Magnesium and its alloys are prone to corrosion upon exposure to atmosphere thus are usually protected by using a pretreatment before being employed. The use of ionic liquids (ILs) has emerged as a novel chemical in corrosion protection of reactive metals such as lithium and magnesium. This paper reviews the use of ILs in the corrosion protection of magnesium and aluminium with respect to a range of IL chemistries. Emphasis has also been placed on characterisation of the passivating films using various techniques, as well as proposed mechanisms for film formation. This review highlights that there is still much research needed to understand how to generate robust passivating films on reactive metal surfaces in the presence of ILs.