Top 50 Medieval Films
Best Medieval Period Movies of All Time
Medieval period historical films in any form (drama, action and adventure, horror, art-house, e.t.c.).
Definition: The medieval period is fertile ground for epic tales of glory on the battlefield and romanticized re-imaginings of historical events. In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from 500 AD to 1500, between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance when feudal oppression, superstition and warfare later earned the era the name ‘Dark Ages’.
Characteristics: historical settings, dramatic narratives, historical character or a mythic heroic figure, royalty, knights, great military leaders, or leading personalities from various periods in world history, authentic period costumes, and action scenes on a massive scale,, realism, heroism.
Essential / Must-see / Genre-defying: medieval movies:
Other Lists:
Top 100 War Movies (All Time)
Top 100 Adventure Movies (All Time)
Top 100 Fantasy Movies (All Time)
Top 75 Historical Movies
Medieval period historical films in any form (drama, action and adventure, horror, art-house, e.t.c.).
Definition: The medieval period is fertile ground for epic tales of glory on the battlefield and romanticized re-imaginings of historical events. In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from 500 AD to 1500, between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance when feudal oppression, superstition and warfare later earned the era the name ‘Dark Ages’.
Characteristics: historical settings, dramatic narratives, historical character or a mythic heroic figure, royalty, knights, great military leaders, or leading personalities from various periods in world history, authentic period costumes, and action scenes on a massive scale,, realism, heroism.
Essential / Must-see / Genre-defying: medieval movies:
- The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
- The Seventh Seal (1957)
- El Cid (1961)
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
- Ran (1985)
Other Lists:
Top 100 War Movies (All Time)
Top 100 Adventure Movies (All Time)
Top 100 Fantasy Movies (All Time)
Top 75 Historical Movies
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- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsTatsuya NakadaiAkira TeraoJinpachi NezuIn Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him.Ran (1985)*
Drama – War – Action – History – Period Drama – 16th Century Era – Powerful Elderly Warlord – Retirement – Abdication – Three Sons Successors – 3-Part kingdom Division – Political Intrigue – Family Betrayal – War – Revenge Drama – Son's Wife – Vengeance – Retribution – Karma – Conspiracy Theory – Hypocrisy – Greed – Corruption – Betrayal – Ironic Fate – Insanity – Downward Spiral – Epic War Drama – Siege Sequences – Massacre – Violence – Chaos – Tragedy – Apocalypse – Others – Fatalism – Pessimism – Nihilism – Elegiac – Allegorical – Sophisticate – Thought-Provoking – Shakespeare’s King Lear Adaptation – Novel-I-Read – Stage-To-Screen – Iconic Film – Oscar (1) Winner – Classic Status – Cult Status – T o p – Best 80's – F a v e – Re-Watch Value – Foreign Language – Asian – Japan – 1001 Must See Movies
★★★★★★★★★ (9/10)-W - DirectorTerry GilliamTerry JonesStarsGraham ChapmanJohn CleeseEric IdleKing Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on a surreal, low-budget search for the Holy Grail, encountering many, very silly obstacles.Monty Python and The Holy Grail (1975)
★★★★★★★★ (8/10) - DirectorIngmar BergmanStarsMax von SydowGunnar BjörnstrandBengt EkerotA knight returning to Sweden after the Crusades seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde Inseglet) (1957)
★★★★★★★★ (8/10) - DirectorMichael CurtizWilliam KeighleyStarsErrol FlynnOlivia de HavillandBasil RathboneWhen Prince John and the Norman Lords begin oppressing the Saxon masses in King Richard's absence in 1190s England, a Saxon lord fights back as the outlaw leader of a resistance movement.The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
★★★★★★★★ (8/10) - DirectorCarl Theodor DreyerStarsMaria FalconettiEugene SilvainAndré BerleyIn 1431, Jeanne d'Arc is placed on trial on charges of heresy. The ecclesiastical jurists attempt to force Jeanne to recant her claims of holy visions.The Passion of Joan of Arc (La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc) (1928)
★★★★★★★★ (8/10) - DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodIan McKellenOrlando BloomA meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring (2001)
Drama – Action – Adventure – Fantasy – Epic Action Adventure Fantasy – Middle-Earth Setting – Powerful Ancient One-Ring – Mystical Artefact – End-of-Civilisation Power – Good-Hearted Hobbit Ringbearer – Eight Companions – Dangerous Odyssey-Journey – Mission: Destroy One-Ring – Men-on-a-Mission – Men-Elves Alliance – Sinister Wizard Pursuit – Malevolent Forces – Intense Battle Sequences – Danger – Risk – Suspense – Tension – Escape Thriller – Obsession – Moral Conflict – Faith – Determination – Strength – Loyalty – Heroism – Fate – Others – Good-vs-Evil Pattern – Escapism – J.R.R.Tolkien's Novel – Blockbuster – Oscar (4) Winner – Classic Status – Cult Status – Best 00's – F a v e – Re-Watch Value – New Zealand – 1001 Must-See Movies
★★★★★★★★ (8/10)-S - DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodViggo MortensenIan McKellenGandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.The Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King (2003)
Drama – Action – Adventure – Fantasy – Epic Action Adventure Fantasy – Middle-Earth Setting – Powerful Ancient One-Ring – Mystical Artefact – End-of-Civilisation Power – Good-Hearted Hobbit Ringbearer – Eight Companions – Dangerous Odyssey-Journey – Mission: Destroy One-Ring – Men-on-a-Mission – Men-Elves Alliance – Sinister Wizard Pursuit – Malevolent Forces – Intense Battle Sequences – Danger – Risk – Suspense – Tension – Escape Thriller – Obsession – Moral Conflict – Faith – Determination – Strength – Loyalty – Heroism – Fate – Others – Good-vs-Evil Pattern – Escapism – J.R.R.Tolkien's Novel – Blockbuster – Oscar (11) Winner – Classic Status – Cult Status – Best 00's – F a v e – Re-Watch Value – New Zealand – 1001 Must-See Movies
★★★★★★★★ (8/10)-S - DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodIan McKellenViggo MortensenWhile Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Drama – Action – Adventure – Fantasy – Epic Action Adventure Fantasy – Middle-Earth Setting – Powerful Ancient One-Ring – Mystical Artefact – End-of-Civilisation Power – Good-Hearted Hobbit Ringbearer – Eight Companions – Dangerous Odyssey-Journey – Mission: Destroy One-Ring – Men-on-a-Mission – Men-Elves Alliance – Sinister Wizard Pursuit – Malevolent Forces – Intense Battle Sequences – Danger – Risk – Suspense – Tension – Escape Thriller – Obsession – Moral Conflict – Faith – Determination – Strength – Loyalty – Heroism – Fate – Others – Good-vs-Evil Pattern – Escapism – J.R.R.Tolkien's Novel – Blockbuster – Oscar (2) Winner – Classic Status – Cult Status – Best 00's – F a v e – Re-Watch Value – New Zealand – 1001 Must-See Movies
★★★★★★★★ (8/10)-S - DirectorRobert EggersStarsAnya Taylor-JoyRalph InesonKate DickieA family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.The VVitch (A New-England Folktale) (2015)
Drama – Horror – Mystery – Thriller – Mystery Drama – Puritan (1630) Era – American Colonial 7-Member Puritan Family – Isolated Near-Forest Farm – Beautiful Teenage Daughter – Mysterious Unbaptised-Child Disappearance – Witchcraft Forces – Family's Anxieties – Faith Crisis – Uncertainty Stress – Paranoid Thriller – Suspicions – Tension – Mistrust – Blame Game – Blind Zealotry – Hysteria – Religious Paranoia – Madness – Downward Spiral – Psychological Horror – Claustrophobic Threat – Occult Horror – Metaphysical Horror – Supernatural Dread – Shame Complex – Guilt Complex – Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD) – Psychosexual Metaphor Drama – Patriarchal Stresses – Male Domination – Incestuous Feelings – Oppressed Sexuality – Electra Complex – Penis Envy – Freudian Theory – Art-Horror – Symbolism – Allegorical – Bizarre – Uncanny Experience – Others – Period Drama – Slow Burn – Indie Film – Alternative – A24 Production – Best 10's – F a v e – Re-Watch Value – Cult Status – U.S.A.
★★★★★★★ (7/10)-M - DirectorDavid LoweryStarsDev PatelAlicia VikanderJoel EdgertonA fantasy retelling of the medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.The Green Knight (2021)
Drama – Adventure – Fantasy – Epic Fantasy Adventure – Middle Ages (500-1500) Era – Christmas Day – King Arthur's Reckless Nephew – Unheroic Immune Life – Enigmatic Gigantic Green-Knight's Fateful Challenge – One Year’s Time Existential-Journey – Daring-Quest – Inexplicable Situations – Magical Creatures – Enigmas – Mysteries – Fear – Desperation – Suspense – Tension – Willingness Test – Courage Test – Heroism – Melancholy – Regret – Redemption – Fate – Destiny – Art-House – Medieval Fantasy – Eerie Atmosphere – Folklore Horror – Pagan Myths – Christian Allegory – Dreamlike Reality – Symbolism – Surrealism – Thought-Provoking – Others – Character-Driven Drama – Masculinity – Maturity – Mortality – 14th-Century Poem Adaptation – A24 Production – Indie Film – Slow-Burn – F a v e – Re-Watch Value – U.S.A.
★★★★★★★ (7/10) - DirectorJustin KurzelStarsMichael FassbenderMarion CotillardJack MadiganMacbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.Macbeth (2015)
★★★★★★★ (7/10) - DirectorRidley ScottStarsRussell CroweJoaquin PhoenixConnie NielsenA former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.Gladiator (2000)
Drama – Action – Adventure – Thriller – Epic Historical Drama – Roman Empire 180AD – Pax Romana – Powerful Roman General "Maximus" – Protector-of-Rome Appointment – Emperor "Marcus Aurelius" Murder – Malevolent Emperor's Son Takes-Power – Maximus Kill-Order – Execution Escape – Maximus Family Brutally Murder – Love-Lose Trauma – Grief Trauma – Desperation – Survival Action Thriller – Slavery – Gladiator Arenas – Fighting-to-the-Death Situations – Violence – Revenge Thriller – Vigilante Justice – Others – Good-vs-Evil Scenario – Political Corruption – Power Games – Betrayal – Loyalty – Bravery – Heroism – Blockbuster – Oscar (5) Winner – Cult Status – Classic Status – Best 00's – Re-Watch Value – U.S.A. – 1001 Must-See Movies
★★★★★★★ (7/10) - DirectorRobert EggersStarsAlexander SkarsgårdNicole KidmanClaes BangA young Viking prince is on a quest to avenge his father's murder.The Northman (2022)
★★★★★★ (6/10) - DirectorNeil MarshallStarsMichael FassbenderDominic WestOlga KurylenkoA splinter group of Roman soldiers fight for their lives behind enemy lines after their legion is devastated in a guerrilla attack.Centurion (2010)
★★★★★★ (6/10) - DirectorNicolas Winding RefnStarsMads MikkelsenMaarten StevensonAlexander MortonForced for some time to be a fighting slave, a pagan warrior escapes his captors with a boy and joins a group of Crusaders on their quest to the Holy Land.Valhalla Rising (2009)
Drama – Action – Adventure – Fantasy – Epic Fantasy Adventure – Europe's Dark-Ages (1096 AD) Era – North-German One-Eye Mute Enslaved Warrior – Animalistic Persona – Supernatural Power – Brutal Death-Fights – Captors Escapes – Holy-Land Crusade Voyage - Mystical Unknown Land – Faith – Determination – Violence – Brutality – Insanity – Gore – Action Survival Horror – Battle Survival – Wilderness Survival – Art-Horror – Mythology – Expressionism – Symbolism – Paganism – Surrealism – Fatalism – Atmospheric – Others – Indie Film – F a v e – Re-Watch Value – European – Denmark
★★★★★★ (6/10) - DirectorRidley ScottStarsOrlando BloomEva GreenLiam NeesonBalian of Ibelin travels to Jerusalem during the Crusades of the 12th century, and there he finds himself as the defender of the city and its people.Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
★★★★★★ (6/10) - DirectorGuy RitchieStarsCharlie HunnamAstrid Bergès-FrisbeyJude LawRobbed 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.King Arthur: Legend of The Sword (2017)
★★★★★★ (6/10) - DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsKenneth BranaghDerek JacobiSimon ShepherdIn the midst of the Hundred Years War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France in 1415.Henry V (1989)
★★★★★★ (6/10) - DirectorJean-Jacques AnnaudStarsSean ConneryChristian SlaterHelmut QualtingerAn intellectually nonconformist friar investigates a series of mysterious deaths in an isolated abbey.The Name of The Rose (Der Name der Rose) (1986)
Drama – Crime – Mystery – Thriller – Crime Mystery Drama – Middle Ages (500-1500) Era – Northern Italy 14th Century – Benedictine Monastery – Young Illuminated-Manuscript Suspicious Death – Mysterious Circumstances – Murder Mystery – Renowned Franciscan-Monk Investigation – Detection / Deduction Skills – Whodunit – Dark Secrets – Superstitions – Demonic-Possession Allegations – Enigmatic Forbidden-Book – Unexplained Symbolic Murders-Series – Simmering Danger – Claustrophobic Threat – Intrigue – Conspiracy Theory – Shadowy Monastic Religious Conspiracy – Benedictines-Franciscans Conflict – Heretical Sects – Holy Inquisition – Hidden-Books – Knowledge Control – Free-Will Control – Others – Historical Drama – Gothic Thriller – Labyrinth Plot – Theological – Philosophical – Grotesque – Fanaticism – Humanism – Anti-Climactic Ending – Umberto Eco's 1980 Novel – Cult Status – Re-Watch Value – European – Italy
★★★★★★ (6/10) - DirectorM.J. BassettStarsJames PurefoyMax von SydowRachel Hurd-WoodA ruthless mercenary renounces violence after learning his soul is bound for hell. When a young girl is kidnapped and her family slain by a sorcerer's murderous cult, he is forced to fight and seek his redemption slaying evil.Solomon Kane (2009)
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorMel GibsonStarsMel GibsonSophie MarceauPatrick McGoohanScottish warrior William Wallace leads his countrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from the tyranny of King Edward I of England.Braveheart (1995)
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorDavid MackenzieStarsChris PineStephen DillaneRebecca RobinA true David vs. Goliath story of how the 14th century Scottish 'Outlaw King' Robert the Bruce used cunning and bravery to defeat the much larger and better equipped occupying English army.Outlaw King (2018)
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorRidley ScottStarsMatt DamonAdam DriverJodie ComerThe Knight Jean de Carrouges must settle the dispute over his wife Marguerite by challenging his former friend to a duel to the death.The Last Duel (2021)
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorAntti-Jussi AnnilaStarsVille VirtanenTommi EronenViktor KlimenkoAs a 25-year war between Russia and Sweden concludes, two brothers who are part of an effort to outline new border accords become undone by their actions, and their mistreatment of a young woman during their journey.Sauna (2008)
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorWerner HerzogStarsKlaus KinskiRuy GuerraHelena RojoIn the 16th century, the ruthless and insane Don Lope de Aguirre leads a Spanish expedition in search of El Dorado.Aguirre, The Wrath of God (Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes) (1972)
★★★★ (4/10)