The medieval and Renaissance eras have given cinema some of its most breathtaking stories, equal parts brutal, romantic, and deeply human. Whether it’s knights riding through the mud, queens holding their courts by candlelight, or kings torn between duty and faith, these films capture the high drama of history’s most turbulent centuries.
This is the definitive guide to the 25 greatest medieval and Renaissance films of all time. Each entry includes its tone, legacy, and where you can stream it right now, plus a timeline showing how the stories span from the 12th to the 16th century.
1. Kingdom of Heaven (2005, Director’s Cut)
Genre: Historical Epic / Drama
Director: Ridley Scott
Tone: Grand, tragic, moral
Why It Rules: Ridley Scott’s director’s cut is a revelation, philosophical, visually majestic, and emotionally resonant. The Siege of Jerusalem still sets the standard for medieval battle realism.
Legacy: The definitive Crusades epic.
Streaming: Disney+, Prime, Apple TV
Rating: ★★★★★
2. The Name of the Rose (1986)
Genre: Historical Mystery / Thriller
Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
Tone: Dark, cerebral, atmospheric
Why It Rules: Sean Connery plays a Franciscan detective in a murder-filled abbey, uncovering heresy beneath the candle smoke.
Legacy: A rare blend of faith, logic, and dread.
Streaming: Prime, Apple TV
Rating: ★★★★★
3. The Seventh Seal (1957)
Genre: Arthouse / Existential Drama
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Tone: Poetic, haunting, reflective
Why It Rules: A knight plays chess with Death on a desolate beach. It’s cinematic philosophy in motion.
Legacy: The most iconic medieval film ever made.
Streaming: Criterion, Prime
Rating: ★★★★★
4. Braveheart (1995)
Genre: Historical Epic
Director: Mel Gibson
Tone: Emotional, heroic, bloody
Why It Rules: Mel Gibson’s freedom-fuelled rebellion is messy, heartfelt, and visually stunning.
Legacy: Inspired a decade of historical epics.
Streaming: Paramount+, Prime
Rating: ★★★★☆
5. The Green Knight (2021)
Genre: Fantasy / Psychological Drama
Director: David Lowery
Tone: Dreamlike, mysterious, meditative
Why It Rules: Dev Patel’s Gawain faces destiny and death in a slow, hypnotic journey through myth and mortality.
Legacy: The modern masterpiece of Arthurian legend.
Streaming: Prime, Apple TV
Rating: ★★★★☆
6. The Lion in Winter (1968)
Genre: Historical Drama
Director: Anthony Harvey
Tone: Witty, venomous, regal
Why It Rules: Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn play medieval monarchs locked in emotional combat.
Legacy: The sharpest royal dialogue ever filmed.
Streaming: Prime, Apple TV
Rating: ★★★★☆
7. Elizabeth (1998)
Genre: Historical Biography / Political Drama
Director: Shekhar Kapur
Tone: Elegant, ruthless, transformative
Why It Rules: Cate Blanchett commands the screen in her rise from vulnerable princess to the Virgin Queen.
Legacy: The definitive portrayal of power and transformation.
Streaming: Netflix, Prime, Apple TV
Rating: ★★★★★
8. The King (2019)
Genre: Historical Drama / War
Director: David Michôd
Tone: Brooding, realistic, restrained
Why It Rules: Timothée Chalamet’s Henry V trades Shakespearean bombast for quiet conviction. The Battle of Agincourt is breathtakingly grim.
Legacy: Medieval leadership reimagined for a modern age.
Streaming: Netflix
Rating: ★★★★☆
9. Excalibur (1981)
Genre: Fantasy / Myth
Director: John Boorman
Tone: Surreal, mythic, metallic
Why It Rules: A chrome-and-Wagner take on the Arthurian legend that feels like a hallucination.
Legacy: Still the most visually striking Camelot on film.
Streaming: Prime, Apple TV
Rating: ★★★★☆
10. The Last Duel (2021)
Genre: Historical Drama
Director: Ridley Scott
Tone: Brutal, moral, feminist
Why It Rules: Three conflicting perspectives on truth, loyalty, and survival in medieval France. Jodie Comer steals the show.
Legacy: Medieval history retold with 21st-century awareness.
Streaming: Disney+, Apple TV
Rating: ★★★★☆
11. Henry V (1989)
Genre: Shakespearean War Drama
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Tone: Noble, visceral, poetic
Why It Rules: Mud, blood, and verse. Branagh’s direction and performance are electrifying.
Legacy: The Shakespeare adaptation that feels like war.
Streaming: Prime, Apple TV
Rating: ★★★★☆
12. A Knight’s Tale (2001)
Genre: Adventure / Comedy / Romance
Director: Brian Helgeland
Tone: Playful, anachronistic, heartfelt
Why It Rules: Heath Ledger’s underdog jouster makes medieval rebellion fun again.
Legacy: Pure joy with chainmail and Queen songs.
Streaming: Netflix, Prime
Rating: ★★★★☆
13. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Genre: Comedy / Satire
Director: Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones
Tone: Absurd, iconic, timeless
Why It Rules: Every medieval cliché lovingly destroyed.
Legacy: The most quotable film ever made.
Streaming: Netflix, Prime
Rating: ★★★★★
14. The Outlaw King (2018)
Genre: Historical Epic
Director: David Mackenzie
Tone: Gritty, stoic, tragic
Why It Rules: Chris Pine’s Robert the Bruce endures betrayal, exhaustion, and mud to unite Scotland.
Legacy: Netflix’s most authentic medieval epic.
Streaming: Netflix
Rating: ★★★★☆
15. Ironclad (2011)
Genre: Action / Siege Drama
Director: Jonathan English
Tone: Raw, violent, claustrophobic
Why It Rules: Knights defending Rochester Castle against King John.
Legacy: A brutal fan-favourite of medieval warfare.
Streaming: Prime, Apple TV
Rating: ★★★☆☆
16. The Advocate (1993)
Genre: Dark Comedy / Legal Drama
Director: Leslie Megahey
Tone: Witty, strange, satirical
Why It Rules: A lawyer defends a pig in medieval France, exposing human hypocrisy through absurdity.
Legacy: An overlooked gem of dark humour.
Streaming: Apple TV (rent)
Rating: ★★★★☆
17. Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Genre: Historical Romance / Comedy / Drama
Director: John Madden
Tone: Romantic, clever, bittersweet
Why It Rules: Young Shakespeare finds his muse in love and chaos. Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow light up the screen, while Judi Dench steals her Oscar as Queen Elizabeth.
Legacy: Blends history, art, and emotion with rare wit and warmth.
Streaming: Disney+, Prime, Apple TV
Rating: ★★★★★
18. Black Death (2010)
Genre: Historical Horror / Mystery
Director: Christopher Smith
Tone: Grim, eerie, nihilistic
Why It Rules: Sean Bean’s knight leads a grim hunt for supposed necromancy amid the plague.
Legacy: Medieval horror at its bleak best.
Streaming: Prime, Apple TV
Rating: ★★★★☆
19. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
Genre: Silent / Historical Drama
Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer
Tone: Spiritual, minimalist, timeless
Why It Rules: Falconetti’s portrayal of Joan’s trial remains one of cinema’s most moving performances.
Legacy: Eternal masterpiece.
Streaming: Criterion, Kanopy, Prime
Rating: ★★★★★
20. The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999)
Genre: Historical Epic
Director: Luc Besson
Tone: Bold, tragic, fierce
Why It Rules: Milla Jovovich’s fiery saint battles faith and doubt.
Legacy: A visceral reimagining of one of history’s most complex heroines.
Streaming: Prime, Apple TV
Rating: ★★★★☆
21. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Genre: Adventure / Romance
Director: Kevin Reynolds
Tone: Romantic, chaotic, fun
Why It Rules: Kevin Costner plays Robin Hood; Alan Rickman steals the film.
Legacy: Pure 90s escapism.
Streaming: Prime, Apple TV
Rating: ★★★☆☆
22. The 13th Warrior (1999)
Genre: Action / Adventure
Director: John McTiernan
Tone: Mysterious, primal, mythic
Why It Rules: Vikings versus monsters, with Antonio Banderas observing the clash of cultures.
Legacy: A flawed but fascinating historical adventure.
Streaming: Prime, Apple TV
Rating: ★★★☆☆
23. Flesh + Blood (1985)
Genre: Historical Adventure / Drama
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Tone: Violent, cynical, sensual
Why It Rules: A plague-ridden world of mercenaries and moral decay.
Legacy: Brutal realism without the romance.
Streaming: Prime, Apple TV
Rating: ★★★★☆
24. Ladyhawke (1985)
Genre: Fantasy / Romance
Director: Richard Donner
Tone: Romantic, mystical, adventurous
Why It Rules: A tragic, beautiful love cursed by time.
Legacy: A cult favourite that endures.
Streaming: Prime, Apple TV
Rating: ★★★★☆
25. A Man for All Seasons (1966)
Genre: Historical Drama / Biography
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Tone: Moral, intelligent, restrained
Why It Rules: Paul Scofield’s Thomas More defies Henry VIII, conscience versus crown.
Legacy: Cinema’s finest meditation on integrity.
Streaming: Prime, Apple TV
Rating: ★★★★★
Timeline of Settings
| Century | Films Set In | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 12th Century | Kingdom of Heaven, The Lion in Winter, Ironclad | Crusades, Plantagenets, Magna Carta |
| 13th Century | Braveheart, The Name of the Rose, The Last Duel | Scotland’s wars, heresy, honour |
| 14th Century | The Green Knight, The King, Black Death | Arthurian myth, Agincourt, plague |
| 15th Century | Henry V, The Passion of Joan of Arc, The Messenger, The Advocate | Saints, reformers, heretics |
| 16th Century | Elizabeth, A Man for All Seasons, The Reckoning | Reformation, Renaissance intrigue |
| Late 16th–17th Century | Shakespeare in Love | Elizabethan theatre and romance |
| Mythic / Timeless | Excalibur, Ladyhawke, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The 13th Warrior |
The Seven Swords Takeaway
From Bergman’s haunted knight to Blanchett’s iron-willed queen, these films reveal the full spectrum of medieval and Renaissance life, savage, sacred, and deeply human. Whether you prefer your kings brooding, your saints burning, or your knights rocking out to Queen, this list proves that history on screen is anything but dead.
