Celtic Folklore Films - Old Stories, New Tellings
by urbanemovies | created - 01 Feb 2016 | updated - 6 months ago | PublicWhich of these movies based on Celtic* folklore is the best new telling rooted in an old story or mythical creature?
* Celtic Nations: Ar Broioù Keltiek (Brittany), An Kenedhlow Keltek (Cornwall), Na Náisiúin Cheilteach (Ireland), Ny Hashoonyn Celtiagh (Isle of Man), Na Dùthchannan Ceilteach (Scotland) and Y Cenhedloedd Celtaidd (Wales) and other Celtic European continental regions.
Vote in the companion poll here: Ireland's Green Scream Horror Films
Discuss the topic here.
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A prince of the mythical world starts a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth. Hellboy and his team must fight to stop him from locating the all-powerful Golden Army.
Director: Guillermo del Toro | Stars: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, John Alexander
Votes: 286,077 | Gross: $75.75M
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Balor, Nuada Airgetlám, Nuala, Gobeniū
Celtic Filming Locations
(United States-Germany-Hungary co-production)
2. Brave (2012)
PG | 93 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.
Directors: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell | Stars: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters
Votes: 442,588 | Gross: $237.28M
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Artio, Celtic Goddess of Wild Life, Will-o'-the-wisp
Non-Celtic Filming Locations
(United States-United Kingdom co-production)
3. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
PG | 91 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on a surreal, low-budget search for the Holy Grail, encountering many, very silly obstacles.
Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones | Stars: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam
Votes: 570,547 | Gross: $1.23M
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Arthurian legend, associated characters and events
Celtic Filming Locations
(United Kingdom production)
4. Song of the Sea (2014)
PG | 93 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
Ben, a young Irish boy, and his little sister Saoirse, a girl who can turn into a seal, go on an adventure to free the fairies and save the spirit world.
Director: Tomm Moore | Stars: David Rawle, Brendan Gleeson, Lisa Hannigan, Fionnula Flanagan
Votes: 63,153 | Gross: $0.86M
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Selkie, Faeries and the Celtic goddess, Macha
Celtic Filming Locations
(Ireland-Denmark-Belgium-France co-production)
5. The Green Knight (2021)
R | 130 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
A fantasy retelling of the medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
Director: David Lowery | Stars: Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury
Votes: 118,148
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Green Man, guardian of the forests and woods
Celtic Filming Locations
(Ireland-Canada-United States co-production)
6. Harvey (1950)
Approved | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Due to his insistence that he has an invisible six foot-tall rabbit for a best friend, a whimsical middle-aged man is thought by his family to be insane - but he may be wiser than anyone knows.
Director: Henry Koster | Stars: James Stewart, Wallace Ford, William H. Lynn, Victoria Horne
Votes: 58,265
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Púca
Non-Celtic Filming Locations
(United States production)
7. The Wicker Man (1973)
R | 88 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A puritan police sergeant arrives in a Scottish island village in search of a missing girl, who the pagan locals claim never existed.
Director: Robin Hardy | Stars: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento, Britt Ekland
Votes: 92,395 | Gross: $0.06M
Horror Celtic Folklore: Wicker Man, Druids
Celtic Filming Locations
(United Kingdom production)
8. Army of Darkness (1992)
R | 81 min | Comedy, Horror
When Ash Williams is accidentally transported to 1300 A.D., he must retrieve the Necronomicon and battle an army of the dead in order to return home.
Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, Marcus Gilbert, Ian Abercrombie
Votes: 194,449 | Gross: $11.50M
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Arthurian legend, associated characters and events
Non-Celtic Filming Locations
(United States production)
9. Leap Year (2010)
PG | 100 min | Comedy, Romance
Anna Brady plans to travel to Dublin, Ireland to propose to her boyfriend Jeremy on February 29, leap day, because, according to Irish tradition, a man who receives a marriage proposal on a leap day must accept it.
Director: Anand Tucker | Stars: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott, John Lithgow
Votes: 110,724 | Gross: $25.92M
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Leap Day Proposal
Celtic Filming Locations
(United States-Ireland co-production)
10. The Secret of Kells (2009)
Not Rated | 75 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
A young boy in a remote medieval outpost under siege from barbarian raids is beckoned to adventure when a celebrated master illuminator arrives with an ancient book, brimming with secret wisdom and powers.
Directors: Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey | Stars: Evan McGuire, Brendan Gleeson, Mick Lally, Christen Mooney
Votes: 38,316 | Gross: $0.69M
Fantasy Celtic Folklore Book of Kells, Pangur Bán, ‘Eye of Colm Cille’, Crom Cruach, Ouroboros, Faeries and Chi-Rho
Celtic Filming Locations
(Ireland-Belgium-France co-production)
11. Tristan + Isolde (2006)
PG-13 | 125 min | Action, Drama, Romance
An affair between the second in line to Britain's throne and the princess of the feuding Irish spells doom for the young lovers.
Director: Kevin Reynolds | Stars: James Franco, Sophia Myles, Rufus Sewell, David O'Hara
Votes: 54,302 | Gross: $14.73M
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Tristan and Iseult
Celtic Filming Locations
(United States-United Kingdom-Germany-Czech Republic co-production)
12. The Water Horse (2007)
PG | 112 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
A lonely boy discovers a mysterious egg that hatches a sea creature of Scottish legend.
Director: Jay Russell | Stars: Emily Watson, David Morrissey, Alex Etel, Bruce Allpress
Votes: 43,010 | Gross: $40.41M
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Waterhorse, Kelpie
Celtic Filming Locations
(New Zealand-United Kingdom-Australia co-production)
13. Shrek the Third (2007)
PG | 93 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Reluctantly designated as the heir to the land of Far, Far Away, Shrek hatches a plan to install the rebellious Artie as the new king while Princess Fiona tries to fend off a coup d'état by the jilted Prince Charming.
Directors: Chris Miller, Raman Hui | Stars: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas
Votes: 332,716 | Gross: $320.71M
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Arthurian legend, associated characters and events
Non-Celtic Filming Locations
(United States production)
14. Byzantium (2012)
R | 118 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Residents of a coastal town learn, with deathly consequences, the secret shared by the two mysterious women who have sought shelter at a rundown hotel.
Director: Neil Jordan | Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Arterton, Sam Riley, Caleb Landry Jones
Votes: 45,963 | Gross: $0.08M
Horror Celtic Folklore: Dearg Due Celtic Filming Locations (United Kingdom-Ireland co-production
15. Wolfwalkers (2020)
PG | 103 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A young apprentice hunter and her father journey to Ireland to help wipe out the last wolf pack. But everything changes when she befriends a free-spirited girl from a mysterious tribe rumored to transform into wolves by night.
Directors: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart | Stars: Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Sean Bean, Simon McBurney
Votes: 38,708
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Werewolves of Ossory, Faoladh
Celtic Filming Locations
(Ireland-Luxembourg-France co-production)
16. Leprechaun (1992)
R | 92 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
An evil, sadistic Leprechaun goes on a killing rampage in search of his beloved pot of gold.
Director: Mark Jones | Stars: Warwick Davis, Jennifer Aniston, Ken Olandt, Mark Holton
Votes: 30,519 | Gross: $8.56M
Fantasy-Horror Celtic Folklore: Lúchorpáin
Non-Celtic Filming Locations
(United States production)
17. The Hole in the Ground (2019)
R | 90 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A single mother living in the Irish countryside with her son begins to suspect he may not be her son at all, and fears his increasingly disturbing behavior is linked to a mysterious sinkhole in the forest behind their house.
Director: Lee Cronin | Stars: Seána Kerslake, James Quinn Markey, Kati Outinen, David Crowley
Votes: 22,384 | Gross: $0.02M
Horror Celtic Folklore: Faeries, Changelings
Celtic Filming Locations
(Ireland-United Kingdom-Belgium-Finland co-production)
18. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Robbed of his birthright, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy - whether he likes it or not.
Director: Guy Ritchie | Stars: Charlie Hunnam, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Jude Law, Djimon Hounsou
Votes: 232,689 | Gross: $39.18M
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Arthurian legend, associated characters and events
Celtic Filming Locations
(United Kingdom-United States-Australia co-production)
19. The Black Cauldron (1985)
PG | 80 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A young boy and a group of misfit friends embark on a quest to find a dark magic item of ultimate power before a diabolical tyrant can.
Directors: Ted Berman, Richard Rich | Stars: Grant Bardsley, Freddie Jones, Susan Sheridan, Nigel Hawthorne
Votes: 40,778 | Gross: $21.29M
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Wild Beast-Man, Henwen, Gwyllgi, Pair Dadeni
Celtic Filming Location
(United States co-production)
20. Pay the Ghost (2015)
Not Rated | 94 min | Horror, Mystery
A professor frantically searches for his son who was abducted during a Halloween carnival.
Director: Uli Edel | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Sarah Wayne Callies, Veronica Ferres, Lyriq Bent
Votes: 18,889
Horror Celtic Folklore: Cailleach, Ellen Trechend, Samhain
Non-Celtic Filming Locations
(United States production)
21. Ondine (2009)
PG-13 | 111 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
An Irish fisherman discovers a woman in his fishing net whom his precocious daughter believes to be a selkie.
Director: Neil Jordan | Stars: Colin Farrell, Alicja Bachleda, Dervla Kirwan, Alison Barry
Votes: 22,648 | Gross: $0.55M
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Selkie
Celtic Filming Locations
(Ireland-United States production)
22. Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959)
G | 93 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
A wily old codger matches wits with the King of the Leprechauns and helps play matchmaker for his daughter and the strapping lad who has replaced him as caretaker.
Director: Robert Stevenson | Stars: Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, Sean Connery, Jimmy O'Dea
Votes: 9,373
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Lúchorpáin, Lubdan, Tuatha Dé Danann, Bean Sidhe
Non-Celtic Filming Locations
(United States production)
23. King Arthur (2004)
PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A demystified take on the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Director: Antoine Fuqua | Stars: Clive Owen, Stephen Dillane, Keira Knightley, Ioan Gruffudd
Votes: 176,168 | Gross: $51.88M
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Arthurian legend, associated characters and events
Celtic Filming Locations
(United States-United Kingdom-Ireland co-production)
24. The Hallow (2015)
Not Rated | 97 min | Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
A family who moved into a remote mill house in Ireland finds themselves in a fight for survival with demonic creatures living in the woods.
Director: Corin Hardy | Stars: Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, Michael Smiley
Votes: 18,545 | Gross: $0.01M
Fantasy-Horror Celtic Folklore: Faeries, Bean Sidhe and Changelings
Celtic Filming Locations
(Ireland-United Kingdom co-production)
25. The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)
PG | 103 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy
Young Fiona lives with her grandparents in a small fishing village where she takes an active role to unravel the mysterious secrets.
Director: John Sayles | Stars: Jeni Courtney, Eileen Colgan, Mick Lally, Pat Slowey
Votes: 9,876 | Gross: $6.10M
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Selkie
Celtic Filming Locations
(Ireland-United States co-production)
26. The Lodgers (2017)
R | 92 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A family curse confines orphaned twins Rachel and Edwards to their home, in punishment for their ancestors' sins. Bound to the rules of a haunting childhood lullaby, the twins must never let any outsiders inside the house.
Director: Brian O'Malley | Stars: Charlotte Vega, Bill Milner, Eugene Simon, David Bradley
Votes: 9,652
Horror Celtic Folklore: Sluagh, Fomori
Celtic Filming Locations
(Ireland production)
27. Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
PG-13 | 154 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A deadly threat from Earth's history reappears and a hunt for a lost artifact takes place between Autobots and Decepticons, while Optimus Prime encounters his creator in space.
Director: Michael Bay | Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins, Josh Duhamel, Laura Haddock
Votes: 168,965 | Gross: $130.17M
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: Arthurian legend, associated characters and events Celtic Filming Locations (United States-China-Canada co-production)
28. You Are Not My Mother (2021)
93 min | Drama, Horror
In a North Dublin housing estate Char's mother goes missing. When she returns Char is determined to uncover the truth of her disappearance and unearth the dark secrets of her family.
Director: Kate Dolan | Stars: Hazel Doupe, Carolyn Bracken, Ingrid Craigie, Jordanne Jones
Votes: 5,873
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: athrú
Celtic Filming Locations
(Ireland production)
Added 01 February 2023
29. Unwelcome (2022)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Horror
Married couple Maya and Jamie escape their urban nightmare to the tranquility of rural Ireland only to discover malevolent and murderous goblins lurking in the gnarled, ancient wood at the foot of their new garden.
Director: Jon Wright | Stars: Hannah John-Kamen, Douglas Booth, Colm Meaney, Kristian Nairn
Votes: 6,123
Fantasy Celtic Folklore: fear dearg aka red caps
Celtic Filming Locations
(Ireland-United Kingdom co-production)
Added 01 November 2023
Tell Your Friends