From the vast collection of movies available at SBS On Demand, here are some action-packed fantasies from filmmakers around the world to keep you entertained.
Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings
The third film in Chinese director Hark Tsui’s Detective Dee series, this 2018 outing sees Empress Wu (Carina Lau) accuse Detective Dee (Mark Chao) of wrongdoing. Dee must face a formidable foe while investigating a crime wave that’s marked by strange and seemingly supernatural happenings.
Lost River
Written, produced and directed by Ryan Gosling, this dark fairy tale is set in Lost River, a mostly abandoned city. When single mother Billy (Christina Hendricks) embarks on a quest to save her childhood home, her son Bones (Iain De Caestecker) discovers a mystery about the city’s origins that triggers an unexpected journey that will test the limits of not only himself, but all those he loves. Also starring Eva Mendes and Ben Mendelsohn.
The City Of Lost Children
From French director Marc Caro (Alien: Resurrection) comes this very creepy story of a scientist who kidnaps children to steal their dreams in the hope they’ll slow down the aging process. Ron Perlman (Hand of God, Hellboy) and Daniel Emilfork (La Belle Captive, Subversion) star.
Beauty And The Beast
In this French adaptation of the classic fairy tale, Léa Seydoux plays Belle who falls for Vincent Cassel’s Prince, also known as La Bête. (The film’s title is La Belle et la Bête in French.) Things get complicated when Belle’s merchant father (André Dussollier) finds himself indebted to the Prince.
Attack On Titan: Part 1 and Part 2
This two-part Japanese movie from director Shinji Higuchi (Shin Godzilla) is based on the manga by Hajime Isayama. The Titans are monsters that, a hundred years ago, destroyed most everything in their path, prompting the construction of huge walls to shield survivors. Attack On Titan follows the curious Eren, who’s keen to see what lies beyond the walls, but before he and his friends can venture out, the Titans return. The survivors rally and fight back.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
When giant flying robots begin attacking New York City, a reporter teams up with a pilot to work out where they’re coming from. Are they also linked to the disappearance of famous scientists from around the world? Kerry Conran writes and first-time directs an all-star cast, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Giovanni Ribisi, Angelina Jolie and Jude Law as the Sky Captain.
Pin Cushion
From the UK comes this 2017 film from writer/director Deborah Haywood about mother and daughter Iona and Lyn (Lily Newmark and Joanna Scanlan). Their life in a new town gets off to a bumpy start, with Iona finding it hard to fit in at school, and Lyn to find a true friend. They retreat into fantasy and lies to cope, and face shifts within their own close relationship.
