15 Best Medieval Movies, Ranked

Men in suits of armor. Courtly romance. Raging bouts of plague and pillaging. All these and more are the hallmarks of a good old-fashioned medieval movie. So many of our most enduring legends have their start in the Middle Ages, from King Arthur and Knights of the Round Table to Robin Hood, and for good reason — their classic tales of adventure and noble battles for justice have won over audiences for hundreds of years. 

Although adventures are never in short supply, whether our heroes are off fighting in the Crusades, waging a seemingly endless war in France over the right to rule France, or battling smaller tyrannies on the home front, films set in medieval times aren’t just limited to the action genre. We’ve put together a comprehensive list of some of the best medieval films of all time, running the gamut from dramas and tales of adventures to horror, science fiction, and even comedy. Fasten on your chainmail and bring out your dead, because we’re taking a trip back in time to the Middle Ages.

The third film in the “Evil Dead” franchise, “Army of Darkness” sees the iconic Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) sent back in time to the Middle Ages. Although he’s now several centuries in the past, he is, unfortunately, not free from having to do battle with the dreaded deadites, who are just as active in medieval times as they were in Ash’s day. With little more than his shotgun, chainsaw, and trademark wit, Ash will have to track down the Necronomicon to have any hope of returning home. 

“Army of Darkness” is perhaps less coherent as a horror film than its two predecessors, but by the time Sam Raimi got to work on this one, he was completely embracing the camp factor. If “Evil Dead” and “Evil Dead II” were delivered with a bit of a wink alongside genuine horror, “Army of Darkness” is in full-on comedy mode, with a few deadites on the side for flavor. Although it was less of a financial success than the other two films, it quickly developed a cult following of its own, and many “Evil Dead” enthusiasts hold a special place in their hearts for its quirky joys.

This is a Ridley Scott film (all of which are ranked here), so our inclusion of it on this list comes with a well-worn caveat: You’ve got to watch the director’s cut. For reasons unknown to the world at large, Scott is frequently incapable of putting out a theatrical release and just leaving it alone, and “Kingdom of Heaven” is no exception. In the case of this 2005 film about a blacksmith who fights in the Crusades, though, it’s all for the best — the director’s cut, although more than a little lengthy, is the superior product, in Scott’s opinion. 

Balian (Orlando Bloom) seeks a fresh start after the tragic death of his wife, and he finds it in a quest to win back the Holy Land. But when he arrives, he finds a contentious relationship brewing between King Baldwin (Edward Norton) and Guy Lusignan (Marton Csokas), both of whom have different ideas regarding how to handle Jerusalem. “Kingdom of Heaven” was received tepidly at the box office, but has since been given a critical reevaluation, and these days, it’s looked on much more positively.

Look, we would put the Dread Pirate Roberts up against Robin Hood any day of the week. It’s hardly a coincidence that “The Princess Bride” star Cary Elwes played both roles on the big screen, after all. Although “The Princess Bride” takes place in a vaguely European fairy tale world rather than any specific country or time period, it has a definite medieval feel to it, with all the stately castles, princes who murder people with impunity, and general swashbuckling. 

Robin Wright stars as Princess Buttercup, who has reluctantly agreed to marry the dastardly Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), an engagement less romantic for the fact that he plans to have her murdered. But in her heart of heart, she still pines for her lost farmboy Westley (Elwes), who has since built a career for himself as the Dread Pirate Roberts. The central duo of Wright and Elwes are about as dreamy as they can get, but the reason “The Princess Bride” has had such an enduring legacy is its quirky sense of humor, embodied by the many eccentric side characters, including the vengeful Spanish swordsman Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), gentle giant Fezzik (Andre the Giant), and the embittered Miracle Max (Billy Crystal) and his wife Valerie (Carol Kane).

When you put Shakespeare in the hands of Kenneth Branagh in his prime, you’re pretty much guaranteed a slamdunk, and “Henry V” is the proof. This film tells the classic story of King Henry V’s famed war with the French, culminating in the Battle of Agincourt, where the English forces are dramatically outnumbered by the French but somehow manage to win the day through sheer force of will. “Henry V” was a passion project for Branagh, who not only stars as the noble, triumphant English king, but also made it his directorial debut. 

When you talk about bringing Shakespeare to the masses, this has to be Exhibit A. Not only does it have an amazing cast of popular British stars, including Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Ian Holm, Emma Thompson, and even a young Christian Bale, but it’s filmed and acted in a way that gives the hundreds-of-years-old dialogue a sense of urgency. “Henry V” deserves a spot on the list for the triumphant St. Crispin’s Day speech alone.

Not every medieval movie needs to be deathly serious, but “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” is the only one we can think of that’s a laugh-out-loud comedy. Direct from the iconic Monty Python comedy troupe from the United Kingdom, it reinvents Arthurian legend by imbuing it with their trademark subversive and irreverent sense of humor. In it, King Arthur (Graham Chapman) is sent on a quest for the holy grail, accompanied by his various Knights of the Round Table. Along the way, he encounters an endless string of obstacles, whether its the threatening Knights Who Say “Ni!,” who will only allow to pass if they’re given the gift of a shrubbery, or the devastating Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog. 

But the closer he gets to his goal, the more things seem to go entirely off the rails. The film has no qualms about interrupting the action for an extended animated sequence, or even having all of the characters suddenly arrested by modern-day policemen when they don’t quite know where the story should go from there. Endlessly quotable and deeply influential within the comedy world, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” is a medieval film unlike any other.

Blending an old-timey narrative with a modern sensibility — and 20th century soundtrack — “A Knight’s Tale” thoroughly reinvents the period rom-com, making a star out of its leading man in the process. Heath Ledger plays William Thatcher, a humble squire who aspires to greatness and, after the death of his liege lord, poses as a knight. After a medieval training montage, he achieves great success at jousting tournaments, making a name for himself — or rather, for his alter ego, Sir Ulrich von Liechtenstein. But the higher his star rises, the greater the risk that his past will be discovered. 

With a winsome lead performance from Ledger and charming supporting turns from Mark Addy, Paul Bettany, and Alan Tudyk, “A Knight’s Tale” captures the spirit of the era while also making it accessible to younger audiences. By casting tournament knights as the medieval version of rock stars, it’s able to create a raucous, anachronistic aesthetic of celebrity around Thatcher and his friends that feels entirely fresh and new.

Widely considered one of the classic films of the silent era, “The Passion of Joan of Arc” is Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer’s most enduring work. By the time we meet Joan in this film, her glory days are in the past, as she’s been captured by the English army and is currently on trial for heresy by French priests (“The Passion of Joan of Arc” adheres closely to the actual historical record of her trial). 

The austere, minimalist set is a dramatic departure from the opulence seen in many other silent historical dramas of the time, designed to mimick the aesthetic of the jail in which she was held. It relies on close-ups to an unusual degree, especially for Joan herself, and the lack of makeup on any of the characters gives it a naturalistic feel, as though you are somehow watching actual footage from Joan of Arc’s trial.

It’s hard to think of a medieval film more well-known than “Braveheart.” Even audiences who have never seen it are likely familiar with its war cry, as Mel Gibson as William Wallace faces his death with a passionate — and often imitated — yell of “Freedom!” This is the classic tale of the resistance of the oppressed against the ruling elite — in this case, the lords of Scotland against the King of England, fighting for the right to govern their own land for themselves. At the heart of the battle is William Wallace, a learned Scottish nobleman who is committed to the cause against the English, inspiring the ragtag army with his passion and defiance. 

Although “Braveheart” cannot make any great claim to historical accuracy, audiences didn’t seem to care — the film grossed over $200 million. In addition to its box office success, “Braveheart” won the attention of the Academy, winning Oscars for best picture, best director (Mel Gibson), best cinematography, best makeup, and best sound effects editing.

Part of the Czech New Wave movement of the 1960s, “Marketa Lazarová” casts its lens at the brutality of the Middle Ages in rural Bohemia. Centered around the botched kidnapping of a nobleman, both the band of outlaws themselves and their friends and family are caught up in the devastation that ensues. Magda Vasaryova plays Marketa Lazarová, the young daughter of Lazar, who has a holy vision of Marketa becoming a nun — a prophecy that is interrupted when she is taken by Mikoláš, the leader of the bandits. 

Caught somewhere between paganism and Christianity, the instability in the film seems to stem from the uncertainty of a conflict between the local authority of various clans and the central power of the crown. To further this sense of the characters being caught between two different worlds, their actions (with the exception of the virtuous Marketa) vascilate wildly between perversion and piety. As a representation of Czech cinema, “Marketa Lazarová” is unmatched, a gargantuan accomplishment that exemplifies the creative ambition of the movement.

Royal marriages in the Middle Ages were so often purely political matters — alliances between kingdoms rather than two individuals. But even where there was no love as we understand it now, the interactions between kings and their consorts could be endlessly fascinating, as we see in “The Lion in Winter.” In it, the aging King Henry II (Peter O’Toole) spends Christmas with his wife Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn), and their relationship is … well, a little frosty, for lack of a better word. 

The point of their reunion is not to spend a cheery family holiday together but to make a decision essential to the future of the realm: Who will rule as king after Henry dies? Henry knows he needs to name a successor, but isn’t sure which of his sons should inherit the role. If there’s one thing you can be sure of, however, it’s that Eleanor has an opinion on the matter. With endless scheming and political machinations behind the scenes, “The Lion in Winter” captures all the complexities of life in the royal family and the ceaseless hunger for power.

There are lots of actors who you can rely on for a Shakespearean adaptation, but if you’ve got Orson Welles himself strapping on the armor to play Falstaff, you know you’ve got solid gold on your hands. “Chimes at Midnight” utilizes several different Shakespeare plays to cobble together this story that centers Sir John Falstaff, a figure who reappears again and again in “Henry IV,” “Henry V,” and “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” He is a friend and paternal figure to the young Prince Hal, whose own father Henry IV regards him as a disappointment. But as Prince Hal grows into Henry V and sobers under the weight of his new responsibilities, their relationship is forever altered. 

The idea to tell an overarching story combining different historical plays from Shakespeare had gripped Welles since the 1930s, when he had first attempted to stage a version of “Chimes at Midnight,” but the film is where it all comes together. Welles’ performance as Falstaff is one for the ages, but he also directs the film to great effect, filling the entire production with a shadowy atmosphere. This is the film that Welles is most proud of, as he said in an interview with BBC Arena in 1982, “If I wanted to get into heaven on the basis of one movie, that’s the one I would offer up.”

When you look at medieval history, women aren’t really mentioned all that often. There are a few royal females here and there, but for the most part, they exist only in passing. To have any sort of understanding of what their lives were actually like, you often have to read between the lines. Such is the case with “The Last Duel,” based on an actual criminal trial in France in the 1300s, where Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) fought a duel against Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) after the latter was accused of raping de Carrouges’ wife Marguerite (Jodie Comer). The winner of the duel is considered to have God’s favor and therefore deemed to be telling the truth about the matter. But really, although the duel is in the title, it’s not what matters here.

“The Last Duel” is broken down into three different parts. The first details Jean de Carrouges’ perspective, the second Jacques Le Gris, and the third is Marguerite’s — the one that is considered by the film to be the truth. Although they cover the same events, there are striking yet subtle variations between the three, which highlights just how people can misjudge situations or see what they want to see. Where Le Gris sees Marguerite flirting, the same interaction from her perspective is mere politeness, perhaps even verging on irritation. And there’s certainly nothing about any of that which could be relevant in a modern context, right?

Robin Hood is one of the most enduring figures in all of English literature, and he’s been brought to the silver screen a dozen or so times over the years (sometimes with better results than others — sorry, Taron Egerton). But when it comes to the swashbuckling English hero in green tights, Australian Errol Flynn is pretty much the gold standard. He plays Robin of Locksley, recently returned from the Crusades and determined to be a folk hero for the downtrodden of England, with a devil-may-care charm that wins over not just the audience, but also the beautiful Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland). 

While there’s political intrigue at play — Claude Rains is Prince John, safeguarding the realm for his elder brother, Richard the Lionheart, and lining his pockets along the way — the selling point of “The Adventures of Robin Hood” is its collection of finely tuned action set pieces. Flynn as Robin Hood crosses blades with the dastardly Guy of Gisbourne, played by Basil Rathbone, a talented fencer with a reputation as an all-time great on-screen swordfighter.

A new take on Arthurian legend, “The Green Knight” tells the tale of Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), a nephew to the famous King Arthur who is desperate for a little glory of his own. When the Green Knight appears suddenly at a Christmas feast with a challenge, he seizes the opportunity to go on a quest — after all, isn’t that what Arthurian knights do? But the encounter with the Green Knight leaves him with a shadow of inevitable doom hovering over his head. The giant, imposing figure (played by Ralph Ineson) carries with him a massive axe, and he promises it to any knight who can lay a blow on him — under the condition that in a year, he be allowed to return the blow in kind. 

What follows is a strange journey across medieval England, in which Gawain encounters mysterious figures who sometimes help but often hinder him in his efforts. The earthy, naturalistic cinematography of director David Lowery makes “The Green Knight” a visual feast, especially considering that it was made for just $15 million.

Sometimes it’s hard to wrap your head around exactly how many people died during the Black Death. We were all freaking out — and rightfully so — at the death toll from COVID-19, but these medieval communities were being utterly decimated, losing massive percentages of their population every time a new wave swept through. What does that do to a people, psychologically and spiritually, to experience? 

“The Seventh Seal,” directed by Ingmar Bergman, takes place in a dreamy, surreal landscape in which a disillusioned knight (Max von Sydow) challenges the specter of Death himself (Bengt Ekerot) to chess. Having seen the undiscerning devastation of the Black Death, the knight has no faith in a higher power, but believes he can prolong his own life for as long as it takes to play the game. Profoundly philosophical and deeply moving, “The Seventh Seal” is widely considered one of the greatest films of all time.