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It takes a moment, but soon it becomes clear why the somber Czech period epic “Medieval” doesn’t work as a dour post-“Game of Thrones” costume drama. Instead, “Medieval” is a bleak and visually oversaturated allegory about the 15th century revolutionary Czech soldier turned military leader Jan Žižka ( Ben Foster ). There's blood and chainmail, yes, but it's also a self-serious allegory about duty and faith during miserable times.

“Medieval” features the same kind of brutal violence, convoluted soap opera plotting, and sad sack fatalism that defines so much of “Game of Thrones.” But unlike HBO’s sensational and uneven adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s engrossing fantasy novels, “Medieval” presents the past as a bloody, un-romantic parable whose punishing style is explained by its story’s concluding moral. Somehow, Žižka, a stoic man of action, meets any challenge and also combats the same spiritual decline and systemic inequity that eventually led to his real-life reputation as a battlefield legend and a beloved man of the people. I say “somehow” because “Medieval” doesn’t make such a convincing case for Žižka as a saint-like iconoclast.

“Medieval” begins with a lot of expository dialogue and a couple of bone-crunching, but otherwise flat action scenes. This crash course in Czech history is often compelling for its intricate details, but rarely for its characterizations, dialogue, or dramatic tension. It does, however, feature Michael Caine as Lord Boresh, a surly imperial adviser who, for a few scenes, grumbles magisterially and also helps set up the movie’s plot.

Speaking of the plot: after an overly complicated series of double crosses and secret allegiances, the sour-faced Žižka finds himself caught in a feud between the well-liked, but powerless Bohemian King Wenceslas ( Karel Roden ) and his conniving brother Sigismund ( Matthew Goode ). Žižka and his men are charged with abducting Lady Katherine ( Sophie Lowe ), the independent-minded fiancé of Lord Rosenberg ( Til Schweiger ), one of Sigismund’s allies. Žižka and Katherine instantly hit it off, though it’s never really clear why based on their halting conversations about God, or Foster and Lowe’s general lack of chemistry.

Unfortunately, “Medieval” does not improve after Žižka takes it upon himself to protect Katherine from Sigismund, who wants to unseat his brother, and is also willing to betray his pal Rosenberg in order to do it. There’s some impressive antagonistic chemistry between Foster and Roland Møller , the latter of whom plays Torak, Sigismund’s main heavy.

There’s also some appropriately upsetting battle scenes, all of which are either over-exposed or hyper-stylized to the point of distraction, and sometimes filmed with surreal and way too physically proximate hand-held camerawork, all of which approximates a sort of you-are-there derangement. Various body parts are smashed to bits, soldiers are knocked off their horses, and metal grinds against metal. The stuntwork and period weapons in these scenes all look fine, and some of the special effects and image-compositing look costly enough. But the real MVPs of “Medieval” are the foley artists and sound designers who made every metallic scrape and fleshy squelch seem more exciting than whatever’s shown on-screen.

There’s a heavy-osity in even these propulsive beat-'em-up sword-fights that creeps in from earlier dialogue scenes, which tend to drag on and look like somebody accidentally picked all the wrong settings on their new high-definition television. Too bad that, in conversation, Foster’s Žižka doesn’t get to say much that makes him seem like a game-changing leader. He tells his men that if they choose to fight with him, it would be for a “good cause” and “that’s a good death.” They respond by singing about being “God’s soldiers,” which seems presumptuous, but ok.

In theory, Žižka and Katherine’s conversations are both novel and interesting since they inevitably concern God. Žižka, being a perpetually frustrated soldier, sometimes mumbles about “God’s will” and how “death brings life,” so it’s nice to see Katherine tentatively ask him to unpack his mantra-like catechisms. After all, “Medieval” concludes with a choral hymn whose lyrics translate to “Pray to God and have faith in Him,” and somebody’s got to pave the way for that lofty foregone conclusion.

It’s also kind of a shame that Lady Katherine talks like she’s trying out for a bad religious play. She asks Žižka about his late wife, and he tells her that he never had to question that foundational relationship. “Those feelings may be the only things you know that's true,” Katherine responds. “If there's one thing that was given to us by God, maybe that's all we're given.” I’d agree if anything in “Medieval” had a similarly inspiring effect. Jarring action and sudsy twists, sure, but God, duty, and romantic love? Those finer feelings demand a lot more than trendy pessimism and formulaic brutality.

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Simon Abrams

Simon Abrams is a native New Yorker and freelance film critic whose work has been featured in The New York Times , Vanity Fair , The Village Voice, and elsewhere.

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Film credits.

Medieval (2022)

Rated R for strong and grisly violent content throughout, and some nudity.

126 minutes

Ben Foster as Jan Žižka

Sophie Lowe as Kateřina

Til Schweiger as Rožmberk

Matthew Goode as král Zikmund

Roland Møller as Torak

Michael Caine as Lord Boreš

William Moseley as Jaroslav

Writer (story by)

Petr Jakl Sr.

Writer (story)

Kevin Bernhardt

Writer (based on)

Marek Dobes
Michal Petrus

Cinematographer

Jesper Tøffner
Steven Rosenblum
Dirk Westervelt
Philip Klein

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Medieval Reviews

The film works best as a passable small-scale battle epic, but beyond that, it’s rough sledding.

Full Review | Apr 7, 2023

Any movie that calls itself Medieval, with the story taking place in medieval Europe, fails to have any credibility when the lead character has an American accent. It's just one of many problems in this mindless and boring action film.

Full Review | Mar 25, 2023

This is a full-blooded take on the true story of a legendary Czech folk hero, and writer-director Petr Jakl infuses it with plenty of entertaining myth-making.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Nov 3, 2022

Big and imposing but visually grubby, narratively often indecipherable and ultra-violent....A dour, lumbering and often quite unpleasant take on Žižka’s transformation from stone-cold mercenary soldier to popular hero.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Oct 27, 2022

If it can’t muster much historical insight, this Bohemian foray rhapsodises violence all too effectively: mace-smitings, nose-bitings, even a lion crunching someone’s head like a boiled sweet.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 25, 2022

Medieval is an epic mix of bloodthirsty swordplay and historical drama which features a number of familiar faces.

Full Review | Oct 24, 2022

This really is not a terribly competent film... It feels like they're auditioning for a video game.

Full Review | Sep 19, 2022

Bloody historical biopic has gory battles, little depth.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Sep 17, 2022

It puts up quite a fight — in terms of some dazzling swordplay and bloody battle sequences — but this ambitious historical epic struggles to generate emotional depth beneath the violent surface.

Full Review | Sep 16, 2022

Far from perfect, but a million miles away from disaster, Medieval doesn’t quite live up to the legendary status of its central figure, but who or what even can?

Full Review | Sep 14, 2022

Absent any legible mythmaking, coherent context or memorable imagery, Medieval will make the history books for all the wrong reasons.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.1/10 | Sep 13, 2022

Director Petr Jákl oversees a sincere yet dysfunctionally-assembled medieval flop.

Full Review | Sep 12, 2022

when men are being drowned, eviscerated, hung, impaled, burnt and smashed Medieval is blunt force fun.

Full Review | Original Score: 68/100 | Sep 11, 2022

Lacking either The Northman's unified sense of vision or Gladiator's quality compositions, the dour Medieval can only crumple under its own weight.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Sep 10, 2022

With a flat story and flat emotions throughout the film, Medieval might fade into the background while we’re typing this review.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Sep 10, 2022

Amid the beards, blood and grime is a solid blend of history and genre.

Full Review | Original Score: 82/100 | Sep 9, 2022

Struggles as a work of historical fiction, but when the action mounts, it’s immersive and exciting.

Full Review | Sep 9, 2022

Foster is a fine actor, but he seems miscast as the hero in this multinational, accent-deaf historical adventure.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Sep 9, 2022

A film with an identity crisis, caught between its lowbrow sword-and-splatter charms and grander ambitions... The clarity of message gets hopelessly bogged down in the internecine conflicts of all the players.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Sep 9, 2022

This crash course in Czech history is often compelling for its intricate details, but rarely for its characterizations, dialogue, or dramatic tension.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Sep 9, 2022

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‘Medieval’ Review: Flaying Alive

Living up to its title, this ultraviolent ode to a Czech national hero bludgeons you into submission.

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By Jeannette Catsoulis

A cohort of notable actors — including Michael Caine, Ben Foster and Matthew Goode — tromp through “Medieval,” Petr Jakl’s lumbering epic about the storied Czech warrior Jan Zizka . The movie’s real stars, though, are its gaping wounds and mangled limbs, the singing of scythe and ax more eloquent than any dialogue.

On land and underwater, the verisimilitude of the violence is numbing. Horses are elbowed over cliffs; a man’s brain is leisurely puréed by means of a saw through the ears. By the end, scarcely an orifice remains inviolate, the camera’s blood lust seemingly insatiable. Yet beneath the clanging of chain mail and the gurgles of the dying, a story peeks out: The throne of the Holy Roman Empire is up for grabs and coveted by two feuding brothers. To prevent the corrupt sibling (Goode, lazily scheming) and his wealthy wing man from prevailing, a powerful lord (Caine) arranges to have the wing man’s fiancée, Lady Katherine (a wan Sophie Lowe), kidnapped. As operatic choirs muster on the soundtrack, a morose mercenary named Zizka (Foster), gets the assignment; a small empire’s worth of knights and peasants gets kaput.

Glum and bludgeoning, “Medieval” serves up a melancholic hero — see how it pains Zizka to take all these lives! — and a limp love interest-cum-bargaining chip. Hauled from one battle to the next, Katherine can do little but gaze, mouth agape, at the carnage, rallying now and then to declaim on the era’s social inequities and to pack maggots into Zizka’s newly vacated eye socket.

“Are you all right?” Zizka tenderly inquires at one point, though, if you ask me, the movie’s addition of that hungry lion was maybe a barbarism too far.

Medieval Rated R. Fans of slicing, smashing, gouging and impaling will be in heaven. Running time: 2 hours 6 minutes. In theaters.

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‘Medieval’ Review: A Czech Folk Legend Turns Action Hero

Starring English-speakers Ben Foster and Michael Caine, Petr Jakl’s big-budget spectacle offers a satisfying blend of history lesson and brutal combat.

By Dennis Harvey

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Czech folk hero Jan Zizka’s story has been dramatized — and mythologized — in various forms many times, including a mid-1950s celluloid trilogy by Otakar Vavra that was arguably the local industry’s most ambitious production in those somewhat stodgy, pre-New Wave days. Purportedly the Czech Republic’s most expensive feature to date, Petr Jakl ’s new “ Medieval ” portrays the same legendary figure in what’s anything but an old-school costume epic. Instead, this robust, assured enterprise offers a distant past in the brutally combat-driven action mode of “Gladiator” and “Braveheart,” its patriotic sentiments steeped in mud and blood.

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The majority of “Medieval” thus has Lady Katherine (Sophie Lowe) bounced like a ping-pong ball between sides, forever captured and recaptured, though her own allegiances shift quickly once she realizes the brutal treachery her betrothed is capable of. Jan’s efforts are often helped by the local peasantry, whose rebelliousness has been stoked by years of excess taxation and other abuses. Meanwhile, a reunion with his own so-inclined brother Jaroslav (William Moseley) sours when their connection attracts a violent visit from Sigismund’s right-hand goon Torak (Roland Moller).

Striking a posture more muscular than plush, the impressively mounted film is still always visually attractive, with strong design contributions topped by DP Jesper Toffner’s widescreen lensing of beautiful landscapes and imposing historical sites — even if the use of eagle’s-eye drone shots sometimes borders on overkill. This is the kind of saga much less interested in court pageantry than gory mano-a-mano combat, each mace, axe and sword impact duly accompanied by stereo gut-smoosh or thwack. Such set-pieces seldom let up, and if they fall short of being memorable, it is to the credit of Jakl, his editors and other key contributors that “Medieval” never becomes one long, pummeling dirge of action excess.

It does go over the top occasionally (especially toward the end), and the dialogue is a bit too on-the-nose at times, simplifying matters to the kind of generic catchphrase that crosses all moviegoing borders. One could also balk at the levying of a modern sensibility on other aspects, such as having a sheltered noble heroine who’s somehow acquired progressive social ideas, not to mention unexpected medical and diving skills. But this isn’t “Marketa Lazarova,” and on its own up-to-the-moment stylistic terms, “Medieval” works just fine. As far as historical veracity goes, well, this epoch will be very foreign terrain for most viewers, who will come away with at least a general sense of the period, if not a lot of trustworthy answers to any classroom quiz.

It’s a big leap for the director after two much-more-modestly scaled prior features, 2010 true-crime drama “Kajinek” and 2015 found-footage horror “Ghoul,” a home-turf hit that looked like just another tired “Blair Witch” knockoff elsewhere. (Its lead Jennifer Armour plays a prominent peasant rebel here.) He manages to cohere the multinational casting into an effective ensemble, even if Caine perhaps brings a bit too much star wattage to the table, and Foster not quite enough. Though only partway though his life’s journey, this Jan Zizka is already presented in terse, steely, iconic terms that might’ve been better served by an actor with more innate charisma — Foster’s significant acting chops are wasted on a heroic cipher, his competent performance somewhat overshadowed by supporting players.

Reviewed online, Aug. 30, 2022. MPA Rating: R. Running time: 125 MIN.

Production: (Czech Republic) A The Avenue Entertainment release of a Highland Film Group, The Avenue presentation, in association with JBJ Film, R.U. Robot Studios. Producers: Petr Jakl, Cassian Elwes. Executive producers: Martin J. Barab, Kevin Bernhardt, Arianne Fraser, Delphine Perrier, Henry Winterstern, Ara Keshishian, Petr Jakl Sr., Pam Dixon, Stuart Manashil.
Crew: Director: Petr Jakl. Screenplay: Jakl, based on a previous screenplay by Marek Dobes, Michal Petrus; story: Peter Bok, Petr Jakl Sr. Camera: Jesper Toffner. Editors: Steven Rosenblum, Dirk Westervelt. Music: Philip Klein.
With: Ben Foster, Sophie Lowe, Michael Caine, Til Schweiger, Matthew Goode, William Moseley, Roland Moller, Karel Roden, Werner Daehn, Vinzenz Kiefer, Alistair Brammer, Magnus Samuelsson, Christopher Rygh, Guy Roberts, David Bowles, Jennifer Armour. (English dialogue)

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Review: ‘Medieval’ story of Czech folk hero suffers from identity crisis

Ben Foster, center left, and Michael Caine, center right, in the movie "Medieval."

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Jan Zizka, a beloved 15th century Czech folk hero, looms large in the nation’s collective consciousness, a skilled, ingenious, one-eyed warrior who led peasants and rebels into battles that he never lost. In Prague, they’ve erected one of the largest bronze equestrian statues in the world in his honor, and now, “Medieval,” the most expensive Czech film ever made, depicts his early years, with the intense actor Ben Foster taking on the role of Zizka.

“Medieval” is written and directed by Czech filmmaker, actor and stuntman Petr Jákl, who also represented the country in judo in the 2000 Olympics. The story is in part by his father, Petr Jákl Sr., another Olympian judoka, and it’s clear that both have a tremendous reverence for the man, his mission and for his brutal, bloody reputation. If there’s anything to recommend about the crunchingly gory “Medieval,” it’s the daring, no-holds-barred stunt work, the battles and some spectacular underwater sequences.

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This is the third directorial effort for Jákl, whose second film, “Ghoul,” was the highest-grossing horror film in Czech history. He brings that touch of the macabre to this tale of medieval warfare, following the path paved by “Game of Thrones” and “The Last Duel,” which plunged audiences into hyperrealistic and uber-violent battle scenes. Foster, who tends to disappear into his roles, approaches the bloodshed, and Jan’s emotional journey, with his typical ferocity.

The legendary Michael Caine, playing a character named Lord Boresh, takes us into the Kingdom of Bohemia at the turn of the 15th century, where chaos reigns, and it requires several frames of onscreen text and a voice-over to get us up to speed. Essentially, the plague has plunged Europe, and the Catholic Church, into chaos, and there are two popes: one in Rome and one in France. Benevolent Bohemian King Wenceslas IV (Karel Roden) is trying to get to Rome to be crowned king of the empire, though his debts hold him back, while his scheming brother King Sigismund of Hungary (Matthew Goode) plots behind his back to steal the throne.

Boresh hires Jan as a mercenary to kidnap Lady Katherine (Sophie Lowe), the fiancee of Lord Rosenberg (Til Schweiger), a Sigismund ally. Katherine also happens to be the niece of the king of France. It’s a bit of political gamesmanship, and the rest of the film unfolds as a series of ambushes and double-crosses, mercenaries and peasants fighting to gain control of Katherine, who falls in love with her captor, Jan, and his honor.

They are both deeply religious people, and through Jan, Katherine learns to harness her own agency. It’s clear that Jákl wants “Medievel” to be a kind of Czech “Braveheart,” but the political machinations are so muddled that there’s no clear goal. It takes a little too long for the script to get to “freedom,” presumably because of the whole lady-kidnapping business.

“Medieval” is a film with an identity crisis, caught between its lowbrow sword-and-splatter charms and grander ambitions. As a quick and dirty 90-minute corker, it could have been a nice and nasty slice of genre filmmaking, but Jákl aims for something more epic in scope, and the film drags, easily 30 minutes too long. Not even the electrifying Foster is enough to zap some life into this tale of court intrigue and the resulting clash of warriors. Lowe attempts to hold the heart of the matter, but she’s not given enough to do.

The clarity of message gets hopelessly bogged down in the internecine conflicts of all the players, the script utterly convoluted even though the film is essentially just a bunch of guys killing each other in the woods while a pair of brothers squabble over who gets to be king. What exactly Jan is fighting for feels dreadfully unclear, despite vague aphorisms like “honor, justice, freedom, faith, hope” intoned over the final frames. We’ll have to take their word for it.

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

Rated: R, for strong and grisly violent content throughout, and some nudity Running time: 2 hours, 6 minutes Playing: Starts Sept. 9 in general release

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DVD & Streaming
Action/Adventure , Biography/History , Drama , Romance , War

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In Theaters

September 9, 2022
Ben Foster as Jan Žižka; Sophie Lowe as Katherine; Michael Caine as Lord Boresh; Til Schweiger as Rosenberg; Roland Møller as Torak; Matthew Goode as King Sigismund; Karel Roden as Wenceslas IV

Home Release Date

October 25, 2022

Distributor

The Avenue Entertainment

Movie Review

In his latter years, Jan Žižka will become a Bohemian military commander of legend. But that journey to glory necessarily starts more modestly years before. When we meet him here, Jan is the leader of a rough-around-the-edges group of mercenaries.

Jan and his men know how to kill. And they get a pretty penny for doing so. Their current mission is simple: protect the deep-pursed Lord Boresh, an elderly statesman who’s ever in someone’s crosshairs.

You see, with the death of the last Roman Emperor, the 15 th -century political stage is a mess. Assassinations and backstabbing intrigue are everyday occurrences as people grasp at power. And on top of that, there’s also a battle for control of the Catholic Church.

Lord Boresh, however, has a plan. A lovely young woman, Lady Katherine, must be kidnapped. She is the fiancée of a wealthy Lord named Rosenberg and the niece of the King of France. And if she becomes a pawn held securely, other major chess pieces can be forced to move.

Now, kidnapping women in this era generally wasn’t a well-received political strategy. But when Jan Žižka nevertheless gets tapped for the dirty job, he grudgingly agrees. After all, there are important things happening well above his station. And when God’s will is at stake—which Boresh definitively makes clear is the case—then unpleasant choices must be made.

Of course, kidnapping a Lady of Katherine’s importance can also spark unexpected bloody reprisals, such as the capture of Jan’s brother and the gruesome murder of his nephew. And so Jan soon finds himself caught between two monarchs, surrounded by bloodthirsty forces, and facing off with his own brutal mentor, Torak. War and battle are horribly grisly and bloody. And Jan Žižka is afraid that God’s will may be every bit as bad.

Positive Elements

Even in the muck of constant bloodletting, we get the sense that Jan wants to do the honorable thing. He kills and hacks at foes, to be sure. But he also faces danger to protect Katherine and local villagers who are oppressed by lords and royals at every turn. Jan also takes time to often sprinkle seeds near a victim or at a gravesite while repeating the phrase: “Death brings life.”

As Katherine witnesses some of these horrific misdeeds—many perpetrated by her own Lord Rosenberg—she balks at the life and the station she used to occupy. Feeling led by God, Katherine does whatever she can to help the wounded villagers. She risks her life to protect them, and she reaches out to save Jan’s life on several occasions. In the end she’s willing to sacrifice herself for another individual.

Local villagers gather with their tools as weapons to support what they see as Jan’s battle for “justice” as he begins to fight against the royal’s forces.

Spiritual Elements

Characters discuss the concept of God’s will from several different points of view. Most often, that concept gets used as a prop or a justification for the atrocities men perform. On the other hand, some question whether God desires those terrible things. Several people say that even the church “twists the words of the Bible.” And Jan notes that though kings are “chosen by God, they still make the mistakes of men.”

One rather evil and deceptive lord prays regularly that God would bless his rise to power. Jan is a praying man, too. Though he generally prays that God would forgive the death-dealing and bloody hacking he’s about to do.

Katherine, however, is a much more earnest believer in God’s good hand in life. She goes to a church service and sings with the congregates—singing a song about praying to God and having faith in him (this song is lifted several times in the film by local villagers). And at two key moments, Katherine appears to be prompted by the hand of God to make specific self-sacrificial choices.

Katherine also talks with Jan about someone he once loved and who was killed mercilessly. She wonders if love is the “one true thing given to us by God.” In a flashback, Jan’s father expresses a different belief, saying, “God’s blessings are not in what He gives, they’re in what He takes.”

A scene in a church includes a painting showing Jesus on the cross.

Sexual Content

Lord Rosenberg goes to be with a prostitute while Katherine goes to church. The naked woman sits in bed (who is seen topless) and laments that Rosenberg will soon marry and not see her anymore. But Rosenberg assures her he’ll keep visiting. “The things you do for me, my little princess wouldn’t dream of,” he chortles.

Jan and Katherine kiss.

Violent Content

This is very much a film about the atrocities of men. In fact, those bloody elements brutally override everything else here.

To that end, men are constantly being pounded to mush by maces and stabbed and hacked repeatedly with knives and swords in the midst of battle. A man’s head is savagely sawn off and impaled on a spike. A young boy is impaled on a large post and left to suffer and slowly bleed out. He only dies when a loved one mercifully kills him with a knife to the heart. Scores of men and horses are hit with arrows and falling stones. One guy, for instance, has a crossbow arrow purposely shot into his mouth.

People are hung by the neck and left strung up and impaled for birds to pick at their eyes and soft tissue. Someone is dragged like a bloody sack behind a horse. A man is stoned and then has his skull crushed. Buildings are burned. We see charred bodies of the dead. The camera also gazes at bones being crushed and snapped by large rocks. And swords severing joints and limbs.

One particularly gruesome wound involves a man being slashed across the face by a blade and losing an eye. The gory socket is then “treated” by filling it with maggots to eat out the dead flesh.

Oh, and women don’t escape the torment either. Women are thumped in the head with clubs and have their throats slashed. One woman falls from a great height into a lake. But after being rescued, she still dies from the fall (bleeding from her ears and nose).

A lion attacks and mauls several men. The camera watches as the beast claws at a guy and then chews savagely on his head. Innocents are tortured and manhandled for information. We hear of someone who died from plague. We see flashes of a young girl being dragged around by men. Someone’s nose is bitten off. A man is betrayed and beaten by his own men. Another character escapes soldiers by lying under dead bodies in a corpse cart.

Crude or Profane Language

A single s-word and a use of “d–n.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

Men drink what appears to be wine or mead from glasses and a wineskin.

Other Negative Elements

Though it’s really just a garnish to the bloodiness here, lies and deception abound between the story’s men of power.

Director Petr Jákl is trying to translate and transport his Czech filmmaking skills to a larger international stage with Medieval —the most expensive Czech film in history. But quite frankly—when the cinematic ingredients of this flick are laid out side-by-side—those isolated parts promise far more than the film as a whole ever delivers.

That ingredient list includes the story of a famous Czech warrior hero who, in real life, did some remarkable things. There are recognizable stars and battlefield adventures in the mix. You’ve got twisting and backstabbing political intrigue. And there’s even the promise of two comely leads falling into an unlikely love story.

For all of that, however, and all the blue-gray filtering and well-designed cinematography that a modern film crew can whip up, the resulting flick is just kinda meandering and disjointed. Oh, and it’s very, very, very bone-breaking and flesh-flayingly brutal—horror movie kind of stuff.

Now, I’m not suggesting that war in the 15th century was a pretty thing. For that matter, it probably wasn’t much more than a gory and painful slog. But gory, tiresome, slogs don’t mix well with popcorn and date nights for most.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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Medieval review: period action movie is too self-serious for its own good.

Lacking either The Northman's unified sense of vision or Gladiator's quality compositions, the dour Medieval can only crumple under its own weight.

Watching Medieval , the new period battle-epic from director Petr Jákl, it's hard not to be struck by how neatly it slots into its commercial niche. There is an audience for historical action-adventure movies that see hardened warriors go at it with old-fashioned weaponry, an audience that tolerates a certain level of gory effects, tactical jargon, and broody pensiveness from a male lead. This genre has a sliding scale of prestige, depending on the budget level and stars involved, with many on the upper-end aspiring to the Oscars glory of movies like Braveheart and Gladiator . Medieval sits somewhere in the middle and has no such aspirations, but the latter Ridley Scott film still feels like a clear touchstone, encouraging a comparison that does not prove flattering. Already working with a shakily thin script, Jákl weighs his movie down with an overly self-serious aesthetic, to the point that even the target audience might find the two-hour runtime a tough sit.

Based on the story of real-life Czech national hero and military legend Jan Žižka, played here by Ben Foster, Medieval opens with Europe on the precipice of chaos following the death of the Holy Roman Emperor. Only the Pope can crown a new one, and while the French play for power by electing their own Pope, Žižka and his employer, Lord Boresh (Michael Caine), are working to secure their benevolent King Wenceslaus of Bohemia (Karel Roden) safe passage to Rome for this purpose. However, they face fierce opposition from Lord Rosenberg (Til Schweiger), a wealthy noble with his eye on the Bohemian crown, and Hungary's King Sigismund (Matthew Goode), Wenceslaus' scheming half-brother whose target is the entire Empire. Rosenberg is withholding the funds required for the King's journey, and Boresh has Žižka's team kidnap his fiancée, Lady Catherine (Sophie Lowe) — who also happens to be the niece of the King of France — in the hopes of motivating him. But things soon go awry when Sigismund and his men get involved, and Žižka begins to develop feelings for his naive but goodhearted captive.

Related: Three Thousand Years Of Longing Review: Miller's Drama Is Beautifully Told

With its various moving pieces and Catherine as the political pawn everyone wants but no one can afford to endanger, Medieval had the chance to pair its action set-pieces with some quality intrigue. Unfortunately, it relies too heavily on exposition to establish motivations and alliances, content to tell viewers each character's goal and let that define them, instead of showing viewers who they are and developing their motivations from there. This pretty much leaves it up to the actors to project depth into their roles, and even with the talent on board, their success seems directly related to the amount of screen time they receive. Goode, for example, excels at being opaquely sinister, but as the Sigismund scenes pile up, it becomes clear the film has no intention of peeling back what layers there appear to be in his performance. The two leads, Žižka and Catherine, get a bit more attention from the script, in that they are actually afforded some backstory. But their core characteristics are established with the same repetition, and while they are granted actual arcs, their growth is painfully slow. Neither is strong enough to serve as Medieval's emotional anchor, nor does their romantic potential ever provide the necessary spark.

On top of these script issues, Jákl crafts his film with grating self-importance. From an opening voiceover that starts by listing action-movie buzzwords to the oppressively bleak visual style throughout, Medieval seems to constantly tell its viewer how seriously they should take it, despite lacking the goods to justify such attention. That kind of stylization can work when employed to serve a larger artistic purpose, demonstrated well this year by Robert Eggers' The Northman , but this movie has no such intent. If the lodestar really is Gladiator, then Jákl has forgotten that movie's use of beauty to balance its horrors — the most enduring image, after all, is a hand drifting over a field of wheat. Lacking either The Northman 's unified sense of vision or Gladiator 's quality compositions, the dour Medieval can only crumple under its own weight.

This movie's only real interest is its violence, and while some battle scenes provide bright spots, this aspect, too, fails to deliver on its full potential. Medieval makes use of a wide array of weapons to dispatch its characters, and there is some very strong effects work that this movie's audience will surely appreciate. Additionally, there's a whole sequence partway through that puts Žižka's most famous military tactic to good use, and the movie is never more engaging than when each stage of his plan is gradually unveiled. However, some choppy editing makes it difficult to really take in the fight choreography and the battles suffer from a lack of stakes. It's not because they hold back on the death and maiming, but because the general lack of investment in characters leaves the viewer indifferent to whether they end up dead or maimed. Unlike movies that are a push-and-pull of positive and negative traits, Medieval's issues compound, undercutting what assets it does have and leaving little reason to recommend it.

Medieval released exclusively in theaters on Friday, September 9. The film is 126 minutes long and is rated R for strong and grisly violent content throughout, and some nudity.

Entertainment

‘Medieval’ review: This Czech ‘Braveheart’ doesn’t know what it’s fighting for

Movie review.

Jan Zizka, a beloved 15th-century Czech folk hero, looms large in the nation’s collective consciousness, a skilled, ingenious, one-eyed warrior who led peasants and rebels into battles that he never lost. In Prague, they’ve erected one of the largest bronze equestrian statues in the world in his honor, and now, the most expensive Czech film ever made, “Medieval,” depicts his early years, with the intense actor Ben Foster taking on the role of Zizka.

“Medieval” is written and directed by Czech filmmaker, actor and stuntman Petr Jakl, who also represented the country in judo in the 2000 Olympics. The story is in part by his father, Petr Jakl Sr., who is also an Olympian judoka, and it’s clear that father and son have a tremendous reverence for the man, his mission and for his brutal, bloody reputation. If there’s anything to recommend about “Medieval,” it’s the daring, no-holds-barred stunt work, the battles a crunchingly gory affair, with some spectacular underwater sequences.

This is the third directorial effort for Jakl, whose second film, “Ghoul,” was the highest grossing horror film in Czech history. He brings that touch of the macabre to this tale of medieval warfare, following the path paved by “Game of Thrones” and “The Last Duel,” which plunged audiences into hyperrealistic and uber-violent battle scenes. Foster, who tends to disappear into his roles, approaches the bloodshed, and Jan’s emotional journey, with his typical ferocity.

The legendary Michael Caine, playing a character named Lord Boresh, takes us into the Kingdom of Bohemia at the turn of the 15th century, where chaos reigns, and it requires several frames of on-screen text and a voice-over to get us up to speed. Essentially, the plague has plunged Europe, and the Catholic Church, into chaos, and there are two popes: one in Rome and one in France. Benevolent Bohemian King Wenceslas IV (Karel Roden) is trying to get to Rome to be crowned king of the empire, though his debts hold him back, while his scheming brother King Sigismund of Hungary (Matthew Goode) plots behind his back to steal the throne.

Boresh hires Jan as a mercenary to kidnap Lady Katherine (Sophie Lowe), the fiancée of Lord Rosenberg (Til Schweiger), a Sigismund ally. Katherine also happens to be the niece of the king of France. It’s a bit of political gamesmanship, and the rest of the film unfolds as a series of ambushes and double-crosses, mercenaries and peasants fighting to gain control of Katherine, who falls in love with her captor Jan, and his honor.

They are both deeply religious people, and through Jan, Katherine learns to harness her own agency, falling in love with his fight. It’s clear that Jakl wants “Medieval” to be a kind of Czech “Braveheart,” but the political machinations are so muddled that there’s no clear goal. It takes a little too long for the script to get to “freedom,” presumably because of the whole lady kidnapping business.

“Medieval” is a film with an identity crisis, caught between its lowbrow sword-and-splatter charms and grander ambitions. As a quick and dirty 90-minute corker, it could have been a nice and nasty slice of genre filmmaking, but Jakl aims for something more epic in scope, and the film drags, easily 30 minutes too long. Not even the electrifying Foster is enough to zap some life into this tale of court intrigue and resulting clash of warriors. Lowe attempts to hold the heart of the matter, but she’s not given enough to do.

With Ben Foster, Sophie Lowe, Michael Caine. Directed by Petr Jakl. 126 minutes. R for strong and grisly violent content throughout, and some nudity. Opens Sept. 9 at multiple theaters.

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Common sense media reviewers.

Bloody historical biopic has gory battles, little depth.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Promotes courage, integrity, perseverance, even un

Jan is a loyal, faithful fighter with his own mora

Nearly all characters are White, European men, oth

Many scenes of bloody, gory violence. Also war, to

Lord Rosenberg is seen in bed with his topless (an

Rare use of "s--t" and "damn." Insult language lik

Adults drink what's presumably liquor from goblets

Positive Messages

Promotes courage, integrity, perseverance, even under the direst of circumstances. Messages include importance of knowing when to question authority and unjust laws/orders, overcoming prejudice against someone because of their background, and never giving up even if the odds are against you.

Positive Role Models

Jan is a loyal, faithful fighter with his own moral code about whom to fight. He's brave and intelligent and innovative in his strategies. Katerina is naive but also open-minded, kindhearted, courageous. Many characters are mercenaries but are loyal to one another, although others are in it for the money and consider their war-making a job, not a mission from God.

Diverse Representations

Nearly all characters are White, European men, other than some Asian-presenting mercenary soldiers. Very few women, except for a hostage, a sex worker, and a mother. Everyone is Christian, although with different allegiances.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Many scenes of bloody, gory violence. Also war, torture, and sexual violence. Impalements, beheadings, eviscerations, and many throats and guts being slit open. People burn to death both from towns being set on fire and targeted fires. A woman is raped, her breasts visible when the soldier rips her top open. Another woman discusses how often she was raped. Jan's eye is stabbed; his companion thinks to clean the wound with maggots. A character is impaled, left to die. A woman stabs a man to save someone. Lots of blood -- on hands, bodies, faces. Many scenes of violence are preceded by prayers, since there's a religious motivation for the war.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Lord Rosenberg is seen in bed with his topless (and presumably naked) mistress. When she says she'll miss him once he's married, he strokes her thigh and makes it clear he'll continue to visit her even after he's married; she does things for him that his future wife wouldn't. Nudity is also part of a scene of sexual violence (see Violence).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Rare use of "s--t" and "damn." Insult language like "moron," "insane," "thief."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults drink what's presumably liquor from goblets and flasks.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Medieval is an ultraviolent historical action-drama about legendary Czech war hero/strategist Jan Žižka. It's bloody and gory in its many graphic scenes of warfare and torture, including depictions of and references to sexual violence and rape. There are beheadings, eviscerations, amputations, and eye gouging, as well as impalements, threats to and the murder of a child, and battle sequences that show dozens of dead or severely injured bodies. Adult soldiers drink socially (from flasks, wineskins, goblets), and there's a bit of language (one "s--t," a couple uses of "damn," and some insult language). One scene shows a man in bed with his partially nude mistress after implied sex. While viewers might learn a bit about the story's historical context, the movie highlights action/war violence over Žižka's biography. Although the film (reportedly the most expensive Czech movie ever made) was directed and co-written by Czech filmmaker Petr Jákl, it's an international production, starring Ben Foster as Žižka, as well as Matthew Goode , Michael Caine , Sophie Lowe , and Til Schweiger . To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parents say (1)

Based on 1 parent review

Little bi boring

What's the story.

MEDIEVAL starts with some on-screen text that briefly explains the 14th century state of the Holy Roman Empire. The death of Emperor Charles IV left Christians divided into factions supporting either King Wenceslas of Bohemia or the king of France as the next Holy Roman Emperor. Wenceslas' (fictional) adviser Lord Borš ( Michael Caine ) hires Jan Žižka ( Ben Foster ) and his army to kidnap the traitorous Lord Rosenberg's ( Til Schweiger ) fiancée, Katerina ( Sophie Lowe ), who happens to be the king of France's sister. Wenceslas' brother, King Sigismund ( Matthew Goode ), unexpectedly aligns with Rosenberg, believing his older brother incapable of wearing the emperor's crown. Žižka takes the young and naive Katerina hostage, only to find that his former mentor is now working with Sigismund to brutally force Žižka to give her back. As alliances shift, Žižka finds himself drawn to the courageous, kindhearted princess who's stuck in the middle of a powerful and cruel tug-of-war.

Is It Any Good?

This action-drama underwhelms as a historical drama and biographical film, but the over-the-top battle sequences make this a serviceable -- if grisly -- period action adventure. If all you want is something with Gladiator -meets- Braveheart -style movie violence, Medieval delivers an impressively bloated body count. But what director Petr Jákl, working from a story by his father that he co-wrote, doesn't do is provide an adequate or in-depth profile of the Czech legend the movie is about: Middle Ages war genius/strategist Jan Žižka. Foster is a gifted Method actor, but despite his simmering intensity, he seems miscast and borderline uncomfortable in this role (and not just because he's not Czech). The script doesn't give him the gravitas that other aloof historical figures have received in movies like Braveheart or Spartacus . Žižka was a brilliant tactician who was reportedly undefeated in battle, despite losing his eye(s). Unfortunately, Jákl doesn't provide enough historical context or exposition along with the movie's epically bloody fight scenes.

And even if you don't care about the history or Žižka's personal story, the movie is still disappointing in its pacing and plot, alternating the dizzying gore-fest of its war and torture scenes (so much viscera, so many detached limbs!) with slow-moving dialogue that still somehow doesn't explain exactly who's on what side -- or why those sides should matter. At least the well-known actors are always a pleasure to see: Caine still impresses, and Goode is quite adept at playing a villain who feels called by God to usurp his brother. Schweiger is well cast as an aristocrat with a punchable face, and Danish actor Roland Møller stands out as the ruthless mercenary Torak. Medieval doesn't live up to the full potential of Žižka's story, but kudos to Jákl for taking on such an ambitious project.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the challenges of making biographical/historical films set in the Medieval era. What makes Žižka a compelling subject?

What did you learn about the movie's historical circumstances? Did the movie make you curious about the rest of Žižka's life?

Do you consider Jan a role model? What character strengths does he display? Who else is a possible role model in the story?

What seems realistic, and what makes you wonder whether it really happened? How can you find out more? Discuss the various resources you can use to research historical people and events.

Discuss the amount of violence in the movie. Why is or isn't it necessary to the story? Does violence in the context of war impact viewers differently than violence against civilians?

Movie Details

In theaters : September 9, 2022
On DVD or streaming : June 12, 2022
Cast : Ben Foster , Sophie Lowe , Michael Caine , Matthew Goode
Director : Petr Jákl
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : The Avenue
Genre : Action/Adventure
Topics : History
Run time : 126 minutes
MPAA rating : R
MPAA explanation : strong and grisly violent content throughout, and some nudity
Last updated : March 17, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Medieval (2022) Film Review

Claire Fulton
October 25, 2022

Petr Jákl’s Medieval ( Jan Žižka ) is a visually impressive if narratively underwhelming historical epic, showcasing one of the greatest military heroes in Czech history.

Jan Žižka is a Czech national hero, a military general who is said to have never lost a battle. It seems fitting, then, that he be dramatised in what is currently the most expensive production in the history of Czech cinema , Petr Jákl’s Medieval. It’s a historical – if a bit embellished – epic that borrows from the Game of Thrones playbook, with betrayals, backroom plotting and battles galore.

Bohemian Europe is in chaos following the death of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, with his successor King Wenceslaus (Karel Roden) facing treason at the hands of his Machiavellian half-brother King Sigismund (Matthew Goode). Military leader Jan Žižka (Ben Foster) is embroiled in their plotting when Wenceslaus’ advisor Lord Boresh (Michael Caine) orders him to kidnap the fiancé of Sigismund’s greatest ally Henry of Rosenberg (Til Schweiger), Lady Catherine (Sophie Lowe). But as Jan evades the formidable Torak (Roland Møller), who is tasked with bringing Catherine back to Sigismund, he must decide whether either side can be trusted.

Opening with a gravelly voiceover from Caine establishing the time period – Italy, 1402 –, Medieval needs to deliver quite a lot of exposition to get the ball rolling and we’re told ‘violence, tyranny, intrigue and power’ are the order of the day. As the film progresses, it’s a little difficult to keep up with who exactly is allied with who, with countless double crossing and backstabbing (often literally) as each side takes it in turn to ambush the other. Poor Catherine ends up being passed back and forth like a hot potato, and the intricacies of Jákl’s plot end up getting a little lost. But at its core, the film is fairly simple: a cunning usurper plotting against his weaker half-brother for the crown, whilst a righteous military man leads the people in a stand against this bitter power-struggle.

loud and clear reviews medieval 2022 film movie czech

Whilst the film certainly delivers on the action, it’s the plot that weakens it . It repeatedly mentions God’s will and the power of prayer, but never allows its characters to properly discuss religion. It offers up a contentious relationship between two power-hungry brothers, but barely lets them share a scene together. Casting Matthew Goode as a haughty, conniving villain works so well on paper, but he’s underused and his character underdeveloped. The film also centres a prominent, legendary figure, but dilutes his most powerful moments with a tad too many supporting characters, played by a host of talented European, British and American actors. Medieval is a national story told through an international lens , and is trying to navigate the tricky landscape of historical biopics and give it flare. But ultimately, the film works best when the narrative is boiled down to showing just how good this guy was in battle.

Žižka was a very innovative and unorthodox military leader who remained undefeated even after having lost an eye. He’s portrayed as having an innate understanding of the nature of each individual conflict, playing them to his often imbalanced advantage every time. Foster’s Žižka is stoic, controlled and really handy with a sword, but never really given the emotional heft he (both character and actor) deserves. The film is trying desperately to emphasise the chemistry between Foster and Lowe, as well as the poignant scenes involving Žižka’s brother Jaroslav (William Moseley), but the emotional moments are consistently trounced by the might of the sword. The action is where Medieval really comes into its own, and the rest feels like padding to an already too-long film.

Jákl and cinematographer Jesper Tøffner have crafted a really impressive, visually stunning film . It really feels authentic, practical and, yes, expensive, becoming as much an auditory assault on the senses as it is a visual treat. Jákl, Tøffner and foley artist Dominyka Adomaityte’s battle scenes dominate the film, with the clanging of swords, the clacking of hooves and the yells and grunts of brutal hand to hand combat showcased through intense, hand-held camera work from smack dab in the middle of the action. It’s well choreographed and impressively showcased, relentless and violent, and really emphasises this as a time where the politics were soaked in blood and mud.

Narratively convoluted but visually impressive, Medieval delivers on the action needed when telling the story of a Czech hero renowned for his military prowess and desire to fight for honour, faith and justice. Jákl even poignantly dedicates the film to ‘all those who fight for freedom’ around the world. It’s a rich, lavish production that immerses the audience in the dirt, the fire and the bloody battles, but unfortunately misses the mark with its emotional arc. It maybe takes some liberties with historical accuracy – the lion attack feels a little contrived and a little ridiculous – but will entertain those looking for the more brutal side of history, rather than those who watched Game of Thrones for the talky bits.

Medieval will be releasing in UK cinemas, on digital, and on demand from 28th October, 2022 .

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2022, R, 125 min. Directed by Petr Jákl. Starring Ben Foster, Michael Caine, Sophie Lowe, Matthew Goode, Til Schweiger, Karel Roden, Roland Møller.

Reviewed by matthew monagle , fri., sept. 9, 2022.

One can assume any film with a theatrical release is doing something right in the year 2022. Whereas a movie like Medieval might scarcely register beyond your local Redbox in years past, film distributors have tightened their belts since movie theatres reopened. This suggests that there’s more to a movie like Medieval than initially meets the eye, and curious moviegoers will be rewarded this weekend with one of the better swords-and-scandals takes on Middle Ages politics in recent history.

Medieval captures the life of Jan Žižka (Foster), a Bohemian military leader who historians claim never lost a battle. When Žižka and his men are hired by Lord Boreš (Caine) to kidnap the niece of the King of France (Lowe, deserving of much more work following Blow the Man Down ), it sparks a bloody battle for control of the Catholic church. Caught between two monarchs and the rebellious forces gathering in the countryside, Žižka must face his mentor (Møller) on the battlefield or watch the kingdom around him crumble.

As the film unfolds, much is made of political alliances and claims to the throne in Rome, but these elements of statecraft are a mere garnish on the violent battlefield drama that is Medieval . The film opens with an impressive skirmish – Žižka and his men ambush an ambush, pushing their enemies’ horses into a river and committing a frankly delightful number of underwater stabbings – and only becomes more violent as the rulers become more desperate. This is a film about the atrocities performed in the name of a religious crusade; if you feel that other medieval movies are too skimpy with impalements, I’ve got great news for you.

Leading the charge is an actor who has long deserved a film of this scope. In his best roles – movies like Hell or High Water and Leave No Trace – Ben Foster offers audiences a blend of violence and vulnerability that has come to define the modern Hollywood warrior. But his naturalistic approach as an actor makes him an odd choice for Medieval . In a film populated with grizzled character actors like Til Schweiger and Karel Roden, Foster is a decidedly contemporary screen presence. The robust Czech cast and period detailing sometimes make Medieval feel caught between the worlds of national cinema and direct-to-video actioner, and Foster never entirely belongs to either setting.

When Medieval focuses on swordplay and stagecraft, the film belongs in the mix alongside Black Death and Outlaw King as overlooked period action titles of varying self-importance. Its brutality is often refreshing, and director Petr Jákl and cinematographer Jesper Tøffner balance sweeping aerial shots with chaotic and brutal fight sequences – Foster’s character fights with a maul, and Medieval does not skimp on the facial deconstructions. But the film also works to mythologize Jan Žižka – already a historical Czech icon – with both a love story and a political rebirth, and Medieval can feel a bit bloated when these narratives are vying for screen time.

But even if Medieval occasionally succumbs to its worst biopic influences, it’s still a delightfully confident work from a filmmaking team that knows its way around a sword. In the film’s climax, a character pauses outside a castle door, flinging it open to reveal a chaotic battle raging along the keep’s walls. It’s the kind of shot many big-budget franchises would kill to execute; in Medieval , it’s just one of several top-notch fight sequences. If the current downturn in Hollywood means more films like Medieval will slip into multiplexes unchallenged, well, let’s count our blessings where we find them.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

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Medieval , Petr Jákl , Ben Foster , Michael Caine , Sophie Lowe , Matthew Goode , Til Schweiger , Karel Roden , Roland Møller

Is Medieval Based on a True Story?

‘Medieval’ (also known as ‘Jan Žižka’ or ‘Warrior of God’) is a historical drama film directed by Petr Jákl. It follows the rise of Jan Žižka, a knight and mercenary who goes on to become the leader of the Hussite army. When Henry III of Rosenberg, the most powerful nobleman in the country, continues seizing properties, the former attempts to form a resistance leading him on a journey of dangers and wars. Since the narrative is rooted in Czech culture and history, viewers must be curious to learn about its inspiration. Thus, if you wonder whether ‘Medieval’ is a true story, here is everything you need to know!

Is Medieval a True Story?

Yes, ‘Medieval’ is partially based on a true story. The film depicts the life of the Czech general named Jan Žižka z Trocnova a Kalicha (known as John Zizka of Trocnov in English). He was born in the small village of Trocnov in the Kingdom of Bohemia to Czech nobility and became a successful military leader, fighting in many wars during the 14th and 15th Centuries.

Zizka played a prominent role in the civil wars in Bohemia and led the Hussites during the Battle of Sudoměř in 1420 and the Battle of Vítkov Hill in 1420. His innovative and unorthodox battle tactics earned him fame as a warrior across the nation, and he was dubbed “One-eyed Zizka” after losing one eye during a battle. He would later lose both eyes yet contributed significantly to the wars he fought in.

While historical documents confirm Zizka’s existence and feats on the battlefield in the 15th century, not much is known about his early life. His military achievements during the Hussite Crusades are well documented, yet the movie does not focus much on this portion of the military leader’s life. On the other hand, Zizka’s family background, childhood, and even birth date are debated details, with historians having differing opinions about various aspects of his early life.

‘Medieval’ attempts to portray these initial years of Zizka’s life as it examines the making of the war hero. It delves into his motivations and emotional conflicts that eventually shape him as a formidable warrior on the battlefield. In an interview , writer-director Petr Jákl explained that he chose to focus on Zizka’s youth as he wanted to showcase the foundation of the Czech General’s life. The filmmaker revealed that he paid attention to the authenticity of Zizka’s historical depiction and attempted to stick to facts as much as possible.

Jákl worked with historian Jaroslav Čechura to create a historically authentic portrayal of the character. However, he explained that since several details of Zizka’s early life are debated among historians or completely unknown, he took certain liberties while crafting the screenplay. For example, the director added the fictional character of Lord Boreš, with actor Michael Caine essaying the role. Likewise, Jákl also opted to include a love story in the movie, explaining the creative decision by stating that he wished to explore emotions and the turning point when a young man turns into a fighter.

Ultimately, ‘Medieval’ is rooted in the history and culture of the Czech Republic; it showcases the rise of Jan Zizka, one of the most celebrated national heroes in the country. Albeit, because it focuses on a relatively unknown period in the real-life figure’s life, it cannot be considered a historically accurate depiction. Moreover, the director’s words and the lack of historical evidence suggest that the movie uses various fictional events to portray Zizka’s experiences and struggles. Therefore, it is only partially based on historical facts and is a heavily dramatized story.

Seize Them! review – a comic romp through medieval Britain

A spoilt queen strives to reclaim her throne from revolting peasants in a film that feels more like a sweary episode of Horrible Histories

B ritain, the dark ages. Spoiled dimwit monarch Queen Dagan ( Sex Education ’s Aimee Lou Wood) is toppled by an insurrection led by woman of the people Humble Joan (Nicola Coughlan, best known for Bridgerton and Derry Girls ). With just her quick-witted maidservant Shulmay (Lolly Adefope) and Bobik (Nick Frost), an itinerant manure shoveller, for support, Dagan must make her way across lands that are hostile to her and all she stands for in the hope of mustering support and reclaiming her throne. Despite a cast that reads like a who’s who of British comedy, both rising and established, this broad romp is only sporadically funny. The quixotic, child-queen character was crueler and sharper when she was played by Miranda Richardson in Blackadder ; the small-screen tone of the picture makes it feel like a duff episode of Horrible Histories , albeit with considerably more swearing.

Comedy films
The Observer
Nicola Coughlan
Aimee Lou Wood
Lolly Adefope

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30 Authentic Medieval Movies That Got The Details Right

Posted: April 10, 2024 | Last updated: April 10, 2024

<p>Many cinema pundits have <i>Braveheart</i> as one of the greatest movies of all time because of its brilliant portrayal of medieval times. </p> <p>Director and star of the film, Mel Gibson, focus the storyline on a verified Scottish knight named Sir William Wallace. Specifically, it tells the tale of Wallace leading the Scottish in their quest for independence from England in the late 13th century. </p>

After the fall of the Roman state came Medieval times. The Middle or Dark Ages spanned nearly 1,000 years, filled with knights, nobles, and peasants.

Disputes were settled with sword-fighting and jousting in traditional armor and chainmail. While people can't imagine living in such a time, Hollywood has brought it to the silver screen with some authentic and nearly flawless portrayals of medieval times! Keep reading to see if your favorite made the list! Leave a comment if you think we missed one!

<p>Director of <i>Beowulf</i>, Robert Zemeckis, effectively combines CGI graphics, animation, and motion capture with his depiction of the Medieval period. </p> <p>Ray Winstone's (Beowulf) costume perfectly represents traditional warriors' armor. Animation and make-up realistically enhance the battle scenes. Fire-breathing dragons and other monsters come to life in the film and look as life-like as possible. </p>

Director of Beowulf , Robert Zemeckis, effectively combines CGI graphics, animation, and motion capture with his depiction of the Medieval period.

Ray Winstone's (Beowulf) costume perfectly represents traditional warriors' armor. Animation and make-up realistically enhance the battle scenes. Fire-breathing dragons and other monsters come to life in the film and look as life-like as possible.

<p>Director Ridley Scott's version of <i>Robin Hood </i>breaks away from the tradition of its predecessors in favor of realistic sets, costumes, and scenery.</p> <p>Filming took place in actual castles and towers that were restored and altered for the movie. A battering ram was made for the film and later donated to charity by Russell Crowe. </p>

Director Ridley Scott's version of Robin Hood breaks away from the tradition of its predecessors in favor of realistic sets, costumes, and scenery.

Filming took place in actual castles and towers that were restored and altered for the movie. A battering ram was made for the film and later donated to charity by Russell Crowe.

<p>Roman Polanski personally made sure of the authenticity of his 1971 classic Medieval film <i>Macbeth</i>. Polanski used various locations in the British Isles, selecting and using the props and horses before any of the actors. </p> <p>Filming took place in actual castles and churches. Actors complained about having to endure poor weather conditions. </p>

Roman Polanski personally made sure of the authenticity of his 1971 classic Medieval film Macbeth . Polanski used various locations in the British Isles, selecting and using the props and horses before any of the actors.

Filming took place in actual castles and churches. Actors complained about having to endure poor weather conditions.

<p><i>Troy </i>is a historically accurate film about the Trojan War. The city of the same name as the title was built on the Mediterranean island of Malta over two months. </p> <p>The city's outer walls were constructed from scratch. <i>Troy</i> was also nominated for Best Costume Design at the 77th Academy Awards. </p>

Troy is a historically accurate film about the Trojan War. The city of the same name as the title was built on the Mediterranean island of Malta over two months.

The city's outer walls were constructed from scratch. Troy was also nominated for Best Costume Design at the 77th Academy Awards.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

What immediately points to what King Arthur: Legend of the Sword getting it right about Medieval times is the landscape it was filmed on.

It was filmed in Windsor Great Park, a Royal Park, which is 2,020 hectares and includes a bonafide deer park. The movie is shot across several locations like North Wales and the Scottish Highlands.

<p><i>300</i>, directed and co-written by Zack Snyder, is set in 479 B.C. The movie is Snyder's depiction of the Battle of Thermopylae which Russell Crowe's character, Leonidas, the King of Sparta, leads an army of 300 soldiers. </p> <p>A Blue Screen gave the film its genuine Medieval background and was manipulated to vary the moods.</p>

300 , directed and co-written by Zack Snyder, is set in 479 B.C. The movie is Snyder's depiction of the Battle of Thermopylae which Russell Crowe's character, Leonidas, the King of Sparta, leads an army of 300 soldiers.

A Blue Screen gave the film its genuine Medieval background and was manipulated to vary the moods.

Conan the Barbarian

Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in Conan the Barbarian . The 1982 film allocated $3 million to build nearly 50 sets.

Approximately 200 Construction workers and artists from all over Europe were recruited for filming. Schwarzenegger and other actors did most of their stunts. The weapons were made lightweight to replicate the Medieval-style combat scenes easier.

The Princess Bride

Although The Princess Bride is a fantasy-comedy film, the Library of Congress chose it for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.

The main actors learned fencing with either hand to best prepare for the sword-fighting scenes giving them the authenticity of actual Medieval duels.

<p>Channing Tatum stars in <i>The Eagle</i>, a film set in 140 A.D. It focuses on the Roman occupation of Britain, and Tatum is a soldier named Marcus who is determined to restore his father's damaged reputation. </p> <p>Characters were historically authentic with the Gaelic accents and portrayals of local tribespeople. Sword-fighting and battle scenes are genuine, with little to no CGI assistance. </p>

Channing Tatum stars in The Eagle , a film set in 140 A.D. It focuses on the Roman occupation of Britain, and Tatum is a soldier named Marcus who is determined to restore his father's damaged reputation.

Characters were historically authentic with the Gaelic accents and portrayals of local tribespeople. Sword-fighting and battle scenes are genuine, with little to no CGI assistance.

<p>Look no further than the five Oscars the movie <i>Gladiator</i> won to verify its genuine Medieval depiction. </p> <p> It received an Academy Award for Best Picture, Costume Design, Sound, and Visual Effects. Russell Crowe's portrayal of General Maximus Decimus Meridius earned him the Oscar for Best Actor. The movie is credited with revamping the Medieval genre and influencing future historical pieces. </p>

Look no further than the five Oscars the movie Gladiator won to verify its genuine Medieval depiction.

It received an Academy Award for Best Picture, Costume Design, Sound, and Visual Effects. Russell Crowe's portrayal of General Maximus Decimus Meridius earned him the Oscar for Best Actor. The movie is credited with revamping the Medieval genre and influencing future historical pieces.

<p><i>The Lord of the Rings</i> was adapted from a novel and is visually translated accurately on screen. It is set in the fictional Middle-earth. </p> <p>Every one of the three films in the franchise won Academy Awards for Visual Effects, and the last of them, <i>The Return of the King</i>, earned an incredible 11 categories, including Best Picture, Makeup, Visual Effects, Costume Design, and Art Direction. </p>

Lord of the Rings Triology

The Lord of the Rings was adapted from a novel and is visually translated accurately on screen. It is set in the fictional Middle-earth.

Every one of the three films in the franchise won Academy Awards for Visual Effects, and the last of them, The Return of the King , earned an incredible 11 categories, including Best Picture, Makeup, Visual Effects, Costume Design, and Art Direction.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was filmed in a modern-day medieval city. Director Kevin Reynolds uses an entire second team to film the walls and towers of Cite de Carcassonne in France.

Restored castles in France and Britain were featured to represent the city of Nottingham, and "Sherwood Forest" was filmed in various locations in England.

<p>While the premise of the movie <i>Highlander</i> is a fantasy war between immortal warriors, the sword-fighting scenes and 16th Century setting of the Scottish Highlands eerily resemble Medieval themes. </p> <p>Scotland's Eilean Donan Castle and its trademark bridge were among the authentic buildings and locations featured in the production. French-American actor Christopher Lambert is Connor Macleod, the main character. Lambert worked several hours daily with a dialect coach for his Medieval accent. </p>

While the premise of the movie Highlander is a fantasy war between immortal warriors, the sword-fighting scenes and 16th Century setting of the Scottish Highlands eerily resemble Medieval themes.

Scotland's Eilean Donan Castle and its trademark bridge were among the authentic buildings and locations featured in the production. French-American actor Christopher Lambert is Connor Macleod, the main character. Lambert worked several hours daily with a dialect coach for his Medieval accent.

<p>As far as realistic portrayals of Medieval times in movies go, the storyline of <i>Elizabeth </i>is as good as it gets. The film centers around the life and times of Elizabeth I and is set in 1558. </p> <p>It captured the Best Makeup award at the 71st Academy Awards, and actress Cate Blanchett was nominated for Best Actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth. </p>

As far as realistic portrayals of Medieval times in movies go, the storyline of Elizabeth is as good as it gets. The film centers around the life and times of Elizabeth I and is set in 1558.

It captured the Best Makeup award at the 71st Academy Awards, and actress Cate Blanchett was nominated for Best Actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth.

<p><i>Willow </i>and any movie involving filmmaker George Lucas and his company Lucasfilms is bound to leave no stone unturned for visual and special effects. </p> <p>The film won an award for Best Costume Design and narrowly missed out on winning an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects to <i>Who Framed Roger Rabbit</i>. </p>

Willow and any movie involving filmmaker George Lucas and his company Lucasfilms is bound to leave no stone unturned for visual and special effects.

The film won an award for Best Costume Design and narrowly missed out on winning an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects to Who Framed Roger Rabbit .

Valhalla Rising

Valhalla Rising is set during the twelfth century chronicling the lives of Norse warriors and Christian Crusaders. It is filmed entirely in Scotland, and like many other Medieval movies, it features the Scottish Highlands as its backdrop.

Director Nicolas Winding Refn uses a blend of Viking and Norwegian history, which is most evident in the movie's action scenes.

The Northman

Set in AD 895 on a fictional island, The Northman is the most recent adaptation of Medieval times.

It effectively incorporates Viking history and mythology, narrowly missing out on awards for Outstanding Locations in a Period Film, Best Costume Design, and Cinematography. Some filming took place in Iceland using a glacier on set.

<p>In the movie <i>El Cid</i>, a tremendous amount of detail went into the medieval-style costume design by director Anthony Mann. With a staff of 400 seamstresses for wardrobe, Mann dedicated $500,000 to a local company to produce clothes resembling the Middle Ages. </p> <p>The film features 3,000 war helmets, 7,000 swords, 40,000 arrows, 5,780 shields, 1,253 medieval harnesses, 800 maces and daggers, and 650 chain mail suits for armor. </p>

In the movie El Cid , a tremendous amount of detail went into the medieval-style costume design by director Anthony Mann. With a staff of 400 seamstresses for wardrobe, Mann dedicated $500,000 to a local company to produce clothes resembling the Middle Ages.

The film features 3,000 war helmets, 7,000 swords, 40,000 arrows, 5,780 shields, 1,253 medieval harnesses, 800 maces and daggers, and 650 chain mail suits for armor.

The Last Duel

Set in medieval France during the Hundred Years War, The Last Duel uses combat scenes behind the premise of honor to show its authenticity. Scenes were filmed in modern French communes and castles like Cahir Castle.

Kings, knights, squires, and nobility are involved in a dispute that is settled in a medieval-style jousting duel.

A Knight's Tale

A Knight's Tale focuses on a jousting tournament, so special attention was paid to the construction of weapons and costume design.

Jousts were designed to explode on contact, ensuring the actors riding the horses' safety and giving the film a genuine medieval appearance. The knights' suits were fashioned with lightweight steel for the armor to better facilitate movement on horseback for the fight scenes.

<p><i>The King </i>chronicles the rise of Henry V and the succession of his father. Director David Michod bases the film's premise on several works by William Shakespeare. </p> <p>Sharpened wooden stakes that the English used as a defense to line the shores of the wars and realistic recreations of actual battles like the Battle of Agincourt and the Siege of Harfleur are incorporated into the movie. </p>

The King chronicles the rise of Henry V and the succession of his father. Director David Michod bases the film's premise on several works by William Shakespeare.

Sharpened wooden stakes that the English used as a defense to line the shores of the wars and realistic recreations of actual battles like the Battle of Agincourt and the Siege of Harfleur are incorporated into the movie.

Richard III

Richard III is a 1955 screen adaptation based on the Shakespeare play of the same name. The film incorporates most of its dialogue directly from the play into the script, written, directed, and starring Laurence Olivier.

A convincing replication of battles like the Battle of Bosworth Field and Olivier suffering an arrow wound during filming adds to the movie's medieval setting.

Kingdom of Heaven

Director Ridley Scott hit the bullseye if the medieval style of his Kingdom of Heaven movie was the intended target. The historical drama was set after the Second Crusade.

Scott emphasized cinematography and set design in the production of the film. Combat scenes were painstakingly replicated to mirror 12th-century battles.

<p>John Boorman directed and co-wrote <i>Excalibur, </i>which many have designated a medieval fantasy film. Its plot takes aim at the 15th century and, specifically, the historical folklore surrounding King Arthur. </p> <p>Boorman's recreation of Arthur amid the turmoil of the Dark Ages received critical acclaim, including winning the award for Best Artistic Contribution at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival. </p>

John Boorman directed and co-wrote Excalibur, which many have designated a medieval fantasy film. Its plot takes aim at the 15th century and, specifically, the historical folklore surrounding King Arthur.

Boorman's recreation of Arthur amid the turmoil of the Dark Ages received critical acclaim, including winning the award for Best Artistic Contribution at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival.

Many cinema pundits have Braveheart as one of the greatest movies of all time because of its brilliant portrayal of medieval times.

Director and star of the film, Mel Gibson, focus the storyline on a verified Scottish knight named Sir William Wallace. Specifically, it tells the tale of Wallace leading the Scottish in their quest for independence from England in the late 13th century.

<p><i>Henry V</i> is director Kenneth Branagh's modern adaptation of Shakespeare's original play. Branagh's version of this tale differs from the others because it accentuates the Battle of Agincourt by setting it in rainy and muddy conditions. </p> <p>Branagh's costume designer, Phyllis Dalton, won an Oscar for Best Costume Design for her work in the production of the film. </p>

Henry V is director Kenneth Branagh's modern adaptation of Shakespeare's original play. Branagh's version of this tale differs from the others because it accentuates the Battle of Agincourt by setting it in rainy and muddy conditions.

Branagh's costume designer, Phyllis Dalton, won an Oscar for Best Costume Design for her work in the production of the film.

<p>The 1948 version of Shakespeare's <i>Hamlet</i> was directed by and starred Laurence Olivier. Olivier's adaptation won an Academy Award for Best Picture and was the first sound version produced in English. </p> <p>Olivier won the Oscar for Best Actor, and his film won the Academy Award for Art Direction, Set Direction, and Costume Design due to the movie's authenticity. </p>

The 1948 version of Shakespeare's Hamlet was directed by and starred Laurence Olivier. Olivier's adaptation won an Academy Award for Best Picture and was the first sound version produced in English.

Olivier won the Oscar for Best Actor, and his film won the Academy Award for Art Direction, Set Direction, and Costume Design due to the movie's authenticity.

Monty Python & the Holy Grail

While it is rare to review a satirical comedy for its authenticity, Monty Python & the Holy Grail deserves recognition. The comedy group playfully delivers the story of King Arthur in AD 932.

The movie was filmed in modern-day Doune Castle and Castle Stalker. Live white rabbits were used in the film's combat scene with the Rabbit of Caerbannog and puppets of them in killing scenes.

The Seventh Seal

Ingmar Bergman directs The Seventh Seal , set in Sweden during the Black Death. The classic medieval tale personifies Death, who engages a knight in a game of chess.

The historical fantasy film features stories from the Book of Revelation as the inspiration for its medieval adaptation. Revelation's passage is where the movie's title is derived from.

<p>Claire McCarthy directs <i>Ophelia</i>, a 2018 film version of Shakespeare's character from the play Hamlet. McCarthy chronicles <i>Hamlet </i>from the rare perspective of Ophelia. </p> <p>McCarthy's use of modern-day English as a replacement for the language used in previous versions of the play is hidden by the realistic portrayal of Ophelia's viewpoint of events. </p>

Claire McCarthy directs Ophelia , a 2018 film version of Shakespeare's character from the play Hamlet. McCarthy chronicles Hamlet from the rare perspective of Ophelia.

McCarthy's use of modern-day English as a replacement for the language used in previous versions of the play is hidden by the realistic portrayal of Ophelia's viewpoint of events.

Did we miss any? Comment and let us know!

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Seize Them! Review

When you consider the pantheon of comedies with exclamation marks in the title, the quality quotient runs from the sublime Safety Last! and — all hail the king — Airplane! to the piss-poor Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes! and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot . Curtis Vowell’s Seize Them! sits somewhere in the middle of the pack, a sweary, enjoyable medieval romp that hits and misses in equal measure but gets by on appealing actors and its unapologetically puerile spirit.

Screenwriter Andy Riley (a co-writer on The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists! and Ruddy Hell! It’s Harry and Paul — he does love an exclamation mark!) contributed to the Horrible Histories movie, and Seize Them! shares some HH DNA, if not the gag-rate. The set-up sees spoilt, bratty Queen Dagan (Aimee Lou Wood, seemingly channelling Blackadder ’s Queenie but finding her own groove as the character softens) overthrown by despot-in-waiting ‘Humble’ Joan (Nicola Coughlan, having a ball) during a dinner scene reminiscent of Carry On Up The Khyber . Dagan is saved by her intelligent attendant Shulmay (Lolly Adefope)and the unlikely duo head out to find sanctuary with Dagan’s royal Scandi cousins, played as bantering bros by Paul Kaye and John Macmillan.

It's as cheap as ye olde chips and it doesn’t all land, but there is likable chemistry between the central troika

En route, the pair soon pick up thick-but-loyal peasant Bobik (Nick Frost), a “shit spader” who was born in a bin, clothed as a child in nettles (his first word was “ouch”) and does a funny litany of the different types of poo he shovels. It’s not long before the trio encounter James Acaster as a travelling ironmonger, get attacked by a man-wolf in a forest, and fumble trying to dispose of a dead body, all the while being chased by Jessica Hynes’ relentless courtesan Leofwine (Hynes and Frost sharing the screen makes this a low-key Spaced reunion).

It's as cheap as ye olde chips and it doesn’t all land, but there is likable chemistry between the central troika, the ever-dependable Adefope giving it both laughs and a surprisingly emotional undertow. A fun jaunt, then, rather than a Fun Jaunt!

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‘Civil War’ review: Alex Garland glimpses a scary future in this American horror story

For his latest film, the 'Ex Machina' director depicts a United States that has descended into terrifying lawlessness

F ilms don’t come much bigger than Alex Garland’s latest. With Civil War , the writer and director behind movies like Ex Machina and Men has walked onto a larger and more prominent stage than ever before. Being both noted studio A24’s most expensive project to date and Garland’s most explicitly political, Civil War was always going to be hard to ignore. Does it hold up to the scrutiny?

The film views the chaos of a contemporary internal conflict in the United States through the eyes of journalists and photojournalists, not necessarily a profession considered particularly exciting in the pantheon of war cinema. Kirsten Dunst, who plays war photographer Lee Miller, leads the gang of scrappy reporters – who include Cailee Spaeny as a photographer just starting out, and Wagner Moura and Stephen McKinley Henderson as grizzled journalists – on a surely fatal road trip from New York to Washington D.C., where the President (Nick Offerman) is soon to be violently deposed by the ‘Western Alliance’.

As the quartet try to survive on the road, they have nervy encounters galore with armed strangers of all kinds. Garland handles these often horrible collisions expertly, the stand-off with Jesse Plemons’ gun-wielding psychopath proving the most haunting. The dialogue is believable, the acting is impeccable, and Garland knows how to get your pulse racing. There are some beautiful moments – sparks dancing in a burning forest – and not a second of boredom.

In his promotion of the film, Garland has talked about wanting to celebrate journalists . In an age of both dwindling media funding and mistrust of journalists (intertwined problems, of course), this is an admirable goal for a filmmaker. There is a danger, however, that this story glamourises them a little too much, presenting them as unstoppable, almost fearless beacons of truth. Garland knows how to humanise his characters, and none of the quartet is perfect, but it can feel as though the director wants you to leave the cinema thinking that photojournalism is the most noble of all wartime vocations. The soldiers who frequently allow the gang to follow them into the most extraordinarily dangerous situations never seem to find them irritating, despite their buzzing around like flies and the harsh truth that the images might not find much of an audience in such a bloodbath.

These quibbles aside, Civil War is something of a staggering achievement of spectacle and sound, with vast swathes of the US convincingly up in smoke. Not once do we get the foul whiff of CGI; not once are we taken out of the engrossing reality of the protagonists. While Garland may have ruffled feathers during press for the film, saying that it is “fucking idiotic” to say that ideological arguments over politics are about “good and bad”, the film is too well-made to polarise opinion in this way. In the long run this neutrality may prevent it from being truly loved, or becoming anyone’s favourite film. But there is absolutely no doubt that it is a triumphant achievement by a director truly hitting his stride.

Director: Alex Garland
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Nick Offerman
Release date: April 12 (in cinemas)

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Seize Them! review: Aimee Lou Wood movie is a Monty Python rip-off

This medieval romp will either be your cup of tea or it won’t, but for fans of films where it feels like the cast are practising their silliest sketches, it’s a hoot.

UAimee Lou Wood as Queen Dagan in 'Seize Them!' (Photo: Rob Baker Ashton/PA)

Are medieval comedies suddenly in fashion? It’s just 18 months since Catherine Called Birdy , the Lena Dunham -directed film about a wayward 13th-century teenager played by Bella Ramsey , was a surprise hit. Now Seize Them! takes a stab at lightening up the Dark Ages.

Starring Sex Education ’s Aimee Lou Wood as a spoiled, selfish and ousted English queen on a road trip to regain her crown, this is a Monty Python -esque hodge-podge of poo jokes, chat about pies, and consequence-free ultra-violence that could only be made in Britain. As such, it has assembled a cast of England’s finest, freshest talent, all of whom look like they’re having the time of their lives.

Wood’s Queen Dagan is rescued by kitchen maid Shulmay ( Ghosts ’ Lolly Adefope ), who whisks her down the privy shute just in the nick of time as revolutionary leader Humble Joan ( Bridgerton ’s Nicola Coughlan , who I should add is Irish, not English) storms the castle with cannon power, makes grand claims about the collective, and exhibits all the actual humility of Stalin.

Nicola Coughlan as Humble Joan in 'Seize Them! (Photo: Rob Baker Ashton/PA)

As they make their way to the sea in the hope of meeting Royal relatives and salvation, Dagan and Shulmay meet Bobik ( Nick Frost ), a simple-minded but affable “shit shoveler” who agrees to lend them clothing and support in return for an Earldom. Dagan laughs conspiratorially that of course she will never actually reward commoners. She is objectively awful, but Wood plays her with such an enjoyable innocence that the brattishness gradually feels like ignorance, and transforms into gratitude.

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Right before things go horribly wrong, the three are the best of friends, drinking ale in a grotty pub, shoveling shit together and saving each other’s lives amid a procession of absurd murders in a spooky forest straight out of The Princess Bride .

It’s the sort of acquired and very silly type of on-the-nose humour that works best after a few pints. Oh, a toe has been blown off – we can see the gristle but also the nail varnish! Oh, Nick Frost is suddenly talking in a posh voice instead of peasant grunts! Think Edgar Wright meets Chaucer.

If this all sounds a bit derivative, that’s because it is, borrowing heavily from films such as Monty Python and the Holy Grail . The script lacks the nuance of Catherine Called Birdy , relying too much on manure gags. But it is elevated by the highly watchable performances of Wood, Adefope, Frost and Coughlan, all of whom bring to it immense comic talent and who make the stakes feel real. There’s a growing feeling that actually it does matter whether this tyrant reclaims her throne from the commoners, and it’s fun too to see Coughlan, usually so genial, cast against type as the calculating Joan.

Seize Them! will either be your cup of tea or it absolutely won’t. “It’s ludicrous!” as Dagan herself shrewdly observes. But for fans of films where it feels like the cast are practising their silliest sketches right in front of you, it’s a hoot.

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Medieval movie review & film summary (2022)
Instead, "Medieval" is a bleak and visually oversaturated allegory about the 15th century revolutionary Czech soldier turned military leader Jan Žižka ( Ben Foster ). There's blood and chainmail, yes, but it's also a self-serious allegory about duty and faith during miserable times. "Medieval" features the same kind of brutal violence ...
Medieval
Medieval: Exclusive Movie Clip - Kidnapping Is the Only Way. CLIP 0:58 Medieval: Trailer 1. Medieval: Trailer 1. TRAILER 2:25 View All Videos. Medieval Photos. See all photos.
Medieval
With a flat story and flat emotions throughout the film, Medieval might fade into the background while we're typing this review. Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Sep 10, 2022. Keith ...
Medieval review
I f you had to put money on who would be cast for a film about 15th-century Czech warrior hero Jan Žižka, then Ben Foster, Matthew Goode, Til Schweiger and Sir Michael of Caine would probably ...
Medieval (2022)
Medieval: Directed by Petr Jákl. With Ben Foster, Sophie Lowe, Michael Caine, Til Schweiger. The story of fifteenth century Czech icon and warlord, Jan Zizka, who defeated armies of the Teutonic Order and the Holy Roman Empire.
'Medieval' Review: Flaying Alive
Zizka tenderly inquires at one point, though, if you ask me, the movie's addition of that hungry lion was maybe a barbarism too far. Medieval. Rated R. Fans of slicing, smashing, gouging and ...
'Medieval' Review: A Czech Folk Legend Turns Action Hero
Starring English-speakers Ben Foster and Michael Caine, Petr Jakl's big-budget spectacle "Medieval" offers a satisfying blend of history lesson and brutal combat.
Medieval
Sep 9, 2022. Medieval is a bleak and visually oversaturated allegory about the 15th century revolutionary Czech soldier turned military leader Jan Žižka (Ben Foster). There's blood and chainmail, yes, but it's also a self-serious allegory about duty and faith during miserable times. Read More.
'Medieval' review: The muddled story of a 15th-century hero
Review: 'Medieval' story of Czech folk hero suffers from identity crisis. Ben Foster, center left, and Michael Caine, center right, in the movie "Medieval.". Jan Zizka, a beloved 15th ...
Medieval
Medieval tells the tale of 15th-century Czech hero Jan Žižka. And a brutal, bloody and bleak tale it is as politics and violence mingle. ... Movie Review. In his latter years, Jan Žižka will become a Bohemian military commander of legend. But that journey to glory necessarily starts more modestly years before. When we meet him here, Jan is ...
Medieval Review: Period Action Movie Is Too Self-Serious For Its Own Good
Unlike movies that are a push-and-pull of positive and negative traits, Medieval's issues compound, undercutting what assets it does have and leaving little reason to recommend it. Medieval released exclusively in theaters on Friday, September 9. The film is 126 minutes long and is rated R for strong and grisly violent content throughout, and ...
Medieval (film)
Medieval (Jan Žižka or Warrior of God) is a 2022 English-language Czech historical drama film directed by Petr Jákl. ... based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". The film has a score of 58% based on 12 reviews on Czech website Kinobox.cz. Box office The film opened in the Czech Republic with 114,244 spectators during ...
'Medieval' review: This Czech 'Braveheart' doesn't know what it's
Movie review. Jan Zizka, a beloved 15th-century Czech folk hero, looms large in the nation's collective consciousness, a skilled, ingenious, one-eyed warrior who led peasants and rebels into ...
Medieval Movie Review
Our review: Parents say: ( 1 ): Kids say: Not yet rated Rate movie. This action-drama underwhelms as a historical drama and biographical film, but the over-the-top battle sequences make this a serviceable -- if grisly -- period action adventure. If all you want is something with Gladiator -meets- Braveheart -style movie violence, Medieval ...
Medieval (2022) Film Review
Medieval is a national story told through an international lens, and is trying to navigate the tricky landscape of historical biopics and give it flare. But ultimately, the film works best when the narrative is boiled down to showing just how good this guy was in battle. Žižka was a very innovative and unorthodox military leader who remained ...
Medieval (2022)
Medieval isn't 'Gladiator' and doesn't try to be. It's a stand alone Biographical Account of one of history's greatest military minds. The movie does well with slightly over 2 hours but could easily have been made into a miniseries or multi-part movie (only a small pivotal point of his life is conveyed in the movie).
Medieval
Medieval. 2022, R, 125 min. Directed by Petr Jákl. Starring Ben Foster, Michael Caine, Sophie Lowe, Matthew Goode, Til Schweiger, Karel Roden, Roland Møller. One can assume any film with a ...
Is Medieval a True Story? Is the 2022 Movie Based on Real People?
Pratik Handore. September 6, 2022. 'Medieval' (also known as 'Jan Žižka' or 'Warrior of God') is a historical drama film directed by Petr Jákl. It follows the rise of Jan Žižka, a knight and mercenary who goes on to become the leader of the Hussite army. When Henry III of Rosenberg, the most powerful nobleman in the country ...
Medieval Movie Review: The Lion in Winter
Medieval Movie Review: The Lion in Winter. By James Turner. Yuletide logs are crackling merrily in the fireplace, decorations are hung with care upon a woefully anachronistic Christmas tree and the fate of an empire is at stake. The combatants chosen weapons, threats of renewed internecine warfare and the sort of stomach-churning invective ...
Medieval Movie Review: The Last Duel
The result is a movie that will satisfy expectations of the "medieval" while giving space for the humanity of actual medieval people, the difficulties they sometimes faced, and the ways in which we share many of those same difficulties. Much like Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven, his film The Last Duel is likely to open up laymen's ...
Medieval Movie Review: El Cid
Medieval Movie Review: El Cid. By James Turner. El Cid was released in 1961 at the absolute zenith of the historical epics' reign in Hollywood. Coming hot on the heels of Spartacus' runaway success, El Cid bullishly shouldered its way towards the top of this swaggering and bombastic genre of filmmaking. In a sense, El Cid is the frothing ...
Seize Them! review
A spoilt queen strives to reclaim her throne from revolting peasants in a film that feels more like a sweary episode of Horrible Histories Wendy Ide Sun 7 Apr 2024 07.00 EDT
30 Authentic Medieval Movies That Got The Details Right
The film features 3,000 war helmets, 7,000 swords, 40,000 arrows, 5,780 shields, 1,253 medieval harnesses, 800 maces and daggers, and 650 chain mail suits for armor. Walt Disney Studios Motion ...
Seize Them! Review
Review. The Dark Ages. Cosseted Queen Dagan (Aimee Lou Wood) is ousted by a revolution spearheaded by rebel upstart 'Humble' Joan (Nicola Coughlan). Rescued by her loyal servant Shulmay (Lolly ...
Medieval Movie Review: The King
The movie starts with Henry "Hotspur" Percy stirring up trouble for the aging and sickly Henry IV while the young Prince Hal (Timothée Chalamet) spends his time leading a life of debauchery with Sir John Falstaff (Joel Edgerton). When Henry IV dies, Hal has to clean up his act to become Henry V. The new King Henry is tired of civil war and ...
Civil War review: Alex Garland's American horror story
Films don't come much bigger than Alex Garland's latest. With Civil War, the writer and director behind movies like Ex Machina and Men has walked onto a larger and more prominent stage than ...
Dragon (2024)
Synopsis. Moving beyond the conventional boundaries of cinema, this story explores a medieval realm using the language of artificial intelligence.
Medieval Movie Review: The War Lord
Medieval Movie Review: The War Lord. By James Turner. Time to shine a light on the half-forgotten and flawed gem from 1965 that is The War Lord. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Charlton Heston, who collaborated again three years later on Planet of the Apes (1968), The War Lord follows an eleventh-century Norman knight as he ...
"Gone Medieval" Rise of Mercia (Podcast Episode 2024)
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Seize Them! review: Aimee Lou Wood movie is a Monty Python rip-off
Now Seize Them! takes a stab at lightening up the Dark Ages. Starring Sex Education 's Aimee Lou Wood as a spoiled, selfish and ousted English queen on a road trip to regain her crown, this is a ...