Isekai is the most blatant form of escapism in mass media but it has actually existed way before anime has popularized it and turned it into a genre of its own. In fact, there are plenty of western media (films, usually) that follow the Isekai formula where the hero or heroine gets whisked away into a magical, surreal, or futuristic world and it often provides a respite from their monotonous lives in their original reality.
Sure enough, Isekai in western films is also about as popular or as successful as it is in anime. The idea that other more interesting dimensions or worlds out there exist and are tailor-made for the weary protagonists is such a classic and alluring idea for most cultures, it seems. Hence, for a change of perspective or a breath of fresh air from the 2D worlds of anime, these Isekai western movies should compete well.
10 The Chronicles Of Narnia Series
- Release year: 2005
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe might have been an allegory for Christianity, but it still falls within the Isekai category. The sequels also conform to this template but it's mostly the first film that contains that undeniable Isekai charm.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is set during World War 2 where the Pevensie siblings somehow find themselves an escape from the harsh bombardments of London inside a wardrobe that houses a mystical medieval fantasy kingdom called Narnia. It's not all rest and recreation, however, as they fight their own battles there as well and contribute to the kingdom's salvation.
9 The Forbidden Kingdom
- Release year: 2008
Imagine Karate Kid except the karate was replaced with Kung Fu and one lucky American teenager gets two stellar martial arts masters as his tutors. That's the gist of The Forbidden Kingdom. A plain and defenseless teenager named Jason suddenly gets transported into a fantasy version of ancient China.
There, he meets two Kung Fu masters played by Jackie Chan and Jet Li where he must train to defeat an evil warlord. It's cliched, yes, but the viewers mostly find delight in seeing both Jackie Chan and Jet Li duke it out and even fight for the opportunity to teach Jason some Kung Fu.
8 Source Code
- Release year: 2011
One of the more serious and even grim Isekai western films, Source Code paints a tragic picture where an army man's consciousness is used in investigating and finding a notorious bomber. The twist is that the man, Colter Stevens, is already dead and that he's just being utilized by a military initiative's program that can simulate realities based on brain activity.
Colter then gets put into another dead person's perspective to learn about what took place in a recent bombing so he can track the perpetrator. To that end, it's not exactly a pleasant stroll or even a favorable power fantasy for Colter because he's out to do some wetwork even if it's just within his consciousness.
7 Peter Pan
- Release year: 1954
Long before anime even existed, there were Disney movies that dabble in the earliest forms of Isekai. Peter Pan is the most notable example here where Neverland is exciting enough to be preferable to the real world but dangerous enough to keep it from being boring.
At the heart of it all is Peter Pan himself, leader of the ever-youthful Lost Boys as they take Wendy and her brothers on an adventure. Lucky for them, Neverland is every pre-pubescent child's favorite playground of pirates, mermaids, fairies, and flying.
6 Alice In Wonderland
- Release year: 1952
A couple of years before Peter Pan started introducing a cozier western Isekai world, Alice in Wonderland was already making both adults and kids question their reality and sanity. It's an animated take on an old and twisted tale from Lewis Caroll.
Young Alice finds an evasive and rather late rabbit whom she chases through the rabbit hole. She soon found herself in an intoxicating and unreal environment where everyone appears to be dysfunctional, drunk, or deranged. It's by far one of the most disturbing Isekai worlds even when compared to anime.
5 Space Jam
- Release year: 1996
It's a Christmas movie that's made more as a way to promote basketball to children and teenagers, but Space Jam is a fond Isekai memory in every millennial's mind. The story is pretty straightforward— more so than most Isekai; Michael Jordan gets "kidnapped" by the Looney Tunes cast because they need a basketball MVP to win a high-stakes match against aliens.
Back then, seeing a live-action NBA star among the wacky 2D cast of Looney Tunes was a cinema marvel whose own charm is difficult to replicate (sorry, Lebron). Couple that with the bombastic and catchy soundtrack and it made for a good turn-of-the-millennium summary film, even though it was several years away from the year 2000.
4 Enchanted
- Release year: 2007
Fancy a musical? Then Enchanted is a good balance between Isekai and Disney's usual penchant for lyricizing dialogue. It's also quite similar to space jam as it incorporates both 2D and live-action in its cinematography. As for its Isekai component, it's actually more of a reverse one.
Princess Giselle (played by Amy Adams), gets banished from her kingdom by her lover's evil stepmother. For some reason, she ended up in the contemporary real world where her notions about romantic love are challenged by modern standards.
3 The Neverending Story
- Release year: 1984
Technically, one can't consider Neverending Story as an Isekai since the protagonist was never physically transported into the fantasy world. However, the film portrays the very essence of an Isekai where it's a realm of escape from dull life, bullying, or other modern problems.
It's about a kid named Bastain who camps himself in an old bookstore as a refuge from his school life. He finds a book he likes and self-inserts himself as Atreyu into the mysterious world of Fantasia where he befriends a dragon named Falkor who helps him in his journey to save a princess.
2 Coraline
- Release year: 2009
Coraline holds quite a surprise as it's both an Isekai and an anti-thesis to the genre. The film is based on a book whose titular main character finds her household a little too dull due to her workaholic parents and uneventful daily life. So she loiters around the house and stumbles upon a secret door that opens up to a parallel dimension.
In this parallel dimension, her parents are more attentive, quirky, and outgoing. Everything seemed fine until they started demanding that Coraline replace her eyes with sewn buttons. Not all that glitters is gold it seems and the fantasy world of her choice has its own hidden admission fees.
1 The Matrix
- Release year: 1999
Another reverse-Isekai and also, in hindsight, an anti-thesis to the genre, The Matrix was a revolutionary and thought-provoking action film. Neo Anderson, the main hero, is actually already in his safe and comfy Isekai world until Morpheus and his gang of black-clad freedom fighters yank him out of the simulated reality.
Turns out their machine overlords were using them as power sources and injects a virtual reality into their brains to keep them docile. Even so, it still follows the Isekai trope as Neo is a designated and prophesized chosen one who will save his world and effect a balance between the ongoing human and machine war.