From contemporary to classic cinema, Kanopy has plenty of fantastical and far-out films you can watch right now!
Please note: On Kanopy, you receive 10 play credits per month to use. As soon as you click “play” on a movie, a play credit is deducted. Once a movie is played, you have 72 hours to watch it, using 1 play credit. Kanopy includes some mature content that is best suited for our adult customers. If you're looking for more children-friendly movies and documentaries, visit Kanopy Kids.
The Seventh Seal (1957)
From Kanopy's Criterion Collection comes the Swedish masterpiece by award-winning director Ingmar Bergman: The Seventh Seal (Det sjunde inseglet). Disillusioned and exhausted after a decade of battling in the Crusades, a knight encounters the personification of Death on a desolate beach and challenges him to a fateful game of chess. It is a heavily metaphorical and allegorical art-house film, focusing on images and reflections of death and the meaning of life. Winner of the Special Jury Prize and nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival. Watch an excerpt below.
This Beautiful Fantastic (2017)
In this contemporary fantasy tale, Bella Brown, a beautiful, quirky young woman dreams of writing and illustrating a successful children's book. When she is forced by her landlord to deal with her neglected garden or face eviction, she meets her nemesis, match, and eventual mentor in Alfie Stephenson, a grumpy, loveless, rich old man who lives next door and happens to be an amazing horticulturalist.
The Quiet Earth (1985)
In this sci-fi cult classic, mid-level scientist Zac Hobsob is working on an energy project when he awakes to a global-scale nightmare. After his project malfunctions, Zac is seemingly the only man left on Earth. Once he meets two other survivors, Joanne and Api, they roam New Zealand trying to understand why everyone disappeared - and why they remained behind. The film features an iconic and hotly debated ending.
The Rabbi's Cat (2011)
Based on the graphic novel by Joanna Sfar, The Rabbi's Cat (Le chat du rabbin) tells the story of a sharp-tongued feline philosopher living with his family in Mediterranean Africa. The cat, belonging to a widowed rabbi and his beautiful daughter, eats the family parrot and gains the ability to speak - along with some sardonic wit. The animated film takes viewers on a continental adventure filled with colors, textures, and music from Jewish, Arabic, and French cultures. From tiled terraces on deep blue Saharan nights to the cafes of colonial Algiers and Maghrebi tent camps, The Rabbi's Cat is a funny and fantastical movie. Winner of Best Feature at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival and Best Animated Film at the César Awards.
Alice (1988)
We all know the story of Alice in Wonderland: Alice follows the White Rabbit into Wonderland, encounters many bizarre and thrilling adventures, then lands before the Queen of Hearts, who will determine her fate. There have been plenty of versions of Lewis Carroll's popular fantasy tale, but there's been nothing like 1988's Alice. Czech animator Jan Švankmajer sticks to the original storyline, but it bears an unusual, very dark distinct style of animation and live action - which may or may not give you the willies. Watch an excerpt below.
Coherence (2014)
What happens when a comet passes through our atmosphere? Usually nothing much. Sometimes we can see it if it passes too close for comfort, and it's quite a sight if you can see it with the naked eye. But what if it has more effects on human nature than we bargained for? In 2014's Coherence, eight friends at a dinner party start experiencing mysterious events on the night of a comet passing. Soon it becomes clear that nothing and no one is what they appear. Winner of the Carnet Jove Jury Award and Best Screenplay and nominated for Best Motion Picture at the Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival.
Beauty and the Beast (1946)
A classic romantic fantasy tale with a sublime French twist. Poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau adapted his Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bete) from the 1757 story written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. After Belle's father is sentenced to death for picking a rose for her in the Beast's castle garden, she offers to take her father's place. The Beast falls in love with her, proposing marriage on a nightly basis, which she refuses. But, as time goes on, she is more drawn to the timid, sweet nature of the Beast. With unforgettable performances by French actors Jean Marais and Josette Day, this film contains visions of enchantment, desire, love, and death.
