While the silver screen is often home to big-budget, high-spectacle fantasy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer beats any fantasy movie out there. Those who haven’t watched the iconic ’90s series may dismiss it as just another teen show, but it’s that combination of the teen and fantasy genres that set Buffy apart, with its “high school as hell” metaphor being a key factor in its cult classic status.

Buffy famously got off to a rough start, with season 1 deemed a weak point for the series. Die-hard fantasy film fans may also be turned off by season 1’s low-budget, dated special effects, but the series is more than worth a watch. Buffy ran for seven incredible seasons, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a fantasy lover who doesn’t cite the show as one of their favorites.

Why The Buffy The Vampire Slayer TV Series Is Better Than Any Movie

From Buffy‘s scariest monsters to the Scooby Gang to the Chosen One herself, the series is full of incredible characters. Whether they became fan-favorites over time or were popular out of the gate, at 144 episodes, Buffy had plenty of room to play with and develop their arcs.

Take the beloved big bad, Spike. Spike was originally supposed to be killed off very early in the series, but James Marsters delivered such a winning performance that he remained on the show right up until Buffy‘s series finale. As the episodes progressed, Spike went from Buffy’s arch-nemesis to her toxic lover, and ended the series as her most trusted ally.

A fantasy movie simply wouldn’t be able to do that without Spike’s character development feeling rushed, or the film being incredibly long. The same applies to Willow becoming Dark Willow, Cordelia going from mean girl to agent of the Powers That Be (on spin-off series Angel), the list goes on.

Fantasy movies also tend to blend in another genre component, whether it’s horror or comedy. Trying to add too many would cause tonal whiplash, so the medium is limited. On the flip side, this genre mashup is precisely why Buffy is so successful as a series.

The show has some legitimately terrifying episodes, with the almost dialogue-free “Hush” being a prime example, but it also had some laugh-out-loud comedy gems, often in Buffy‘s underrated filler episodes. Famously, one of the best-ever Buffy episodes is “Once More with Feeling,” the musical episode that created a trend, with several other shows copying the idea.

Not every Buffy episode is a winner, but it is a show that truly changed television. Beyond that, its rich lore of slayers, demons, and the forces of darkness is enough to bring joy to any fantasy fan, likely more than any movie ever could.

A Buffy Movie Was Attempted & It Failed Miserably

Those outside the fandom may not know that, before it was a show, there was a Buffy movie. Written by controversial Buffy series creator Joss Whedon, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer film was released in 1992 and featured an entirely different cast, with Kristy Swanson in the title role.

The movie was both a box office and critical bomb, grossing just over $16 million at the global box office against a $7 million budget (via Box Office Mojo) and earning a paltry 37% on Rotten Tomatoes. Ultimately, the pundits thought the plot was a mess, and the film’s overly campy tone didn’t land with audiences either.

This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as Whedon saw firsthand how his original vision wasn’t realized, and was able to course correct, thankfully getting another shot with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series. Ultimately, this just goes to show that fantasy movies aren’t necessarily the highest pinnacle of the genre, and shows like Buffy can surpass them.