands and confront Scar once and for all. A classic animated film with beautiful animation, an unforgettable story and a stellar soundtrack, The Lion King will long be remembered as one of the best animated films ever made.

7. Avatar (2009)

James Cameron’s Avatar turned heads when it was released in 2009 for the film’s astonishing special effects which revolutionized motion capture technology. The hero of the story is Jake Sully, a former Marine who has been rendered paraplegic. He is sent to the alien world of Pandora as part of a program to put human beings in control of artificial bodies of the indigenous Na’vi that can survive in the planet’s environment. Jake begins seeing Pandora in a different light through his interactions with the Na’vi woman Neytiri and, realizing that plundering the planet for its natural resources is wrong, Jake seeks his atonement by fighting with the Na’vi to protect their home.

Duration: 2h 42m

8. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Aside from science fiction and fantasy films, war movies are another genre where the hero’s journey story is common. Hacksaw Ridge, directed by Mel Gibson, is based on the true story of World War II medic Desmond Doss, the only recipient of the Medal of Honor who joins the war efforts as a conscientious objector. Doss signs up to become a combat medic after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor but steadfastly refuses to take life, which earns him scorn and even arrest. After sticking to his pledge and saving dozens of people during the Battle of Okinawa, he returns home to have his heroism finally recognized.

Duration: 2h 19m

9. Spirited Away (2001)

Winner of the second-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Spirited Away is the crowning achievement of Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, who has had a long and storied career producing lauded, beloved films. The hero of the story is 10-year-old Chihiro, who, along with her parents, wanders into the spirit world. When her parents are turned into pigs as punishment after eating food that doesn’t belong to them, she is left alone and afraid. With the aid of her helper, the mysterious young man Haku, she begins working at a bathhouse under the eye of the sinister Yubaba. Having to stay in this strange new world, Chihiro must adapt and grow if there is to be any hope of saving her parents and returning to the human world.

Duration: 2h 5m

10. The Hunger Games Series (2012-2015)

Living in one of the poorest districts of the dystopian nation Panem, Katniss Everdeen receives her call to adventure when her younger sister is selected to participate in the titular Hunger Games. A brutal competition where children fight to the death for the entertainment of Panem’s elite, Katniss does the only thing she can – volunteers to take her sister’s place. Suddenly thrust in front of the cameras, she quickly becomes a real symbol for a growing resistance movement against the Capitol. Challenged by the part she must play and the horrors she witnesses, she is forever changed by her experiences.

Duration: 2h 22m (The Hunger Games); 2h 26m (Catching Fire); 2h 3m (Mockingjay – Part 1); 2h 17m (Mockingjay – Part 2)

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This Supercut Takes You Through the Hero's Journey of over 50 Iconic Films

"it's not a place you can get to by a boat or train. it's far, far away—behind the moon—beyond the rain.".

If you're a screenwriter you've most certainly heard about the concept of the Hero's Journey—in fact, you probably you use it to structure your own stories. Though it's not a narrative requirement, many writers have taken us on some wild rides using Joseph Campbell's ol' monomyth—the call to adventure, the "all hope is lost" moment, etc., and video essayist Jack Nugent of Now You See It celebrates the journeys of over 50 of our favorite cinematic heroes in the supercut below:

Nugent's supercut definitely pulls on some heart strings, but let's talk about the Hero's Journey for a second.

Think about some of the most emotional and exciting scenes you've ever seen in a film—Neo being offered the red and blue pill, Woody, Buzz, and the other toys holding hands as they head for certain doom, Django smirking as the Big House explodes. Though each and every phase and department of filmmaking contributed to the effectiveness of these movie moments, some of the credit goes to the fact that they used the structure of the monomyth to their advantage. 

I mean, would the red and blue pill scene in  The Matrix  be as effective if it wasn't preceded by scenes of Neo seeking answers to a mystery? Would you be blubbering in a crowded theater as Woody and Buzz finally bury the hatchet as they head for the incinerator if you hadn't watched their conflict for 15 years? Maybe not.

Even if you're staunchly against all of the structural rules and standards created by screenwriting gurus, you can't really deny the pervasiveness of this narrative template. However, as pervasive as it might be, it still is only a part that makes up the story—and story is king. If the Hero's Journey just doesn't fit your narrative, you don't need to include it. If your story is better without your hero's transformation being the centerpiece, great! The Hero's Journey is not a law, it's merely a tool.

Source: Now You See It

• The Hero's Journey Explained ›

Should You Use A Dutch Angle Shot?

Camera angles can communicate a lot of different emotions to your audience, but none so much as the dutch angle..

The Dutch angle can be used to make an audience feel a host of different emotions, like fear, uneasiness, even drunkenness. It can help heighten psychological distress and tension, creating a cinematic environment that makes for a thrilling, suspenseful experience. As creative and effective as this technique may be, its use doesn't always produce the desired effect overall (for reasons we'll get to later).

Here is our extensive coverage on how to use the dutch angle .

Jacob T. Swinney explores the subtle and overt use of this shot in an assortment of films in the video below:

Also known as the Dutch tilt, canted, German, and oblique angle, this shot was first used in Robert Wiese's 1920 horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari . However, throughout the course of cinematic history this camera technique has gone through seasons of being considered in vogue and passé.

Whether or not you know which season this angle currently in, you can still use it as long as you know the major tenet of using -- just about anything and everything, including this angle, in your film. It must serve your story. Throwing it in arbitrarily just won't cut it; it must be motivated. For example, if you've got a scene in which a man and woman are chatting about scones, you might want to go more conventional. However, if they're chatting about scones and the woman has a gun in her pocket with orders to assassinate the man, that would be an excellent time to get weirder.

Besides, they don't have to be extreme; they can be subtle. However, if you do want them to be extreme, they can be -- but again, they have to be motivated. One of my favorite uses of this tilt comes from Roger Deakins' work in Doubt. He masterfully uses the dutch tilts to, you guessed it, cast doubt on the nature of Father Flynn's relationship with a young boy in the parish school. He doesn't use them throughout the entire movie, though; they appear in only a few shots, but those few shots are just enough to convey the important message that no one can be certain whether or not Sister Aloysius is correct in her suspicions.

This is the takeaway. A Dutch angle is like salt: you can use it boldly for flavor, but too much might leave a bad taste in people's mouths.

Source: Keyframe

How Good is Sora Actually? An Interview with the Filmmakers Behind "Air Head"

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Finding the Hero’s Journey in Crowd Favorite Films

By sara mcguire.

Any movie pop culture buff will probably be familiar with the Hero’s Journey. A contemporary version of Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth , the Hero’s Journey is an archetypal plot structure that forms the basis of almost every movie in Hollywood.

Christopher Vogler, the man who condensed the Hero’s Journey into the twelve stages we’re most familiar with, developed the archetype while working at Disney. Christopher Vogler’s Hero’s Journey As a very brief reminder, the twelve stages of Vogler’s Hero’s Journey are:

• The Ordinary World: The hero is introduced in the ordinary world.
• The Call to Adventure: The initiating conflict alerts the hero to the adventure.
• Refusal of the Call: The hero is hesitant to accept the call to adventure in the special world.
• Meeting with the Mentor: The mentor introduces the hero to the special world and guides them in training to embark on the adventure.
• Crossing the First Threshold: The hero passes the point no return and commits wholeheartedly to the adventure.
• Tests, Allies and Enemies: The hero explores the special world and makes friends and enemies along the way.
• Approach to the Innermost Cave: The hero draws closer to both the heart of the special world and the heart of the story.
• The Ordeal: The hero faces their greatest challenge yet and undergoes a process of “death” and “rebirth.”
• The Reward: The hero experiences the consequences of surviving “death” and obtains the object of their quest.
• The Road Back: The hero begins their return to the ordinary world but a final trial faces them.
• The Resurrection: The hero emerges from the special world changed by their experiences and the wisdom they’ve gained.
• Return with the Elixir: The hero returns to the ordinary world with their special object, which they use to make the ordinary world better.

Movies That Follow the Hero’s Journey

One of the most commonly cited examples is Star Wars , which does follow the plot structure very closely, except that Luke encounters his Mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, before he refuses the call to adventure. Still, Luke’s classic heroism, the trials he faces against the Dark Side, and the allies he gains along the way are so textbook that Star Wars lends itself very well to the Hero’s Journey. It was the unique setting, compelling characters and other original details that made the story so exciting when it was released--but it’s a combination of these unique elements and the tried and true plot structure that make it a classic. The Hero’s Journey crops up in virtually every iconic movie you can think of over the last fifty years. Take one of Disney’s biggest successes: The Lion King (1994). The movie follows Simba, the young heir to Pride Rock, who is tricked into exile by his uncle Scar. In reality, Scar wants to usurp the throne and become king, but Simba is led to believe that he was the one who caused his father’s death.  When Scar tells Simba he must leave at once, Simba answers the call to adventure and finds himself alone in the unknown desert. He is found by Timon and Pumbaa, his two mentor figures, who introduce him to a “hakuna matata” lifestyle in the jungle (the “Special World”). Simba’s greatest trial is introduced by his reunion with his childhood friend, Nala. She tells Simba about the about Scar’s wrath and encourages him to return to Pride Rock and take back his rightful role as king. This could be seen as a repeating of the call to adventure phase and it also represents the approach to the innermost cave.  His greatest ordeal is facing not only Scar (physical), but also the guilt he feels for the death of his father, Mufasa (emotional). The “elixir” that he ultimately returns to the “Ordinary World” with is his clear conscience and the knowledge that his father will live on within him. Spider-Man (2002) also follows the Hero’s Journey perfectly, despite being in an entirely different story in terms of characters, setting, and genre. Peter Parker is a meek, nerdy boy living in Queens. He receives his call to adventure when a genetically-engineered spider bites him on a school trip to the Oscorp lab and he develops spider-like powers. At first, he uses his powers frivolously to gain money in an underground wrestling ring, a refusal of the “call” to use his powers to fight crime. Uncle Ben is his mentor (a mentor who dies earlier than most mentors), who offers him an iconic piece of advice: “With great power comes great responsibility.” When uncle Ben is killed by a runaway thief outside of Peter’s wrestling venue--the very same thief that Peter allowed to escape--Peter crosses the threshold and enters the symbolic “special world” where he uses his powers to fight crime. After his trials facing the Green Goblin and saving love-interest Mary-Jane, the “elixir” he gains is knowledge of the dark side of life (after all, his best friend’s father, Norman Osborn, turns out to be the Green Goblin) and the resolution that he must use his powers to protect the city and the people he loves. Where the resolution of Simba’s story was a happy one, Peter Parker’s story ends on a bittersweet note--this shows that while a plot may have the same core structure, the stories can still vary greatly between them. The Heroine’s Journey What the infographic above does not include are movies featuring heroines who follow the same plot structure. Such movies exist, popular examples being The Hunger Games and The Wizard of Oz , but they are far fewer than their male-centric counterparts. That’s why, in response to the Hero’s Journey, literary and pop culture theorists have developed the Heroine’s Journey. The most well-known interpretation of the Heroine’s Journey was developed by Maureen Murdock. Like the Hero’s Journey, the Heroine’s Journey is cyclical and takes place between the “Ordinary World” and the “Special World”, however, the stages are focused on the heroine’s process of rejection and re-acceptance of the feminine. This archetypal plot structure is much less known than the Hero’s Journey, but more film enthusiasts are starting to use it as a framework to analyze stories. Movies that follow the Heroine’s Journey include Room (2015), Brave (2012) and Inside Out (2015). As films with female protagonists become more and more prominent in mainstream film, we’re probably going to see more and more films that follow the Heroine’s Journey. I know I’m excited to see what movies are to come. Maybe we’ll also start to see some Heroine’s Journey infographics pop up. For now, the Hero’s Journey is a plot structure that continues to guide crowd favorite films.

About Sara McGuire

Sara McGuire is a Creative Content Specialist at Venngage infographics . In her free time she enjoys baking, reading graphic novels and poetry, and hanging out with her cat.

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30 movies with epic journeys

Wheels not yet in motion for a weekend excursion? Get comfy and hitch a ride with these faves.

Gary is a Senior Writer for EW

National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

Whether you're a parent or a kid, this is probably the way you really remember the family road trip: as a Sisyphean obstacle course and endurance test, with one disappointment after another. Of course, when it happens to someone else's family, it's epic-scale funny.

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The yellow brick road is the setting for every moviegoer's first road movie. In typical road movie fashion, Dorothy ( Judy Garland ) discovers that the point of her journey is not the destination but the friendships made and lessons learned along the way. (One lesson: It's not necessarily a good idea to stop and smell the flowers.)

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

Get outta Burt Reynolds ' way. Reynolds in his Trans Am and Jerry Reed in his semi have just a few hours to make the Texarkana-Florida run, and they've got illegal beer to deliver. The quintessential chase movie of Reynolds' career, and therefore, of the whole '70s.

It Happened One Night (1934)

All kinds meet and mingle on the road—in this case, a streetwise reporter ( Clark Gable ) and a runaway heiress ( Claudette Colbert ), who knows a better limb than the thumb for an attractive hitchhiker to use to get a ride. The first great road movie in Hollywood history, and the first great screwball romantic comedy, with an armload of Oscars (including for Gable, Colbert, and Best Picture) to prove it.

The Sure Thing (1985)

Gen X's own It Happened One Night , with college students Walter ( John Cusack ) and Allison (Daphne Zuniga) in the Gable and Colbert roles, finding themselves improvising their way across the country. Hey, you'd do whatever it takes not to be trapped in a car with Tim Robbins singing show tunes.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

The title says it all, as mismatched travelers Neal ( Steve Martin ) and Del ( John Candy ) use every means available to get home for Thanksgiving. Anyone whose road trip ever involved a rental car will appreciate Martin's rant at the leasing agency.

Easy Rider (1969)

Captain America ( Peter Fonda ) and Billy (Dennis Hopper) mount their choppers to go looking for America but, as the movie's tagline noted, couldn't find it anywhere. Instead, in the definitive motorcycle movie, they find alternative communities of overlooked Americans, a wild and wacky Jack Nicholson (in his star-making role), and the dark heart of anti-countercultural backlash.

Road Trip (2000)

Not so much a raunchy college romp as an homage to the raunchy college romps of the early '80s (a formula the filmmakers would perfect with Old School ), this trek at least has the virtue of inclusiveness. There aren't any freaks or perverts or losers on this ride, just a mismatched set of misfits who all deserve their own shot at pleasure and happiness, however their boats happen to float. (Exhibit A: Tom Green.)

Into the Wild (2007)

Following the examples set in the 19th century by Thoreau, Twain, and Whitman, Chris McCandless ( Emile Hirsch ) sheds all his attachments on a quest to escape from society and explore the frontier, but society keeps finding him (in the form of alternative communities and would-be surrogate relatives), and he discovers that the only frontier that others haven't already explored is inside his own restless heart.

Death Race 2000 (1975)

Yes, this movie was remade into a sleek action extravaganza in 2008, but you have to love the pulpy, low-tech original version, about a futuristic cross-country demo derby whose drivers get extra points for mowing down pedestrians. The late David Carradine is typically grim as the champ Frankenstein, while the then-unknown Sylvester Stallone is lean and hungry as his challenger.

Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)

The most existential of all the existential road movies of its era ( Easy Rider , Vanishing Point , Five Easy Pieces , Electra Glide in Blue ), this laconic tale of two nameless drag racers stars James Taylor (yes, that James Taylor) and Beach Boy Dennis Wilson, who compete against Warren Oates for girls, car titles, and glory. The real-life Cannonball Run race was inspired by this movie.

The Straight Story (1999)

In David Lynch 's gentlest movie, a dying WWII veteran (the majestic Richard Farnsworth ) is so determined to make peace with his estranged brother ( Harry Dean Stanton ) that he travels on a riding lawnmower to see him across state lines.

Lolita (1962)

Old world professor Humbert ( James Mason ) doesn't just fall for the much too young Lolita; he also falls for America, in all its kitschy roadside glory, from bubble gum to motels to soda pop.

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

Young Che Guevara ( Gael García Bernal ) and his friend Alberto Granado (Argentinian actor Rodrigo de la Serna, a real-life relative of Che) do the Easy Rider thing across South America. On the journey, their encounters with the downtrodden radicalized Che and helped make him the Communist poster boy he still is today.

Badlands (1973)

Inspired by the Charles Starkweather case, and starring an impossibly young Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek , Terrence Malick 's first film is a dreamy, strangely beautiful meditation on the twin American loves of the open road and senseless violence.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Nominated for Best Picture, this dysfunctional-family-on-the-road comedy—starring Greg Kinnear , Steve Carell , Alan Arkin , Abigail Breslin , Toni Collette , and Paul Dano —plays out like the indie version of National Lampoon's Vacation .

Cannonball Run (1981)

Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, and Farrah Fawcett lead the pack in this all-star cross-country underground race. Chaotic comedy ensues. Screenwriter Brock Yates founded the actual Cannonball race, inspired in turn by the aforementioned Two-Lane Blacktop .

Road to Rio (1947)

Sometimes the road trip leads to enlightenment and self-knowledge; sometimes it's just an excuse to make wisecracks and break into song. This is probably the best of the seven Road films made by Bob Hope , Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour, full of elaborate musical numbers, showbiz in-jokes, and fourth-wall-breaking asides to the audience.

Y tu mamá también (2001)

Best friends Julio (Gael García Bernal) and Tenoch ( Diego Luna ) travel across Mexico seeking adventure, sex, and wisdom, only dimly aware that all three are accompanying them in the mysterious form of slightly older woman Luisa, played by Maribel Verdú.

Thelma & Louise (1991)

Road trips are for everyone. All in all, Geena Davis ' Thelma and Susan Sarandon 's Louise had a pretty fun time. Except for the whole roadhouse parking lot incident. Oh, and the road trip's last few feet.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

This Australian comedy about a trio of drag queens who get a cabaret gig in the middle of the desert is a journey of revelations and self-discovery pretty much like any other on this list, only with an ABBA soundtrack and a lot more sequins.

Midnight Run (1988)

Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin compete to see who can do the funnier slow burn as annoyed bounty hunter De Niro drags annoying Mob accountant Grodin across the country, with rival bounty hunters and mobsters in hot pursuit.

Paper Moon (1973)

Smooth con man Moses (Ryan O'Neal) and even smoother con moppet Addie ( Tatum O'Neal in her Oscar-winning role) travel across the Depression-era Dust Bowl, scamming the gullible and each other along the way.

Sideways (2004)

Spend a hilariously uncomfortable week touring California whine country—er, wine country—with a painfully self-absorbed guy who's not quite ready to get married (Thomas Haden Church) and a painfully self-conscious guy who's not quite ready to accept his divorce ( Paul Giamatti ). Just remember, don't drink and drive; spit first.

Sherman's March (1986)

Ross McElwee's wistful documentary masterpiece started as an effort to trace the effects of General Sherman's scorched-earth campaign during the Civil War, but it mutates during the filming into a chronicle of McElwee's own romantic failures. The full title is Sherman's March: A Meditation on the Possibility of Romantic Love in the South During an Era of Nuclear Weapons Proliferation .

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

It's a dangerous business stepping out your door, Bilbo ( Ian Holm ) tells Frodo, since you never know where you may end up. The road is a crucible of character for dreamy Frodo ( Elijah Wood ) and timid Sam ( Sean Astin ), forging them into heroes capable of courageous acts they never dreamed they could accomplish. Bonus points for making the entire journey barefoot.

The Wages of Fear (1953)

This French thriller turns the road trip genre into an exercise in existential dread—a nail-biting one along bumpy mountain roads in a truck carrying a cargo of nitroglycerine.

Lost in America (1985)

When you flee the corporate world, sell all your assets, buy a mobile home, and take your nest egg along with you on your journey to find the heart of America, it's probably a good idea not to stop at a Vegas casino along the way.

Pee Wee's Big Adventure (1985)

Like Lolita (and not just in a creepy way), this story of a lad's ( Paul Reubens ) search for his stolen bicycle is really a celebration of kitschy roadside Americana, from biker bars to tourist traps, and drive-in movie theaters to giant, hollow fiberglass dinosaurs.

The Lucky Ones (2007)

Three soldiers back from Iraq ( Rachel McAdams , Tim Robbins, and Michael Peña ) bond during a road trip across the United States.

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Best Perilous Journey Films, Ranked

As epic and perilous as they come, these films take people to the brink and test the strength of the human spirit.

Films that take the human spirit and attempt to break it or at least find its limits, the perilous journey is an unrelenting endurance test that spans the globe. Whether it be an epic hero's journey based on myth, the revolutionary spirit of rebellion, or finding a way to rescue love from death's grip. This is a collection of films that have danger around every corner. Stories that use the world as an allegory for the individual. They attempt to find hope in despair and offer some resolution for the human condition. These films will test the patience and will of the audience as well as the people in them.

James Mangold is a director who adjusts to the times, often hi-jacking what film trends are popular and finding a way to subvert the genre to his liking. Teaming with veteran screenwriter Scott Frank, Mangold did just that with Logan . Taking the all-powerful Wolverine and making him a dying, dour old man, he turned the superhero film into a classic Western. As a withered and grizzled Wolverine teams with an even older Professor X, the two discover a young mutant and embark on an epic journey that tests their limits. It's one of the best superhero films of the last ten years, proving the heart and grit a comic book movie can possess.

Related: Best Hugh Jackman Movies, Ranked

9 Aguirre The Wrath of God

Per IndieWire , Werner Herzog is a director known for taking himself and others to the depths of hell to get the authenticity and truth he desires to tell his story. A renegade by nature, Herzog was the perfect artist to make Aguirre, The Wrath of God . By sticking to his documentary-like style, Herzog creates a hellscape that plunges the Klaus Kinski character (Don Lope de Aquirre) into violence worse than man. It's an epic look at the destruction of the Inca Empire, while focusing on the aftermath of a near-sighted and disaster-laced expedition.

8 Interstellar

“Love transcends time and space.” , Christopher Nolan’s epic travail across the entirety of the galaxy using the possibility of wormholes to travel to save the planet boils down to the human capacity to love. Interstellar stars Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway; the two are tasked with spanning the cosmos to save planet earth, only to realize that maybe they’re not meant to stay there. Nolan uses his grandiose visual style and mechanical diligence to create realistic practical effects to take his audience to the next dimension.

7 Saving Private Ryan

The most realistic depiction of D-Day created for the big screen came from master craftsman Steven Spielberg . Using all of his technical prowess to portray war in all of its unsettling brutality made for one of the greatest war movies ever made. Centering the story around a single troop led by none other than Tom Hanks to rescue a Private (Matt Damon) deep in enemy territory to prevent his bloodline and future generation from being killed off, the soldiers go on an epic journey to save the life of one soldier. Saving Private Ryan is an adventure that speaks to the ultimate sacrifice but necessary brotherhood during war and bloodshed.

6 Finding Nemo

Pixar has its fair share of heartfelt journeys, but none go to the core of father-son relationships like Finding Nemo . The film shows what it means to be a parent who would go to the ends of the earth to rescue their flesh and blood. With the hilarious Albert Brooks voicing Marlin, the father who loses his child, Pixar makes perfect use of their animation technology to create a bright, beautiful, and terrifying world out of the ocean whose depths have as much uncertainty as the night sky. It’s also a touching buddy film with Ellen DeGeneres doing terrific voice work as Dory. Finding Nemo is as epic as it is intimate.

5 Children of Men

Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men is a bleak, post-apocalyptic world rife with domestic terrorism, economic disparity, and a society bent on tearing itself apart because women suddenly losing their ability to reproduce has unsettling but timely themes that resonate with every passing year. Putting Theo (Clive Owen) at the center as he traverses across the war-torn UK battling terrorist and guerrilla factions because his ex-wife Julian (Julianne Moore) convinces him to take the only woman known to be pregnant to safety. It’s an epic, harrowing but beautiful tale of the always endearing power of the human spirit to overcome adversity.

4 Lawrence of Arabia

One of the most celebrated epics in film history is a grand, sweeping, romantic, and brutal tale as it unravels the hero myth. David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia sweeps us in the revolutionary history of T.E. Lawrence (Peter O’Toole) as he leads the British expedition to assist the Arab tribes in their rebellion against the Ottoman Empire. As the film takes us through the coarse vision of endlessness, sand, and gorgeous vistas, the film is also an excellent character study. As we watch over the film's long length, O’Toole slowly erodes, succumbing to the cruel nature of war.

Related: These Are the Best Revolutions Depicted on Film

3 Lord of the Rings Trilogy

One of the great spectacles of the early century was made possible by faithfully and successfully adapting a mammoth undertaking. J.R.R. Tolkien's epic The Lord of the Rings . It could've been a disaster in the wrong hands, but Peter Jackson created a tangible script connecting the three films seamlessly for an epic, mythical tale of sweeping beauty and darkness. Not only living to the lengths of a long, perilous journey traced across three films, but shooting in succession as there was no time wasted to test the endurance while engaging in one of the great hero's journeys of our time. Jackson’s trilogy is the embodiment of the epic walk.

2 Mad Max: Fury Road

One of the greatest feats in modern filmmaking, George Miller’s reclamation project of his past work, Mad Max: Fury Road is a relentless, oil-fused journey through the blood-soaked sands as a bunch of crazies attempt to see Valhalla. Starring Tom Hardy as the grunting Mad Max and Charlize Theron as the badass Furiosa, the two form an unlikely team as Miller sets both of their stories against a never-ending chase. Miller brilliantly uses the action to set up the expositing information of the story while also giving the characters a proper arc.

1 Apocalypse Now

One of the greatest war films ever made, Apocalypse Now saw Francis on the brink of collapse. Nearly bankrupting himself to get the film made while also plunging himself and the film's crew into the heart of the jungle, what emerged became a seminal piece of American cinema and history. The young Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) is sent on a top-secret mission to assassinate the violent and murderous Walter E. Kurtz who went AWOL to the furthest stretches of the Vietnamese villages. Apocalypse is a war film like no other, a hallucinatory nightmare right into the heart of darkness.

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Great adventures: five examples of a hero’s journey.

• March 2, 2020
• TEDxMileHigh Admin
• Art & Design

It’s the common thread woven throughout all storytelling. A lens that can be applied to any film or work of literature where each story will look the same. This arc of character and plot development is called the hero’s journey, and it’s everywhere.

In part one of this series , we learned what the hero’s journey is and the steps a character must take in order to fulfill their quest. We also learned that this story arc is relatable to us because our lives follow a similar pattern. If you still aren’t convinced that the hero’s journey permeates the fictional world, here are five great examples of a hero’s journey from different classics.

Spoiler Alert: If you are unfamiliar with any of these books or movies, skip them! We discuss the entirety of the story, including the end. 

Examples of a Hero’s Journey in Five Stories

This 2009 sci-fi blockbuster became the top-grossing film of all time just 47 days after it premiered. Its success is largely due to the incredible Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) characters and visual effects that are vibrantly convincing. Underlying messages and morals such as the importance of a peoples’ culture and land conservation accompany the film. While all of these elements play a role in the resounding praise of this film, there’s another reason people loved the film: the main character followed a typical hero’s journey.

Jake Sully starts out as a paraplegic former Marine. He is chosen to be a bodyguard for a research team on a search for a new energy source on the planet Pandora. While on their mission, Sully meets Neytiri, a native of Pandora, and is quickly accepted by her and her people. Sully is then faced with the moral choice to continue his work with the team he came with, and thus destroy the sacred native land, or join the native tribes and fight back against his own people. In the end, he helps save the land and its people and makes a permanent transition from his human body to the able-bodied avatar. 

Sully’s time on Pandora is the perfect example of a hero’s journey: 

• Separation: He is called to his adventure as a bodyguard, separating himself from his otherwise ordinary life
• Initiation: The initiation stage involves his meeting Neytiri and his introduction to her native tribe, and his moral dilemma of helping the natives of Pandora or staying with his team
• Return: His return is marked by the triumph of the natives. He returns to the tribe, physically changed from a human to one of their own, and mentally a new being with a new purpose

2. Marvel’s Spiderman

Another dominating movie franchise is Marvel’s The Avengers and the superhero spin-offs that it consists of. The movies have been a force to be reckoned with in the box office. However, each character had their start as a part of a comic book. Perhaps one of the most classic of this comic-book-hero-turned-movie-star is Spiderman.

The most recent adaptation of this beloved character is in the Marvel Avenger movies and the spin-off hits. In case there is any question that he is a hero, here is his journey in three steps:

• Separation: After the iconic spider bite, Peter Parker discovers his spider-like powers, prompting his new superhero life. He needs to adapt to life as a teenager with superpowers and fight crime at the same time
• Initiation: Tony Stark (a.k.a. Iron Man) and the other Avenger superheroes recruit him to help them in their battle against their extraterrestrial enemies
• Return: In the end, Spiderman returns as Peter Parker to his normal high school life, but is changed by the knowledge of his bigger responsibility as a superhero

Marvel’s Avenger version of Spiderman follows the classic hero’s journey, but we can see a major emphasis on the introduction of a mentor throughout Parker’s adventure. Iron Man serves as a father-like figure and helps Parker not only navigate his newfound superpowers but also how to harness them and use them for good. 

  3. The Wizard of Oz

A beloved novel-turned-film story that includes wicked witches, ruby slippers, and flying monkeys. This film is known for its brilliant use of color to separate real life from the fantasy world of Oz, as well as its iconic song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Dorothy’s journey, however, is different from other examples of a hero’s journey because she is a woman. (In part one we learned about the difference between a hero and heroine’s journey, and Dorothy’s yellow-brick-road path embodies a classic example.)

• Separation: After the twister drops her house in the magical land of Oz, and coincidentally on top of the Wicked Witch of the East, all Dorothy wants is to return home to Kansas
• Initiation: On her adventure, she meets three iconic friends, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion. They ultimately help her defeat her enemy, the Wicked Witch of the West and find the Emerald City 
• Return: Dorothy returns home to her family in Kansas only to realize she’s been on an incredible independent adventure

Like Spiderman, Dorothy also has a mentor: Glenda. She advises Dorothy to seek the Wizard of Oz at the end of the yellow brick road. 

The key to a heroine’s journey is overcoming society’s expectations of women . Dorothy does this several times throughout the film, like when she longs for adventure when the expectation is that she lives on her family’s farm. Or the expectation that her new, male friends will help her when she ultimately helps them. Finally, when Dorothy returns home on her own, proving she doesn’t need to rely on her uncles or anyone else to get what she wants.

The other stages of Dorothy’s quest make it one of the many examples of a hero’s journey, but it is this power that she finds as a woman that distinguishes her as a heroine.

4. To Kill A Mockingbird

This Pulitzer-Prize winning novel is at once a coming-of-age story and an attack of racism in the depression-ridden South. The main character and heroine, Scout Finch, grows up conflicted between how she feels and how other people think she should feel.

• Separation: When Atticus, Scout’s father, and a prominent lawyer, agrees to defend a black man in court, the implications are felt by the entire family. The two kids are alienated at school for their father’s decision
• Initiation: Their initiation stage takes up the bulk of the story. Atticus remains a prominent mentor to Scout and her conflicted societal views. The elusive Boo Radley remains a friend and helper although never showing his face. The conflict of this novel is woven throughout the story. Scout struggles to understand the racial views of those around her. There is also major discontent from the Maycomb townspeople surrounding Atticus’s decision to defend a black man
• Return: In the end, Scout finally puts a face to the name when Boo Radley saves her and her brother from a man who disapproved of their father’s case in court. She also realizes that regardless of what other people think, it’s better to do the right thing than cave into societal pressures

Scout can be seen as a heroine on her journey because she defies the expectations of her as a young girl. She also disregards what society thinks of her interactions with black people. She sees no problem with her father defending a black man in court. Although she can feel the discontent from those around her, Scout understands that a person deserves equal treatment despite their race, and she spends most of the novel making that point.

Disney characters and movies follow the hero’s journey.

• Separation: Aladdin lives as a poor “street-rat” until he fatefully meets the Genie in the Cave of Wonders. With the Genie’s help, Aladdin is transformed from poor bread-stealer to Prince Ali in order to win the heart of Princess Jasmine
• Initiation: Aladdin is confronted with not only Jafar, the hand to the Sultan but also the moral struggle of living a lie in order to impress the person he loves
• Return: In the end, Aladdin realizes no magical genie power can truly give him what he wants. After defeating Jafar, he admits to lying about who he is and why he felt he needed to be someone he wasn’t

The emphasis of the return in Aladdin’s hero journey is what is important. He met the Genie and was pushed into this magical adventure as Prince Ali. With the Genie at his side as his mentor, he is able to defeat Jafar, but he realizes the Genie can’t help him with everything. The lesson Aladdin learns about being himself in order to get what he wants is important. It proves that he has had what he needed all along—that is all he will ever need.

The Moral of the Story

From comic books to blockbusters, Pulitzer-Prize novels to classic films, these works have seen varying levels of success. Some were the biggest movies of all time and some were classic novels that are still read generations later. Despite the details in each piece, all of these stories follow the same narrative archetype—the arc of the hero’s journey.

These examples of a hero’s journey are five of many, but they are also proof that this story arc can be applied to any piece of film or literature. I encourage you to apply this arc to any and all of your favorite stories—including your own life.

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The 45 Best Superhero Movies of All Time, Ranked

From 'Spider-Man 2' to 'Wonder Woman' to 'The Dark Knight,' this is Collider's ranking of the greatest superhero movies ever made.

There's no doubt about it: superhero movies have been all the rage within the last couple of decades, and don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. By no means was the genre invented in the 21st century, as there were plenty of iconic superhero films to be released during the previous century. However, the genre's seemed to click with modern-day viewers more than generations in the past, with many of the highest-grossing movies of the century so far being superhero movies.

There might not be as many superhero movies out there as movies in other, broader genres (like action movies, comedies, Westerns, etc.), but trying to pick the best of the best is still a daunting task. What follows is a ranking of some of the most exceptional superhero movies, representing the various ways larger-than-life heroes can be depicted on screen, whether in live-action or animation. These are some of the best in an ever-growing genre, and are ranked below from great to greatest.

45 'The Rocketeer' (1991)

Director: joe johnston.

A charming film that also goes to show how science fiction doesn’t always need to be futuristic , The Rocketeer delivers an old-school adventurous spirit and feels rather quaint today, given how prevalent the superhero genre’s become. It’s set during World War II, and involves a pilot becoming an instrumental figure for America in the war against Nazi Germany.

Notably, he gets a rocket-pack that allows him to fly around at a great speed, and from there, he takes part in a simple yet thoroughly engaging “good vs. evil” story that works well for what it is. Other parts of The Rocketeer may not hold up as well, at least on the technical side of things, given the film’s age. But, on the other hand, many flaws are able to be overlooked, or even go so far as to add to the film’s charms .

The Rocketeer

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44 'Chronicle' (2012)

Director: josh trank.

Chronicle takes the found footage format and pushes it in an interesting direction, not being a found footage horror movie but, in actuality, a found footage superhero origin story … in a way. The plot involves three high school students learning that they’re developing strange powers, which at first is thrilling, but then becomes harrowing when one of the three starts enjoying the power he’s been given a little too much.

It's presented in a way that won’t appeal to those sensitive to motion sickness , but might well appeal to those who’ve grown tired of seeing stories about people with superpowers presented in traditionally cinematic ways. Chronicle is grounded, intense, and very well-paced, coming in at under 90 minutes and delivering a simple yet effective story bolstered immensely by its novel presentation.

43 'The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension' (1984)

Director: w.d. richter.

The textbook definition of a 1980s sci-fi cult classic , The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension can also count itself as an offbeat, charming, and quite funny superhero film. The titular character is a man of many talents, and he runs a gang called the Hong Kong Cavaliers, all of whom band together to defend Earth from alien invaders that hail from the (also titular) 8th dimension.

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is wild and more than a bit silly (if you couldn’t tell from the title alone), but it’s the kind of thing that’s unafraid to do its own thing, taking no prisoners all the while. There’s a sense of style and confidence here that’s truly admirable, and those after a superhero movie that feels like no other superhero movie ought to check this underrated 1980s movie out.

Watch on Tubi

42 'Zebraman' (2004)

Director: takashi miike.

Another unique superhero movie, Zebraman comes from the mind of Takashi Miike , the relentless and prolific Japanese filmmaker best known for controversial movies like Audition and Ichi the Killer . Zebraman , however, sees Miike tone down some of his more alarming or disturbing sensibilities, making something that feels like it could generally appeal to people of most (not all) ages, so long as such people also possess suitably strange senses of humor.

Zebraman follows a man going through a midlife crisis, and the way his life changes drastically when he decides to take on a vigilante persona in secret: the titular hero, Zebraman. Absurd comedy and some rather silly action scenes ensue, with things getting even wilder once aliens enter the picture. It’s not going to be for everyone, but its willingness to do something weird and commit to it wholeheartedly does make Zebraman admirable and oftentimes fun .

41 'Dick Tracy' (1990)

Director: warren beatty.

Starring Warren Beatty , Madonna , and a surprisingly Oscar-nominated Al Pacino , Dick Tracy could well claim to have one of the most impressive casts in the history of comic book/superhero movies. Beyond that main three, the cast also includes the likes of Mandy Patinkin , Dustin Hoffman , Dick Van Dyke , Paul Sorvino , James Caan , Kathy Bates , and Catherine O'Hara , to name just a few.

The look of Dick Tracy is similarly impressive, bringing comic book styling and sensibilities to the format of a live-action film in a bolder – and arguably better – way than most comparable films. The storyline, on the other hand, is fairly barebones, revolving around the titular hero taking on a group of vicious gangsters… but it’s the star power and style of Dick Tracy that go hand-in-hand to make it an impressive oddity, and one that still holds up as quite surprising and entertaining to this day.

40 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' (2021)

Director: destin daniel cretton.

While its action might not quite be great enough for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to feel like an all-time great martial arts movie , it was cool to see a film from the MCU take inspiration from such films . The titular hero is incredibly talented at hand-to-hand combat, leading to plenty of great action set pieces that are melded well with various fantastical elements that also serve to distinguish the film from most other MCU entries.

On top of all that, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings does have the kind of familiar humor and pacing one finds in a modern superhero movie, but it’s all executed better across the board than much of the rest of the MCU’s fourth phase. It gets the job done and then some, and proves to be an incredibly entertaining watch.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Watch on Disney+

39 'Watchmen' (2009)

Director: zack snyder.

Violent and brooding in an uncompromising way, 2009’s Watchmen feels like a Zack Snyder movie through and through , meaning fans of the director’s style will have a blast, and his detractors will likely remain unconverted. It’s an adaptation of the famed comic book series of the same name, and though it doesn’t prove as successful as a deconstruction of superhero-centered stories, it still at least touches upon that side of things.

Watchmen ’s potential thematic shortcomings are easier to overlook, however, when a film adaptation looks as consistently great as this 2009 movie does. It’s bombastic, hyper-stylized, and makes sure you see it all, thanks to plenty of sequences unfolding with healthy amounts of slow motion. Additionally, those who want to see another adaptation align a little closer to the comic series’ tone and themes thankfully have the HBO miniseries to watch , which was released in 2019.

38 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' (2017)

Director: james gunn.

There were an unusually high number of great movie sequels released in 2017 , and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 just so happened to be one of them. After the 2014 movie did a great job of making the titular squad instantly lovable and fan favorites within the MCU, Vol. 2 of what ended up being a trilogy was able to hit the ground running with already-established character dynamics, and was able to particularly explore Peter Quill’s past following him being reunited with his estranged father.

It might not run as smoothly as the first Guardians film, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 works by once again being funny, visually dazzling, well-scored with plenty of iconic music , and pushing its characters into some deeper and more emotionally intense areas. The mid-to-late 2010s were a good time to be a fan of the MCU, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was one of many reasons for that.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

37 'the super inframan' (1975), director: hua shan.

The Super Inframan is fairly obscure by superhero movie standards, but that doesn’t mean it’s undeserving of being considered up there with the very best. It’s something of a cult classic, being an absurd martial arts movie that also ambitiously sets its sights on being a work of science fiction and a weird superhero film , following a man who agrees to be experimented on, so he can become the titular hero.

From there, his destiny is to battle various monsters that are being led by a dangerous alien who wants to conquer the world, effectively being the only hope for the human race. The Super Inframan is very cheesy and one would be hard-pressed to call it high-budget… yet it’s also super charming and feels a little like it was written by a 10-year-old in the best way possible. It’s the kind of movie where, while watching it, it’s hard to imagine someone not having a good time.

Rent on Apple TV

36 'Super' (2010)

Some years before ever working for Marvel or DC, James Gunn directed his first superhero movie (of sorts) with Super , in 2010. It’s definitely more low-budget and crudely made compared to his later efforts, but it did demonstrate that he had serious potential in both writing and directing subversive or slightly offbeat films that also managed to fit within the superhero genre.

In the case of Super , it’s incredibly dark and brutally realistic, telling the story of a disturbed man with nothing to lose becoming a vigilante known as Crimson Bolt. Super is unafraid to show some seriously graphic violence, especially considering Crimson Bolt’s weapon of choice is a wrench, but those with strong stomachs and a willingness to see something different as far as superhero/vigilante movies go ought to check it out.

35 'Captain America: Civil War' (2016)

Directors: anthony and joe russo.

The third movie within one of the most compelling trilogies in the MCU , Captain America: Civil War is a huge film featuring many of the characters who appeared throughout the first three phases of the MCU. As the title suggests, the heroes are at odds and are torn apart by a series of conflicts that may have been orchestrated by a mastermind who wants to see Earth's mightiest heroes implode.

Captain America: Civil War was a movie that did a good job of shaking up the status quo , with the effects of the film's ending ultimately having an influence on several years worth of movies that followed. Additionally, this movie's also home to one of the biggest and most celebrated action sequences in the entire MCU: that of the airport battle.

Captain America: Civil War

34 'x2: x-men united' (2003), director: bryan singer.

The original X-Men series got off to a decent enough start with the original film in 2000, which was one of the first truly successful superhero blockbusters. Despite that, it's hard to argue against its 2003 sequel - X2: X-Men United - being even better. It revolves around an anti-mutant former Army Commander who causes trouble among the heroes.

X2: X-Men United is a more confident film with more satisfying action, and balances an even larger cast of characters exceptionally well. The icing on the cake of it all is that it's also home to a Brian Cox performance, where he plays the lead antagonist, Col. William Stryker. Anyone who's seen the excellent HBO series Succession will be well aware of how much Cox can bring to a villainous role.

X2: X-Men United

Watch on Starz

33 'Hellboy II: The Golden Army' (2008)

Director: guillermo del toro.

After a solid original Hellboy movie in 2004, Guillermo del Toro really let loose with its sequel, 2008's The Golden Army , by combining superhero action with wonderfully dark fantasy. Hellboy II: The Golden Army also ups the stakes considerably, forcing the titular hero and his team to take on an elvish prince who's threatening to take over the world with his mechanical army.

Some could accuse the first Hellboy of being style over substance, but those people might be ignoring just how good the style is. And when it comes to the second movie, the style's even more stylish. There is also some genuine substance and emotion to its compelling story, making Hellboy II: The Golden Army a remarkably improved sequel and one of the most underrated superhero movies in recent memory.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

32 'batman begins' (2005), director: christopher nolan.

Batman Begins may well be the most comprehensible and least overwhelming movie Christopher Nolan 's ever directed . As the title suggests, it's an origin story for the character of Bruce Wayne/Batman, showing his tragic past and how he came to take on the responsibility of being a vigilante who fights wrongdoers in the crime-ridden city of Gotham.

The best was yet to come, when it came to Nolan's trilogy, but Batman Begins got things off to an undeniably compelling start. It was a breath of fresh air back in 2005 to have a superhero movie take itself so seriously, and generally carry itself well, making this film a historically significant one for how people viewed the superhero genre going forward.

Batman Begins

31 'the suicide squad' (2021).

After a 2016 movie that really didn't work, The Suicide Squad proved to be a reboot/sequel of sorts to Suicide Squad that was an overall much stronger film. Both had similar premises, having criminal characters given dangerous missions to take part in with the promise of reduced sentences if the missions were successful, but the execution made all the difference here.

The Suicide Squad is a blast to watch, and combines violent action, crude humor, and some genuinely emotional moments together to great effect. It's a strange superhero movie, somehow feeling both risky and accessible at once, and thankfully exists to at least in part redeem the franchise after the 2016 movie.

The Suicide Squad

Watch on Max

30 'Blade II' (2002)

The first Blade , released in 1998, was a significant superhero movie in numerous ways, as it pushed boundaries in terms of violence, felt a little more hard-edged than the superhero movies that had come before it, and also was one of the first comic book movies with a Black lead. It is a solid movie, but its sequel, 2002's Blade II , is even better.

While the first laid the groundwork, Blade II is simply more fun, with a little more personality and better action sequences , at least partially thanks to it being directed by Guillermo del Toro . It is unabashedly cheesy and silly at points, but it feels self-aware and confident throughout, making it a blast to watch.

29 'Kick-Ass' (2010)

Director: matthew vaughn.

Nowadays, there are numerous darkly comedic superhero properties that take their characters to dark places while also being unafraid to show explicit violence (demonstrated by shows like The Boys and the Deadpool movies). Back in 2010, this kind of approach felt more novel, and was one reason why Kick-Ass felt like such a breath of fresh air.

Kick-Ass is a tad more grounded than many superhero movies, showing the inevitable struggles that a teenage boy would experience should he one day decide to become a superhero/vigilante. For those who want another violent and darkly funny deconstruction of the genre released in 2010, Super is also easy to recommend. What's difficult to recommend, on the other hand, is 2013's Kick-Ass 2 . That one should be avoided, as it, unfortunately, kicks very little ass.

28 'The Crow' (1994)

Director: alex proyas.

The Crow absolutely screams 1990s in every way, and is all the more glorious for it. It's a dark and brooding gothic revenge movie, adding a supernatural twist to the superhero genre by having the plot revolve around a man who comes back from the dead, and seeks vengeance on the criminals who gunned him and his fiancée down.

The Crow is an incredibly stylish movie, and does a remarkable job of capturing comic book visuals in a live-action format while telling a simple yet emotionally moving story. It's also regrettably one of the few films Brandon Lee ever starred in, as he tragically died at just 28 years old while filming The Crow , after an accident with a prop gun on set proved fatal.

27 'Zack Snyder's Justice League' (2021)

Do not watch the 2017 version of Justice League , as it's a complete mess, lacks both heart and logic, and overall serves as a textbook example of how not to do a superhero team-up movie. Thankfully, the director's cut - Zack Snyder's Justice League - is not a complete mess, and though it's a gigantic and imperfect film, it is an impressive one, and ultimately stands as a much stronger movie.

Zack Snyder's Justice League runs for a staggering four hours, but uses that time to flesh out all the members of the titular team while ensuring their first mission together feels suitably grand. It suffers a bit toward the end, given it has a series of epilogue-type scenes setting up movies that'll probably never happen, but the rest of it works well, and to this day remains the longest superhero movie of all time .

Zack Snyder's Justice League

26 'big hero 6' (2014), directors: chris williams, don hall.

Animation and superhero stories go together well, given the format can be used to depict heightened fantastical and/or futuristic worlds in ways that most live-action films would struggle to. Big Hero 6 is an example of how to do an animated superhero movie right, and holds up as a fun, emotional, and exciting family-friendly film.

It follows a young boy who befriends an inflatable robot called Baymax after a tragedy in his family, with the boy eventually forming a superhero team with said robot and his friends. It's a colorful and heartfelt movie, and one of those great kid's movies where it doesn't feel like it's only designed to appeal to children.

Movies about heroism

In the top there are new films of 2022, a plot description and trailers for films that have already been released.

In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper pilot makes a dangerous journey across the state in order to rescue his estranged daughter.

The story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American pilots to fly in a combat squadron during World War II.

The incredible true story of Vietnam War hero William H. Pitsenbarger, a U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen medic who personally saved over sixty men. Thirty-two years later, Pentagon staffer Scott Huffman investigates a Congressional Medal of Honor request for Pitsenbarger and uncovers a high-level conspiracy behind the decades-long denial of the medal, prompting Huffman to put his own career on the line to seek justice for the fallen airman.

European mercenaries searching for black powder become embroiled in the defense of the Great Wall of China against a horde of monstrous creatures.

A crew of men who do the high-wire work of fixing the electrical grid are hit by a sudden deadly storm.

An account of Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis's actions in the events leading up to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the aftermath, which includes the city-wide manhunt to find the terrorists behind it.

When Andrew Briggman—a young soldier in the US invasion of Afghanistan—witnesses other recruits killing innocent civilians under the direction of a sadistic Sergeant, he considers reporting them to higher-ups. However, the heavily-armed and increasingly-violent platoon becomes suspicious that someone in their ranks has turned on them, and Andrew begins to fear that he'll be the next target.

While working as an EMT back stateside Jake Carter after responding to a distress call, finds himself caught up protecting a person of interest from a biker gang ruthlessly hunting them down.

A rogue band of resistance fighters unite for a mission to steal the Death Star plans and bring a new hope to the galaxy.

The last Gunslinger, Roland Deschain, has been locked in an eternal battle with Walter O’Dim, also known as the Man in Black, determined to prevent him from toppling the Dark Tower, which holds the universe together. With the fate of the worlds at stake, good and evil will collide in the ultimate battle as only Roland can defend the Tower from the Man in Black.

We always knew they were coming back. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force. Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.

Predominantly set during World War II, Steve Rogers is a sickly man from Brooklyn who's transformed into super-soldier Captain America to aid in the war effort. Rogers must stop the Red Skull – Adolf Hitler's ruthless head of weaponry, and the leader of an organization that intends to use a mysterious device of untold powers for world domination.

In an alternative Victorian Age Gotham City, Batman begins his war on crime while he investigates a new series of murders by Jack the Ripper.

A group of American GIs work their way through war-torn France during the final days of the Second World War.

As two evil sisters prepare to conquer the land, two renegades—Eric the Huntsman, who aided Snow White in defeating Ravenna in Snowwhite and the Huntsman, and his forbidden lover, Sara—set out to stop them.

A story set on the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, which exploded during April 2010 and created the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

When a covert mission to rescue a kidnapped CIA operative uncovers a chilling plot, an elite, highly trained U.S. SEAL team speeds to hotspots around the globe, racing against the clock to stop a deadly terrorist attack.

United States President Lex Luthor uses the oncoming trajectory of a Kryptonite meteor to frame Superman and declare a $1 billion bounty on the heads of the Man of Steel and his ‘partner in crime’, Batman. Heroes and villains alike launch a relentless pursuit of Superman and Batman, who must unite—and recruit help—to try and stave off the action-packed onslaught, stop the meteor Luthors plot.

Thor is on the other side of the universe and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the prophecy of destruction to his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela.

The big-budget, epic film on young King David who took on the mighty warrior Goliath against all odds.

The fast-paced action movie is again set in the criminal underworld in France, where Frank Martin is known as The Transporter, because he is the best driver and mercenary money can buy. In this installment, he meets Anna and they attempt to take down a group of ruthless Russian human traffickers who also have kidnapped Frank’s father.

Last months of World War II in April 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theater, a battle-hardened U.S. Army sergeant in the 2nd Armored Division named Wardaddy commands a Sherman tank called "Fury" and its five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Outnumbered and outgunned, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany.

When a hulking monster arrives on Earth and begins a mindless rampage, the Justice League is quickly called in to stop it. But it soon becomes apparent that only Superman can stand against the monstrosity.

A team of CIA agents and special forces head into Afghanistan in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks in an attempt to dismantle the Taliban.

The story of the soldiers and aviators who helped turn the tide of the Second World War during the iconic Battle of Midway in June 1942.

In 2014 Russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine turns hot. An engineer, actor, soccer coach and florist volunteer to fight on the front line. Unaware of the pivotal role they will play in the war, they discover the meaning of true leadership.

It has been ten years since The Battle of the Breach and the oceans are still, but restless. Vindicated by the victory at the Breach, the Jaeger program has evolved into the most powerful global defense force in human history. The PPDC now calls upon the best and brightest to rise up and become the next generation of heroes when the Kaiju threat returns.

A Special Ops military Force, led by expert sniper Sergeant Jake Chandler, are sent to a remote Afghan village to extract an American congressman being held by the Taliban.

Babe is a little pig who doesn't quite know his place in the world. With a bunch of odd friends, like Ferdinand the duck who thinks he is a rooster and Fly the dog he calls mum, Babe realises that he has the makings to become the greatest sheep pig of all time, and Farmer Hogget knows it. With the help of the sheep dogs, Babe learns that a pig can be anything that he wants to be.

CSS Hunley tells the incredible true story of the crew of the manually propelled submarine CSS Hunley, during the siege of Charleston of 1864. It is a story of heroism in the face of adversity, the Hunley being the first submersible to sink an enemy boat in time of war. It also relates the human side of the story relating the uncommon and extaordinary temperament of the 9 men who led the Hunley into history and died valiantly accomplishing this feat.

After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos' actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.

England, 15th century. Hal, a capricious prince who lives among the populace far from court, is forced by circumstances to reluctantly accept the throne and become Henry V.

An American Ambassador is killed during an attack at a U.S. compound in Libya as a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos.

Members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots battle deadly wildfires to save an Arizona town.

After supervillain Shredder escapes custody, he joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman and two dimwitted henchmen, Bebop and Rocksteady, to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world. As the Turtles prepare to take on Shredder and his new crew, they find themselves facing an even greater evil with similar intentions: the notorious Krang.

World World II: Shortly after D-Day, three American soldiers and two Army Corps nurses are stranded behind enemy lines. They take a high-ranking German officer as their prisoner and try to orchestrate an escape.

19-year-old Billy Lynn is brought home for a victory tour after a harrowing Iraq battle. Through flashbacks the film shows what really happened to his squad - contrasting the realities of war with America's perceptions.

Buffalo Bill plans to put on his own Wild West sideshow, and Chief Sitting Bull has agreed to appear in it. However, Sitting Bull has his own hidden agenda, involving the President and General Custer.

After Kick-Ass’ insane bravery inspires a new wave of self-made masked crusaders, he joins a patrol led by the Colonel Stars and Stripes. When these amateur superheroes are hunted down by Red Mist — reborn as The Mother Fucker — only the blade-wielding Hit-Girl can prevent their annihilation.

Fall of 1941. Freshly graduated from school, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya volunteers for a partisan unit. During an assignment, her comrades are ambushed, and she is captured by the Nazis. She endures hours of grueling interrogations and horrendous torture, but defiantly refuses to divulge any information that would compromise other units’ partisan missions. She doesn’t even tell her captors her real name. Zoya’s sacrifice was not in vain; it ignited fire in the hearts of millions of people and became the symbol of selfless heroism during WWII. She is one of the most celebrated heroes of that time.

Autobots and Decepticons are at war, with humans on the sidelines. Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth.

Drama set in 1942, during one of the most important battles of World War II, which stopped the progress of Nazi forces and turned the tide of war in favor of the Allies. The Soviet army mounts a counter-attack on the Nazi forces that occupy half of Stalingrad on the other side of the Volga, but the operation to cross the river is unsuccessful. A few soldiers who managed to get to the other side take refuge in a house on the bank of Volga. Here they find a girl who didn’t escape when the Germans came. While the whole might of the German army descends onto them, the heroes of Stalingrad experience love, loss, joy and the sense of ultimate freedom that can only be felt by those about to die. They defend the house at all costs while the Red Army prepares for another attack.

Framed and on the run, a former FBI agent must save his family from a blazing fire in the world's tallest building.

A logger defends his family from a group of dangerous drug runners.

The Towani family civilian shuttlecraft crashes on the forest moon of Endor. The four Towani's are separated. Jermitt and Catarine, the mother and father are captured by the giant Gorax, and Mace and Cindel, the son and daughter, are missing when they are captured. The next day, the Ewok Deej is looking for his two sons when they find Cindel all alone in the shuttle (Mace and Cindel were looking for the transmitter to send a distress call), when Mace appears with his emergency blaster. Eventually, the four-year old Cindel is able to convince the teenage Mace that the Ewoks are nice. Then, the Ewoks and the Towani's go on an adventure to find the elder Towanis.

In this animated hit, a neurotic worker ant in love with a rebellious princess rises to unlikely stardom when he switches places with a soldier. Signing up to march in a parade, he ends up under the command of a bloodthirsty general. But he's actually been enlisted to fight against a termite army.

A story about bravery, self-sacrifice and human dignity put on trial by the merciless power of nature. A young pilot is fired from military air force after disobeying an absurd order. He gets a job as a co-pilot with a civil airline. Being brutally honest and direct, he is not on best terms with his new colleagues. During a flight to Asia his crew receives a distress message from a volcanic island and makes a decision to attempt a rescue mission. Will it be a success? Will they survive the disaster? They have a single chance to find that out: by being a team and sticking up for one another.

In 1897, an army of 21 Sikhs battles 10,000 Afghans to prevent the Saragarhi Fort from being taken down.

A period drama set in the 1970s, KGF follows the story of a fierce rebel who rises against the brutal oppression in Kolar Gold Fields and becomes the symbol of hope to legions of downtrodden people.

On the eve of World War II, the German Kurt Müller, his American-born wife Sara, and their three children, having lived in Europe for years, visit Sara's wealthy mother near Washington, DC. Kurt secretly works for the anti-Nazi resistance. A visiting Romanian count, becoming aware of this, seeks to blackmail him.

12 Hero’s Journey Examples in Disney Movies

Looking for the hero’s journey examples in Disney movies? Discover our guide with our top picks!

The hero’s journey is a narrative structure that’s been used in literature for thousands of years. This structure and its inherent stages are discussed in the seminal work by Joseph Cambell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces . Checking out the best Disney movies can be helpful when writing essays about movies .

The hero’s journey structure can be identified in movies, too, and those from the Disney studio are no exception. Below you’ll find our selection of the top twelve Disney films that follow this distinctive pattern. And once you recognize the structure, you might start to spot it everywhere!

Here Are The Best Hero’s Journey Examples in Disney Movies

1. the lion king, 3. hercules, 5. toy story, 7. finding nemo, 9. pocahontas, 12. the jungle book.

The Lion King is a much-loved Disney movie released in 1994. It follows a clear hero’s journey narrative structure. Simba’s Ordinary World is the Pride Lands, where he was born and lives with his family. We learn how important it is to him to grow to be as strong and competent as his father, Mufasa, who he will one day succeed as king.

Simba’s story progresses through all the stages of the hero’s journey. From the Call to Adventure, where Simba is encouraged to visit the elephant graveyard by his uncle Scar, to The Reward, which sees the young protagonist lose his self-doubt, the one thing holding him back from becoming a hero. Finally, the Return with the Elixir. Simba, taking up his father’s crown, restores his kingdom. His journey has healed both himself and the Pride Lands. You might also be interested in these hero’s journey examples in real life .

Mulan is another Disney movie in which the hero’s journey is clearly evident. A couple of stages are particularly clear. Encountering Mushu the dragon is a comedic rendering of The Meeting of the Mentor part of the hero’s journey. At the same time, The Road Back is Mulan’s physical race against time as she dashes home to warn Shang of the Huns’ plan to storm the palace. You might also be interested in these personal narrative examples .

• Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, BD Wong (Actors)
• Barry Cook (Director) - Alan Ormsby (Writer)
• English (Subtitle)
• Audience Rating: G (General Audience)

Pretty much the epitome of the hero’s journey, Hercules is a Disney classic from 1997 that literally follows a hero’s journey! While it departs a fair way from the twelve labors tale of the original legend, it still sticks to Joseph Campbell ’s monomyth structure. Even the Crossing the First Threshold stage is clearly delineated, with Hercules engaging in a little warm-up roundhousing with a centaur to save Meg.

• Tate Donovan, Susan Egan, James Woods (Actors)
• John Musker (Director) - Bob Shaw (Writer)
• English, English (Subtitles)

The hero’s journey can be simplified into three key stages: Departure, Initiation, and Return. The title character of Aladdin begins life in Agrabah as a ‘street rat’ – but we see him leave his ordinary world when he’s lured into entering the Cave of Wonders, sent on a mission by the villainous Jafar (Departure). 

Our hero meets the genie and sets off on a spectacular adventure, dealing with enemies and difficult matters of the heart (Initiation)! He triumphs in the end, though, defeating Jafar, winning over his true love, and finally becoming comfortable in his skin (Return). For more, check out these hero’s journey short stories examples .

It’s not just the narrative structure that can have an archetypal structure: the heroes themselves can often be categorized into archetypes, too, such as The Warrior (Hercules) or The Orphan (Aladdin). One of the lesser-seen hero archetypes is The Caregiver, represented in Toy Story by the character of Woody the cowboy, who oversees and generally looks after all of Andy’s other toys.

The arrival of Buzz Lightyear causes Woody’s consternation. Still, after many trials and challenges Woody has to face in rescuing the toy astronaut, the pair must team up to escape the cruel boy next door, Sid, and save his ill-treated toys. You might also be interested in these tragic hero examples .

In Moana , when a mysterious, dark force threatens her island, Moana is called to adventure to discover how to save her community. During her quest, the heroine faces multiple challenges, meets her mentor, the mighty Maui , and Returns with the Elixir, saving her island and coming home triumphantly, recognized as the firm leader she is. 

It’s worth mentioning that Moana actually has two mentors. As well as Maui, her grandmother, also embodies the role of mentor, demonstrating how the hero’s journey structure has a little give in it and can flex to the story’s needs. Check out these essays about films .

• New Store Stock
• Japanese, Spanish, French, Russian, Arabic (Subtitles)

Finding Nemo is a classic hero’s quest tale – even if it features the most unlikely protagonists! The stages of the hero’s journey are nice and clear: Nemo is swept from his Ordinary World when he’s captured by a scuba diver and taken far from his home. His mission is to return to his dad, Marlin, who finds himself on the adventure of a lifetime as he seeks his lost son. 

Marlin finds his mentor, Dory. Together they navigate many dangers until they eventually find Nemo and return to their home in the reef. And the Elixir? Marlin is a way more chilled-out dad and enjoys a closer relationship with his son due to the quest.

• Lee Unkrich, Andrew Stanton (Actors)
• English, Dutch (Subtitles)
• English (Publication Language)

In Up , another unlikely hero, Carl, lives alone following the death of his beloved wife. The Call to Adventure takes the form of a construction company trying to force Carl out of his home to redevelop the land. And Carl’s having none of it. Faced with the prospect of a move to the Shady Oaks retirement home, Carl takes extreme action, attaching thousands of helium balloons to his house. There’s no going back once his adventure has literally taken flight!

• Running time 96 minutes
• Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, John Ratzenberger (Actors)
• Bob Peterson (Director) - Bob Peterson (Writer) - Andrew Stanton (Producer)

Released in 1995, Disney’s Pocahontas may have raised eyebrows with its re-writing of history. Still, in terms of its adherence to the hero’s journey structure, it’s authentic. It features Captain Smith, the stereotypical brave explorer-type hero, and Pocahontas, the heroine of this tale.

The story focuses on the importance of remaining open-minded, accepting of differences, and knowing oneself – deeply – this is a hero’s journey story with a difference – but a hero’s journey story all the same.

• Polish Release, cover may contain Polish text/markings. The disk has English audio and subtitles.
• English, Spanish, Dutch (Subtitles)

A beautifully vibrant movie, Coco ’s plot follows Miguel, who loves music but has the misfortune of growing up in a family where music is banned. The young hero literally crosses the threshold when he enters the Land of the Dead in search of the truth about his family history and why music is such a taboo.

The Return with the Elixir stage is particularly magical in Coco : upon returning to the world of the living, there is reconciliation within Hector’s family, and music flows through the house once more – for good.

• Lee Unkrich (Director) - Adrian Molina (Writer) - Darla K. Anderson (Producer)

Step into the land of Brave , where a Scottish medieval Princess named Merida is frustrated at the fate being imposed upon her. She has no wish to marry and, to defy her family’s wishes, runs away to escape the betrothal. 

In the forest, Merida meets a witch and makes a life-changing (literally) bargain with her. Returning to the castle, she presents her mother, Queen Elinor, with the cake the witch has given her, promising that it will alter the situation. But this ‘alteration’ is not what Merida imagined.

• English, French (Subtitles)

Released in 1967, the original The Jungle Book movie remains much loved by audiences and features many unforgettable characters. In many ways, the movie reverses the traditional hero’s journey. Young Mowgli’s Ordinary World – the jungle – is anything but ordinary. And the narrative arc is driven by his journey (physically and spiritually) to a destination entirely alien to him: the human world. Looking for more? Check out our guide with movies that follow the hero’s journey !

• UK Import Exclusive Disney Villains Gloss Slipcover
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, Portugese
• Audio: English, Spanish, Portugese
• Phil Harris, Bruce Reitherman, George Sanders (Actors)

Melanie Smith is a freelance content and creative writer from Gloucestershire, UK, where she lives with her daughter, long-suffering partner, and cat, The Magical Mr. Bobo. Her blog posts and articles feature regularly in magazines and websites around the world.

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Hero's Journey Movies (Rare)

• Movies or TV
• IMDb Rating
• In Theaters
• Release Year

1. Gladiator (1992)

R | 101 min | Action, Drama, Sport

Tommy Riley has moved with his dad to Chicago from a 'nice place'. He keeps to himself, goes to school. However, after a street fight he is noticed and quickly falls into the world of illegal underground boxing - where punches can kill.

Director: Rowdy Herrington | Stars: James Marshall , Cuba Gooding Jr. , Brian Dennehy , Richard Lexsee

Votes: 10,291 | Gross: $9.22M

2. Krull (1983)

PG | 121 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

A prince and a fellowship of companions set out to rescue his bride from a fortress of alien invaders who have arrived on their home planet, Krull.

Director: Peter Yates | Stars: Ken Marshall , Lysette Anthony , Freddie Jones , Francesca Annis

Votes: 36,156 | Gross: $16.52M

3. Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985 TV Movie)

TV-G | 94 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy

Marauders raid the Ewok village and steal a power supply they believe to be magical. Wicket helps Cindel escape the evil witch Charal, and they befriend a hermit who may help them save the village.

Directors: Jim Wheat , Ken Wheat | Stars: Wilford Brimley , Warwick Davis , Aubree Miller , Siân Phillips

Votes: 10,743

4. The Ewok Adventure (1984 TV Movie)

TV-G | 96 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy

Wicket the Ewok and his friends agree to help two shipwrecked human children, Mace and Cindel, on a quest to find their parents.

Director: John Korty | Stars: Eric Walker , Warwick Davis , Fionnula Flanagan , Guy Boyd

Votes: 12,480

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Dev Patel’s 'Monkey Man' swings into theaters with heavy heart and hands. What to expect.

If Dev Patel’s new moody and adrenalized film, “Monkey Man,” sounds familiar to Austin audiences (outside of the stylized film’s trailer that has probably snatched your attention online in recent weeks), it’s likely because Patel’s directorial debut made its world premiere before a raucous sold-out crowd at the Paramount Theatre in March as part of the South by Southwest Film Festival.

The actioner opens across the country Friday. Here’s what to know about the film before you buckle in for the wild ride.

Who is Dev Patel?

The London-born actor, whose parents are of Gujarati Indian descent, first earned global attention in Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire,” playing a young man on a romantic quest to reconnect with his childhood love. 

Patel later earned an Academy Award nomination for his role in the familial drama “Lion,” the 2007 film that once again found Patel’s character searching to find a lost love (his birth mother). 

'Monkey Man' is more than 'Bollywick'

Some clever wordsmiths have described Patel’s new revenge thriller as Bollywood-meets-”John Wick,” but that description is a little reductive and ignores some of Patel’s major influences in making the movie. In broad terms, the movie is a throttling homage to Korean revenge films and Patel’s boyhood hero, Bruce Lee, whose brown skin made Patel feel seen and imbued the London native with possibility. 

More: At SXSW, Dev Patel explains how a broken hand couldn't stop him from filming 'Monkey Man'

What’s the story of "Monkey Man"?

Patel’s hero in “Monkey Man,” simply named “Kid,” suffers through savage beatings in India’s underground fight world in order to make money to aid his plan of long-festering vengeance. 

The submission to the pain comes off as both masochistic cleansing ritual, as he attempts to remove his traumatized history from his DNA, and as an act of love. By bowing to the bloody suffering, the sinewy fighter inches closer to exacting justice for the death of his mother (Adithi Kalkunte), a backstory told through choppy but effective flashback. 

Heavy hands, heavy heart

One rarely finds as much heart in an action film as exists in “Monkey Man.” The Kid’s motivating trauma is detailed in flashbacks that can leave as many questions as answers, but the taut vagueness, and the brutality it echoes, resonate in a disturbing way. 

The plot is driven by the action film device of fighting up toward the final boss, a framework that also establishes a commentary on Indian class hierarchy. 

A corrupt cop (Sikandar Kher), fuzzy religious leader (Makarand Deshpande) and state-sanctioned violence all work as emblems of societal poison, though the nuances may be lost on some Western audiences. 

“Monkey Man” is a hero’s journey told inside a darkened, tumbling bread box, one stuffed with ideas about love, loss and justice. Storytelling hallmarks of such a quest abound, with the wounded hero supported by an unexpected community of outsiders; a pithy and diminutive sidekick proving comic relief along the way (Pitobash); a severe but disturbingly humorous devil of a madame (Ashwini Kalsekar); and a mysterious and thinly drawn sex worker aiding the hero (Sobhita Dhulipala, whose eyes demand a new category at the Oscars). 

'Monkey Man' draws inspiration from the Ramayana

The story of “Monkey Man” is set against the backdrop of the epic Hindu poem, the Ramayana, and its centerpiece deity, Hanuman, a story Patel’s grandfather shared with him when the actor was a young boy. Joseph Campbell tips his cap. 

Patel 'faced catastrophe everyday' making 'Monkey Man'

The Kid’s suffering serves as a thin allegory for 33-year-old Patel’s undertaking in getting his hero’s journey to the screen. The filmmaker appeared beaten but jubilant when he presented the world premiere at SXSW. Hearing the film’s origin story, it was clear the filmmaker’s bedraggled but buoyant comportment was no act. 

Patel’s shoot in India was disrupted by COVID lockdowns and then moved to the islands of Indonesia, where, left with limited resources, Patel hired random members of the crew as actors, used footage from his mobile phone for part of a frenetic action sequence, and created rigged camera set ups that sound like something from someone’s high school backyard production. 

“We faced catastrophe everyday,” Patel said at the premiere. 

And we haven’t even talked about the physical abuse endured by the actor in the film animated, but gory and graphic, fight sequences. The entire production teetered on collapse when a doctor had to insert a screw into Patel’s hand to hold it together. Disregarding doctor’s orders, the actor threw himself immediately back into action sequences reminiscent of the blurry and bloody confusion of Indonesian actioner “The Raid.”

All of this for a movie Patel had long dreamed of making … with someone else as the director.  Patel said he had originally shared the idea with “District 9”’director Neil Blomkamp, but the director, who worked with Patel on 2015’s “Chappie,” told the actor that his vision of the story was so complete that Patel should direct it himself. 

Patel found himself “reluctantly pushed into the driver’s seat,” he said on stage at the premiere. Despite the unending challenges, he delivered. The film would not have made it to the big screen, though, had there not been a final push from Jordan Peele, the “Get Out” and “Us” director whose body of work over the past decade has served as a strong argument for more much-needed representation in the film industry. 

Peele’s production company, fittingly called “Monkeypaw Productions,” pushed the film over the finish line and ensured theatrical release (thank goodness, because this thing needs a big screen to breathe). The producer was on hand, beaming with awed pride, to introduce the film at SXSW. 

“No one has put their soul, energy, mind and body into a film than this man. And he has done it for us to enjoy this film,” Peele said. 

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• My Hero Academia: How Deku redefines the hero's journey

My Hero Academia: How Deku redefines the hero's journey

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The Best Movies of 2024 So Far

T he Oscars are done and over with and 2023 is officially off the books. That means we're ready to start prepping our list of the best movies of 2024 for next year, and there are already plenty of standouts worth noting.

Festivals like SXSW and Sundance kicked things off strong (though we're only considering features that have been released. Sorry, "Thelma"). But even at the multiplex we've seen big-budget dazzlers like "Dune: Part Two" and "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" shake audiences in their seats. On the horror front, features like Michael Mohan's Sydney Sweeney-fronted "Immaculate" have already made a mark. And don't forget some of the movies that entranced people sitting on their living room couches, including the new "Road House."

We're looking at some of the best films that have come out over the last few months of 2024.

"Cobweb" (Sony Pictures Classics)

Sony Pictures Classics picked up the latest film from Korean auteur Kim Jee-woon after it premiered out of competition at Cannes last year. And then ... they decided to dump it in early February, directly to PVOD, with little (if any) promotion. What a shame.

Wild, wacky and warm, "Cobweb" is one of director Kim's very best, most big-hearted movies. The movie gamely toggles between two narratives - a film shoot in the early 1970's in Seoul, led by an obsessive filmmaker (played by a remarkable Song Kang-ho) who strives for perfection; and then the footage from what they shot, which appears in black-and-white. The movie piles on the layers of meta-textual mischievousness without ever losing the plot, a sort of "Ed Wood" on psychedelics.

While critics were mixed on the movie (with some suggesting "Cobweb" falls into the trap of becoming too entangled in itself), it feels like an obvious highlight. It's a movie in love with both the limitations and oversized ambition of filmmaking and it's proof that Kim Jee-woon is still one of the world's most exciting filmmakers. To paraphrase one of his earlier films, "Cobweb" contains the good, the bad and the weird; it's all delightful. -Drew Taylor

"Love Lies Bleeding" (A24)

Rose Glass' pulp noir "Love Lies Bleeding" is a movie that grabs you by the lapels and never lets go with its dark 1980s story involving lovers Jackie and Lou (Katy O'Brian and Kristen Stewart, respectively) who become embroiled in murder. Glass skillfully blends body horror with drama, her camera showcasing Jackie's massive muscles, many of them straining so much you're worried she'll burst. But what makes the movie work so well is how O'Brian and Stewart craft a dirty, complex romance between two people whose baggage threatens to destroy them. It's dark, it's nasty and it can be sexy as hell. I haven't stopped thinking about this movie since I saw it. – Kristen Lopez

"Road House" (Amazon MGM Studios)

To some, the idea of a "Road House" remake is sacrilegious. After all, the rowdy Patrick Swayze-led original from 1989 is something of a cult classic. (And for good reason - it rules!) But this new movie, directed by Doug Liman and starring Jake Gyllenhaal as the Swayze approximation, might be even better.

In this new version Gyllenhaal plays a disgraced UFC fighter who takes a job bouncing at a roadhouse in the Florida Keys. A local tough (Billy Magnussen) has been harassing the bar and its owner (Jessica Williams), and Gyllenhaal's Dalton not only wants to temper the violence but also discover what's behind the antagonism. Aggressive, in-your-face and almost pornographically violent (we mean that in a good way), this new "Road House" is a shit-kicking masterpiece.

Liman, always willing to experiment, stages the action with a you-are-there virtuosity and Gyllenhaal, for all his pretty boy trappings, boldly inhabits the character, a laconic hero who doesn't want to end things in force but will anyway. Written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry, proteges of the great Shane Black, "Road House" crackles and sparks. It might be too slick to embody the same infamous legacy as the original but the movie is just as good, if not better. A triumph. -Drew Taylor

"Lisa Frankenstein" (Focus Features)

Zelda Williams made her directorial debut this year with the snappy, neon-tinged horror-comedy "Lisa Frankenstein," a movie everyone's going to pretend they always loved 20 years from now.

Kathryn Newton stars as Lisa, a high school oddball navigating life after tragedy when a freak accident resurrects a long-dead corpse (Cole Sprouse) who might be the man of her dreams … if they can find him all the right body parts. What I love most about "Lisa Frankenstein" is that it's unabashed: silly, sweet, twisted, colorful, grotesque, playful and disturbed — often all at once and always without flinching. Newton makes big, bold choices with her performance and she's perfectly suited to the strange brew of Williams' irreverent '80s throwback.

This one's been more or less written off by critics, but it has the air of a film that's going to age into its audience. The script comes from the always excellent yet consistently divisive Diablo Cody, who famously penned the zero-to-hero early aughts horror-comedy "Jennifer's Body." That film has had a hell of a redemption tour in recent years, and I expect it will be much the same for "Lisa Frankenstein" in the decades to come. -Haleigh Foutch

"Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" (Warner Bros.)

If you saw 2021's "Godzilla vs. Kong," a rare pandemic-era hit despite its simultaneous release on HBO Max, and thought, "Haven't we said all that needs to be said about Godzilla battling King Kong?" The answer is an emphatic no. Adam Wingard returns from the earlier film, eager to make something wackier and with more personality. Mission: accomplished.

In this entry, both Godzilla and King Kong are threatened by a new giant ape known as the Scar King and the Space Godzilla-like monster he has control over. (There's too much to get into now but he could trigger a new ice age.) Wingard fully gives over to the monsters; there are whole stretches of the movie where the only characters you see on screen are towering creatures. It's one of the movie's biggest surprises and its biggest pleasures.

Not that the humans are wasted here; new addition Dan Stevens as a colorful kaiju veterinarian is the most delightful human character in the entire MonsterVerse. He's introduced on screen singing along to Greenflow's 1977 single "I Got'Cha" as he extracts an inflamed tooth out of Kong's jaw, Hawaiian shirt blowing in the wind. Priceless. Wingard, again working with longtime collaborator Simon Barrett, stages the monster mayhem with an even more impish,  more artful sense of play. This movie is more fun than spending the entire day at a theme park. And significantly less expensive. -Drew Taylor

"Immaculate" (Neon)

We've all seen horror films focused on nuns and pregnancy. In April we'll have two movies featuring both topics between 20th Century's "The First Omen" and Neon's "Immaculate." But it's the latter, starring Sydney Sweeney as a nun who discovers she's the vessel for a possible immaculate conception, that stands out.

What makes "Immaculate" work is the mutual fearlessness of its director, Michael Mohan, and Sweeney. Inspired by Italian giallo and Ken Russell's "The Devils," Sweeney's Sister Cecilia is one the audience immediately bonds with, particularly once she's considered a holy vessel and a group of men are hellbent on deciding her fate. For much of the film, the movie parcels out its scares deliberately, more content to emphasize the growing sense of dread - both in that Cecilia isn't being told something concurrently with just being a pregnant woman in  general.

The final scene, though, is one for the ages that has shocked and angered certain people and left others cheering. That final scene, for me, was one where I was throwing my arms in the air, celebrating Cecilia's need for autonomy. Mohan was right when he said the movie could only end one way. – Kristen Lopez

"The Greatest Night in Pop" (Netflix)

A fastball straight down the middle, "The Greatest Night in Pop" recounts the recording of "We Are the World" in 1985. How does that make for a compelling documentary? Well, thanks largely to archival footage and new interviews by organizer Lionel Ritchie but also Bruce Springsteen, Huey Lewis, Dionne Warwick, Sheila E., Cyndi Lauper and technicians and musicians that were also there that night, it really does spring to life.

There were hurt feelings, weird machinations, and Waylon Jennings showing his ass when Stevie Wonder suggested they might want to do a take in Swahili. (Wonder was then reminded that the single was meant to help out in Ethiopia and the language was wrong. Jennings was already gone.) Director Bao Nguyen moves things along briskly, never ruminating over one part of the evening for too long (and wisely sidestepping thornier issues like Michael Jackson and whatever drugs were being done in the bathroom that night). Nguyen presents a somewhat mythologized, brightly colored account of a night that still resonates today. How many times has somebody told you about the "Leave Your Egos at the Door" sign that hung above the recording studio's entryway that night? Exactly. "The Greatest Night in Pop" proves that sometimes the greatest stories are also true. Mostly. -Drew Taylor

"Dune: Part 2" (Warner Bros.)

Denis Villeneuve has pulled off nothing short of a cinematic miracle, transforming what for decades stood as the most unadaptable sci-fi novel ever written into an epic tragedy that has captured the pop culture zeitgeist in a way no one ever thought possible.

Yet that is exactly what "Dune: Part Two" pulls off, bringing together all of the setup of Villeneuve's 2021 adaptation of the first half of Frank Herbert's novel and paying it off with one incredible scene after another. At its center is Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides, the man who fears that his quest to avenge his father will lead him to become a tyrant, yet chooses that dark path out of fear of losing everything else he values. As Paul's beloved Fremen companion Chani, Zendaya puts on the best performance of her career as a warrior who goes from being a loyal follower of Paul in Herbert's book to being the sole voice of reason as she watches the man she once believed had the best interests of her people at heart turn into a religious manipulator.

Combine that with thrilling battle sequences across the deserts of Arrakis, a delightfully sadistic performance from Austin Butler as the villainous Feyd Rautha, a surprisingly funny performance from Javier Bardem as Paul's most devoted follower Stilgar, and possibly the best film score ever from Hans Zimmer, and you have a film that feels like the culmination of Villeneuve's sparkling career. -Jeremy Fuster

"Hundreds of Beavers" (SRH)

Explaining a film like "Hundreds of Beavers" feels like a disservice to its genius. One would be better served by looking at its trailer, which does a perfect job of encapsulating its 108 minutes of slapstick brilliance. While it premiered at Fantastic Fest back in 2022, "Hundreds of Beavers" is only getting a public release now via a roadshow theatrical run and a digital on-demand release.

Directed by Mike Cheslik, who co-wrote it with lead star Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, the film follows a man named Jean Kayak who loses his successful applejack business when his trees and distillery are destroyed by a horde of beavers. Left with practically nothing, Jean finds a new life as a fur trapper, as the film follows his utterly wacky battles against the beavers, bunnies and wolves of the Great White North, all of whom were played by friends and families of the crew in animal costumes.

"Hundreds of Beavers"could have easily ended up as an idea for a cartoon-length short film that outstays its welcome as it stretches out to feature length, but Cheslik and his team manage to come up with one brilliant slapstick gag after another as Jean goes from struggling to find a way to survive, to engaging in a full scale war against an army of beavers. The influences, from Looney Tunes and Buster Keaton, will be obvious, but younger audiences may also see parallels to video games, as the film keeps count of Jean's travels across the forest, the tally of beaver pelts he's racked up and the goods he purchases from the nearby merchant as he tries to win the hand of the merchant's daughter. -Jeremy Fuster

"Orion and the Dark" (Netflix)

One of the year's best animated films, "Orion and the Dark" is an odd, endearing story written by Charlie Kaufman and based on a children's book by Emma Yarlett.

Orion (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) is an anxious little kid. Everything scares him, especially nighttime. That's when he meets Dark (Paul Walter Hauser), the physical embodiment of night. Together they go on an adventurous and comical journey, meeting other "night entities" like Sweet Dreams (Angela Bassett), Sleep (Natasia Demetriou), Unexplained Noises (Golda Rosheuvel), Insomnia (Nat Faxo) and Quiet (Aparna Nacherla). He also learns that Light (Ike Barinholtz) might not be all that he makes himself out as.

Sure, both the concept and the characters (many fashioned as Muppet-y creatures) feel vaguely Pixar-ish, but thanks to Kaufman's script, which always throws zigs where you'll imagine a zag, and the fresh direction and design choices of filmmaker Sean Charmatz, "Orion and the Dark" feels genuinely new, apart of everything that's come before. It's a dream of an animated feature, one that everyone can enjoy. -Drew Taylor

Problemista (A24)

For anyone who has ever worked as an assistant, "Problemista" might hit a little too close to home. Julio Torres' directorial debut sees him play Alejandro, a soft-spoken Mexican immigrant who, in a desperate attempt to find a new visa sponsor, takes a job as an assistant for a neurotic art critic named Elizabeth who is determined to open a gallery on behalf of her cryogenically frozen husband. 

Through surreal imagery, Torres satirizes the kafkaesque journey that immigrants must take to stay in the U.S., needing money to pay for the immigration and visa process but unable to take jobs that don't pay cash-in-hand because they are not citizens. Things as mundane as a job search on Craigslist or a phone call about bank fees turn into a headfirst dive into absurdism. 

But the centerpiece of "Problemista" is Tilda Swinton as Elizabeth, a woman who makes Miranda Priestly look like an angel as she rants at tech support about why her iPad doesn't work (it does, but she's just not using it right with her acrylics) and demands to know why Alejandro isn't using the needlessly complicated Filemaker Pro as a database for her husband's work instead of Excel. She is a pure nightmare who lashes out at everyone around her, yet Swinton keeps her humanity present even at the center of her rants, showing how even monsters are just looking for love. -Jeremy Fuster

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