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The Best Medieval Movies 

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Updated May 12, 2020 130.8k votes 14k voters 1.5M views 189 items

List Rules Vote up all of the best movies that feature medieval times or themes.

What are the best medieval movies? Kings, sword fights, jousting, horses... fire, pillaging, knights, people with English accents saying "m'lady" and "ye"... This is a list of all the greatest medieval movies ever made, from movies about The Dark Ages to Renaissance films, from stories that took massive liberties with history to films that were actually pretty accurate. Many of these may also be considered to be movies about knights. The best movies that take place in the Middle Ages are listed and can be sorted by categories. What films take place in medieval times?

They can also be imported into your own list of medieval films. For more interesting movie lists, check out the samurai movies, gangster films, and Holocaust movies lists.

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1
Kingdom of Heaven is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
Eva Green, Liam Neeson, Edward Norton

Released: 2005

Directed by: Ridley Scott

Kingdom of Heaven is a 2005 epic historical drama directed and produced by Ridley Scott and written by William Monahan. It stars Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Brendan ...more

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2
Braveheart is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Brendan Gleeson

Released: 1995

Directed by: Mel Gibson

Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical medieval war drama film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. Gibson portrays William Wallace, a 13th-century Scottish warrior who led the Scots in the First ...more

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3
The Princess Bride is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
erich-henson added Billy Crystal, Robin Wright, André the Giant

Released: 1987

Directed by: Rob Reiner

The Princess Bride is a 1987 American romantic comedy fantasy adventure film directed and co-produced by Rob Reiner. It was adapted by William Goldman from his 1973 novel of the same name. The ...more

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4
Excalibur is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
Liam Neeson, Helen Mirren, Patrick Stewart

Released: 1981

Directed by: John Boorman

Excalibur is a 1981 dramatic fantasy film directed, produced and co-written by John Boorman that retells the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. Based solely on the 15th ...more

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5
Monty Python and the Hol... is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle

Released: 1975

Directed by: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones

Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1975 British comedy film written and performed by the comedy group of Monty Python, and directed by Gilliam and Jones. It was conceived during the hiatus ...more

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6
The Name of the Rose is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
Sean Connery, Christian Slater, Ron Perlman

Released: 1986

Directed by: Jean-Jacques Annaud

The Name of the Rose is a 1986 film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, based on the book of the same name by Umberto Eco. Sean Connery is the Franciscan friar William of Baskerville and Christian ...more

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7
A Knight's Tale is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
Heath Ledger, Paul Bettany, Shannyn Sossamon

Released: 2001

Directed by: Brian Helgeland

A Knight's Tale is a 2001 medieval adventure comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by Brian Helgeland. The film stars Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Mark Addy, Alan Tudyk, Rufus ...more

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8
The 13th Warrior is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
Omar Sharif, Antonio Banderas, Tony Curran

Released: 1999

Directed by: John McTiernan, Michael Crichton

The 13th Warrior is a 1999 American historical fiction action film based on the novel and is a loose retelling of the tale of Beowulf. It stars Antonio Banderas as Ahmad ibn Fadlan, Diane Venora ...more

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9
King Arthur is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
Keira Knightley, Clive Owen, Ray Winstone

Released: 2004

Directed by: Antoine Fuqua

King Arthur is a 2004 action adventure film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Franzoni. It stars Clive Owen as the title character, Ioan Gruffudd as Lancelot, and Keira Knightley as ...more

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10
The Lion in Winter is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
Anthony Hopkins, Katharine Hepburn, Peter O'Toole

Released: 1968

Directed by: Anthony Harvey

The Lion in Winter is a 1968 historical drama film made by Avco Embassy Pictures, based on the Broadway play by James Goldman. It was directed by Anthony Harvey and produced by Joseph E. Levine ...more

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11
Robin Hood: Prince of Th... is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
Tirichin Amazigh added Morgan Freeman, Sean Connery, Kevin Costner

Released: 1991

Directed by: Kevin Reynolds

This film is a 1991 American-British adventure film directed by Kevin Reynolds. The film stars Kevin Costner as Robin Hood, Morgan Freeman as Azeem, Christian Slater as Will Scarlet, Mary ...more

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12
Highlander is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
but chickens double d added Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, Michael Hayes

Released: 1986

Directed by: Russell Mulcahy

Highlander is a 1986 British-American cult fantasy film directed by Russell Mulcahy and based on a story by Gregory Widen. It stars Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, and Roxanne ...more

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13
Willow is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
Val Kilmer, Kevin Pollak, Warwick Davis

Released: 1988

Directed by: Ron Howard

Willow is a 1988 American fantasy film directed by Ron Howard, produced and with a story by George Lucas, and starring Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Jean Marsh, and Billy Barty. ...more

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14
Ladyhawke is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
Michelle Pfeiffer, Matthew Broderick, Alfred Molina

Released: 1985

Directed by: Richard Donner

Ladyhawke is a 1985 fantasy film directed by Richard Donner, starring Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, and Michelle Pfeiffer.

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15
Henry V is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
Christian Bale, Emma Thompson, Judi Dench

Released: 1989

Directed by: Kenneth Branagh

Henry V is a 1989 British drama film adapted for the screen and directed by Kenneth Branagh, based on William Shakespeare's play of the same name about King Henry V of England. The film stars ...more

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16
The Adventures of Robin ... is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
but chickens double d added Olivia de Havilland, Errol Flynn, Claude Rains

Released: 1938

Directed by: Michael Curtiz, William Keighley

The Adventures of Robin Hood is a 1938 American swashbuckler film directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, and Claude ...more

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17
El Cid is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
james-m-lengyel added Sophia Loren, Charlton Heston, Herbert Lom

Released: 1961

Directed by: Anthony Mann

El Cid is a 1961 historical epic film, a romanticized story of the life of the Christian Castilian knight Don Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, called "El Cid", who, in the 11th century, ...more

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18
The Sword in the Stone ... is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
Alan Napier, Sebastian Cabot, Norman Alden

Released: 1963

Directed by: Wolfgang Reitherman

The Sword in the Stone is a 1963 American animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney and released to theaters on December 25, 1963 by Buena Vista Distribution. The 18th film in ...more

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19
Dragonheart is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
JoshSimmons added Dennis Quaid, Julie Christie, Jason Isaacs

Released: 1996

Directed by: Rob Cohen

Dragonheart is a 1996 American fantasy adventure film directed by Rob Cohen. It stars Dennis Quaid, David Thewlis, Pete Postlethwaite, Dina Meyer, and the voice of Sean Connery. It was nominated ...more

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20
Robin Hood: Men in Tight... is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
but chickens double d added Patrick Stewart, Mel Brooks, Dave Chappelle

Released: 1993

Directed by: Mel Brooks

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21
Beowulf is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
RicLee added Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich

Released: 2007

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

Beowulf is a 2007 American motion capture computer-animated fantasy film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, inspired by the Old English epic poem of the same ...more

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22
The Vikings is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
OCD Man added Kirk Douglas, Janet Leigh, Ernest Borgnine

Released: 1958

Directed by: Richard Fleischer

The Vikings is a 1958 adventure film directed by Richard Fleischer and filmed in Technicolor. It was produced by and stars Kirk Douglas. It is based on the novel The Viking by Edison Marshall, ...more
23
Ivanhoe is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
OCD Man added Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders

Released: 1952

Directed by: Richard Thorpe

Ivanhoe is a 1952 American cinema film in color, directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman for MGM. The cast features Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine, George ...more
24
Hamlet is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
Mel Gibson, Helena Bonham Carter, Glenn Close

Released: 1990

Directed by: Franco Zeffirelli

Hamlet is a 1990 drama film based on the Shakespearean tragedy of the same name directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starring Mel Gibson as the eponymous character. The film also features Glenn ...more

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25
Becket is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Medieval Movies
Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton, John Gielgud

Released: 1964

Directed by: Peter Glenville

Becket is a 1964 British-American dramatic film adaptation of the play Becket or the Honour of God by Jean Anouilh made by Hal Wallis Productions and released by Paramount Pictures. It was ...more

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