Action/Adventure, Best Movies, Drama, History, Horror/Thriller, Science Fiction/Fantasy

The Best Medieval & Middle Age Movies

“What are the best Medieval Movies Set In The Middle Ages?” We looked at 230 of the top Medieval films, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 28 films, all appearing on 3 or more “Best Middle Ages” movie lists, are ranked below by how many times they appear. The remaining 200+ movies, as well as the sources we used, are in alphabetical order on the bottom of the page.

Happy Scrolling!



Top 28 Movies Set In The Middle Ages



28 .) Army of Darkness (1992)

Army of Darkness (1992) Lists It Appears On:

  • Gamers Decide
  • Games Radar
  • Ranker

A man is accidentally transported to 1300 A.D., where he must battle an army of the dead and retrieve the Necronomicon so he can return home.

Purchase / Learn More



27 .) Arn: The Knight Templar (2007)

Arn: The Knight Templar (2007) Lists It Appears On:

  • Gamers Decide
  • IMDB
  • Ranker

Arn, the son of a high-ranking Swedish nobleman is educated in a monastery and sent to the Holy Land as a knight templar to do penance for a forbidden love.

Purchase / Learn More



26 .) Black Death (2010)

Black Death (2010) Lists It Appears On:

  • Gamers Decide
  • Games Radar
  • IMDB

As the plague decimates medieval Europe, rumours circulate of a village immune from the plague. There is talk of a necromancer who leads the village and is able to raise the dead. A fearsome knight joined by a cohort of soldiers and a young monk are charged by the church to investigate. Their journey is filled with danger, but it’s upon entering the village that their true horror begins.

Purchase / Learn More



25 .) El Cid (1961)

El Cid (1961) Lists It Appears On:

  • BFI
  • Ranker
  • Source Books

Epic film of the legendary Spanish hero, Rodrigo Diaz (“El Cid” to his followers), who, without compromising his strict sense of honour, still succeeds in taking the initiative and driving the Moors from Spain.

Purchase / Learn More



24 .) First Knight (1995)

First Knight (1995) Lists It Appears On:

  • About History
  • Ranker
  • Watch Mojo

The timeless tale of King Arthur and the legend of Camelot are retold in this passionate period drama. Arthur is reluctant to hand the crown to Lancelot, and Guinevere is torn between her loyalty to her husband and her growing love for his rival. But Lancelot must balance his loyalty to the throne with the rewards of true love.

Purchase / Learn More



23 .) Macbeth (2015)

Macbeth (2015) Lists It Appears On:

  • Gamers Decide
  • Games Radar
  • Ranker

Feature film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Scottish play about General Macbeth whose ambitious wife urges him to use wicked means in order to gain power of the throne over the sitting king, Duncan.

Purchase / Learn More



22 .) Season of the Witch (2011)

Season of the Witch (2011) Lists It Appears On:

  • Gamers Decide
  • IMDB
  • The Cinemaholic

A 14th century Crusader returns with his comrade to a homeland devastated by the Black Plague. The Church commands the two knights to transport a witch to a remote abbey, where monks will perform a ritual in hopes of ending the pestilence.

Purchase / Learn More



21 .) The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) Lists It Appears On:

  • BFI
  • Ranker
  • Source Books

A classic of the silent age, this film tells the story of the doomed but ultimately canonized 15th-century teenage warrior. On trial for claiming she’d spoken to God, Jeanne d’Arc is subjected to inhumane treatment and scare tactics at the hands of church court officials. Initially bullied into changing her story, Jeanne eventually opts for what she sees as the truth. Her punishment, a famously brutal execution, earns her perpetual martyrdom.

Purchase / Learn More



20 .) The Seventh Seal (1957)

The Seventh Seal (1957) Lists It Appears On:

  • BFI
  • Ranker
  • Watch Mojo

When disillusioned Swedish knight Antonius Block returns home from the Crusades to find his country in the grips of the Black Death, he challenges Death to a chess match for his life. Tormented by the belief that God does not exist, Block sets off on a journey, meeting up with traveling players Jof and his wife, Mia, and becoming determined to evade Death long enough to commit one redemptive act while he still lives.

Purchase / Learn More



19 .) Tristan & Isolde (2006)

Tristan & Isolde (2006) Lists It Appears On:

  • Gamers Decide
  • Ranker
  • The Cinemaholic

An affair between the second in line to Britain’s throne (Franco) and the princess of the feuding Irish (Myles) spells doom for the young lovers.

Purchase / Learn More



18 .) Troy (2004)

Troy (2004) Lists It Appears On:

  • Bright Ideas Press
  • IMDB
  • The Cinemaholic

In year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age, two emerging nations begin to clash. Paris, the Trojan prince, convinces Helen, Queen of Sparta, to leave her husband Menelaus, and sail with him back to Troy. After Menelaus finds out that his wife was taken by the Trojans, he asks his brother Agamemnom to help him get her back. Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity for power. So they set off with 1,000 ships holding 50,000 Greeks to Troy. With the help of Achilles, the Greeks are able to fight the never before defeated Trojans.

Purchase / Learn More



17 .) Beowulf (2007)

Beowulf (2007) Lists It Appears On:

  • About History
  • Gamers Decide
  • IMDB
  • Ranker

6th-century Scandinavian warrior, Beowulf embarks on a mission to slay the manlike ogre Grendel, a descendant of Cain.

Purchase / Learn More



16 .) Excalibur (1981

Excalibur (1981 Lists It Appears On:

  • About History
  • Ranker
  • Source Books
  • Watch Mojo

A surreal adaptation of Sir Thomas Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur”, chronicling Arthur Pendragon’s conception, his rise to the throne, the search by his Knights of the Round Table for the Holy Grail, and ultimately his death.

Purchase / Learn More



15 .) Ladyhawke (1985)

Ladyhawke (1985) Lists It Appears On:

  • About History
  • Ranker
  • Source Books
  • The Templar Knight

Captain Etienne Navarre is a man on whose shoulders lies a cruel curse. Punished for loving each other, Navarre must become a wolf by night whilst his lover, Lady Isabeau, takes the form of a hawk by day. Together, with the thief Philippe Gaston, they must try to overthrow the corrupt Bishop and in doing so break the spell.

Purchase / Learn More



14 .) The 13th Warrior (1999)

The 13th Warrior (1999) Lists It Appears On:

  • Gamers Decide
  • IMDB
  • Ranker
  • Source Books

In AD 922, Arab courtier, Ahmad Ibn Fadlan accompanies a party of Vikings to the barbaric North to combat a terror that slaughters Vikings and devours their flesh.

Purchase / Learn More



13 .) The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) Lists It Appears On:

  • Games Radar
  • Ranker
  • Source Books
  • Source Books

Robin Hood fights nobly for justice against the evil Sir Guy of Gisbourne while striving to win the hand of the beautiful Maid Marian.

Purchase / Learn More



12 .) DragonHeart (1996)

DragonHeart (1996) Lists It Appears On:

  • About History
  • Gamers Decide
  • IMDB
  • Ranker
  • Source Books

In an ancient time when majestic fire-breathers soared through the skies, a knight named Bowen comes face to face and heart to heart with the last dragon on Earth, Draco. Taking up arms to suppress a tyrant king, Bowen soon realizes his task will be harder than he’d imagined: If he kills the king, Draco will die as well.

Purchase / Learn More



11 .) Gladiator (2000)

Gladiator (2000) Lists It Appears On:

  • Gamers Decide
  • IMDB
  • Ranker
  • Source Books
  • The Cinemaholic

In the year 180, the death of emperor Marcus Aurelius throws the Roman Empire into chaos. Maximus is one of the Roman army’s most capable and trusted generals and a key advisor to the emperor. As Marcus’ devious son Commodus ascends to the throne, Maximus is set to be executed. He escapes, but is captured by slave traders. Renamed Spaniard and forced to become a gladiator, Maximus must battle to the death with other men for the amusement of paying audiences.

Purchase / Learn More



10 .) Henry V (1989)

Henry V (1989) Lists It Appears On:

  • About History
  • IMDB
  • Ranker
  • Source Books
  • The Templar Knight

Gritty adaption of William Shakespeare’s play about the English King’s bloody conquest of France.

Purchase / Learn More



9 .) Robin Hood (2010)

Robin Hood (2010) Lists It Appears On:

  • Gamers Decide
  • IMDB
  • Medium
  • Ranker
  • The Cinemaholic

When soldier Robin happens upon the dying Robert of Loxley, he promises to return the man’s sword to his family in Nottingham. There, he assumes Robert’s identity; romances his widow, Marion; and draws the ire of the town’s sheriff and King John’s henchman, Godfrey.

Purchase / Learn More



8 .) The Lion in Winter (2003)

The Lion in Winter (2003) Lists It Appears On:

  • About History
  • Gamers Decide
  • Ranker
  • Ranker
  • Watch Mojo

King Henry II (Patrick Stewart) keeps his wife, Eleanor (Glenn Close) locked away in the towers because of her frequent attempts to overthrow him. With Eleanor out of the way he can have his dalliances with his young mistress (Yuliya Vysotskaya). Needless to say the queen is not pleased, although she still has affection for the king. Working through her sons, she plots the king’s demise and the rise of her second and preferred son, Richard (Andrew Howard), to the throne. The youngest son, John (Rafe Spall), an overweight buffoon and the only son holding his father’s affection is the king’s choice after the death of his first son, young Henry. But John is also overly eager for power and is willing to plot his father’s demise with middle brother, Geoffrey (John Light) and the young king of France, Phillip (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). Geoffrey, of course sees his younger brother’s weakness and sees that route as his path to power. Obviously political and court intrigue ensues

Purchase / Learn More



7 .) The Name of the Rose (1986)

The Name of the Rose (1986) Lists It Appears On:

  • About History
  • Games Radar
  • Ranker
  • The Templar Knight
  • Watch Mojo

14th-century Franciscan monk William of Baskerville and his young novice arrive at a conference to find that several monks have been murdered under mysterious circumstances. To solve the crimes, William must rise up against the Church’s authority and fight the shadowy conspiracy of monastery monks using only his intelligence – which is considerable.

Purchase / Learn More



6 .) King Arthur (2004)

King Arthur (2004) Lists It Appears On:

  • About History
  • Gamers Decide
  • IMDB
  • Medium
  • Ranker
  • The Cinemaholic

The story of the Arthurian legend, based on the ‘Sarmatian hypothesis’ which contends that the legend has a historical nucleus in the Sarmatian heavy cavalry troops stationed in Britain, and that the Roman-British military commander, Lucius Artorius Castus is the historical person behind the legend.

Purchase / Learn More



5 .) Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

Kingdom of Heaven (2005) Lists It Appears On:

  • Gamers Decide
  • IMDB
  • Ranker
  • The Cinemaholic
  • The Templar Knight
  • Watch Mojo

After his wife dies, a blacksmith named Balian is thrust into royalty, political intrigue and bloody holy wars during the Crusades.

Purchase / Learn More



4 .) Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) Lists It Appears On:

  • BFI
  • Games Radar
  • History Of European Fashion
  • Ranker
  • Source Books
  • Watch Mojo

King Arthur, accompanied by his squire, recruits his Knights of the Round Table, including Sir Bedevere the Wise, Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot and Sir Galahad the Pure. On the way, Arthur battles the Black Knight who, despite having had all his limbs chopped off, insists he can still fight. They reach Camelot, but Arthur decides not to enter, as “it is a silly place”.

Purchase / Learn More



3 .) Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) Lists It Appears On:

  • About History
  • Gamers Decide
  • Games Radar
  • IMDB
  • Ranker
  • Watch Mojo

When the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham murders Robin’s father, the legendary archer vows vengeance. To accomplish his mission, Robin joins forces with a band of exiled villagers (and comely Maid Marian), and together they battle to end the evil sheriff’s reign of terror.

Purchase / Learn More



2 .) A Knight’s Tale (2001)

A Knight's Tale (2001) Lists It Appears On:

  • Gamers Decide
  • Games Radar
  • History Of European Fashion
  • IMDB
  • Ranker
  • Source Books
  • The Cinemaholic

William Thatcher, a peasant, is sent to apprentice with a Knight named Hector as a young boy. Urged by his father to “change his Stars”, he assumes Sir Hector’s place in a tournament when Hector dies in the middle of it. He wins. With the other apprentices, he trains and assumes the title of Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein.

Purchase / Learn More



1 .) Braveheart (1995)

Braveheart (1995) Lists It Appears On:

  • About History
  • BFI
  • Bright Ideas Press
  • Gamers Decide
  • Games Radar
  • History Of European Fashion
  • IMDB
  • Medium
  • Ranker
  • Source Books
  • The Cinemaholic
  • Watch Mojo

Enraged at the slaughter of Murron, his new bride and childhood love, Scottish warrior William Wallace slays a platoon of the local English lord’s soldiers. This leads the village to revolt and, eventually, the entire country to rise up against English rule.

Purchase / Learn More




The 200+ Additional Best Medieval Movies



 

# Movies Lists
(Films Appear On 2 Lists Each)
29 13th Warrior (1999)
Bright Ideas Press
The Templar Knight
30 A Man for All Seasons (1966) Ranker
Source Books
31 Alexander (2004)
Gamers Decide
IMDB
32 Alexander Nevsky (1938) Ranker
Source Books
33 Becket (1964) Ranker
Source Books
34 Beowulf (1998) Ranker
Source Books
35 Camelot (1967) Ranker
Source Books
36 Centurion (2010) IMDB
Medium
37 Hamlet (1990)
Gamers Decide
Ranker
38 Henry V (1944) BFI
Ranker
39 Highlander
About History
Ranker
40 Ironclad (2011) IMDB
Ranker
41 Ivanhoe
About History
Ranker
42 Pathfinder (2007) IMDB
Ranker
43 Seven Samurai (1954)
Games Radar
Watch Mojo
44 The Eagle (2011)
Gamers Decide
IMDB
45 The Last Legion (2007) IMDB
Ranker
46 The Last Samurai (2003) IMDB
The Cinemaholic
47 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Gamers Decide
IMDB
48 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Gamers Decide
IMDB
49 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Gamers Decide
IMDB
50 The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999) IMDB
Medium
51 The Princess Bride
About History
Ranker
52 The Vikings
About History
Ranker
(Films Appear On 1 Lists Each)
53 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992
Source Books
54 300 (2006) IMDB
55 Agnes of God (1985
Source Books
56 al-Risâlah (1976
Source Books
57 Alfred the Great (1969
Source Books
58 Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1944
Source Books
59 Anchoress (1993
Source Books
60 Andrei Rublev (1966) BFI
61 Arabian Nights (1942
Source Books
62 Arabian Nights (1974
Source Books
63 Attila (1980
Source Books
64 Attila (2001
Source Books
65 Attila Flagello Di Dio (1918
Source Books
66 Attila, Flagello Di Dio (1954
Source Books
67 Attilla the Hun (2001)
Bright Ideas Press
68 Barabbas (1962
Source Books
69 Barbara (1997
Source Books
70 Ben Hur (1959)
Bright Ideas Press
71 Ben-Hur (1926
Source Books
72 Black Arrow (1985
Source Books
73 Brave Ranker
74 Bride of Vengeance (1949
Source Books
75 Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1973
Source Books
76 Caligula (1980
Source Books
77 Christopher Columbus (1949
Source Books
78 Christopher Columbus (1985
Source Books
79 Christopher Columbus–the Discovery (1992
Source Books
80 Clash of the Titans (2010) IMDB
81 Conan the Barbarian (2011) IMDB
82 Confucius (2010)
Bright Ideas Press
83 Constantino Il Grande (1961
Source Books
84 Cromwell Ranker
85 Decameron Nights (1953
Source Books
86 DesertPilot Historum
87 Die Pest in Florenz (1919
Source Books
88 Edward II (1970
Source Books
89 Edward II (1991
Source Books
90 Elizabeth (1998
Source Books
91 Erik the Conqueror (1961
Source Books
92 Erik the Viking (1989
Source Books
93 Ever After: A Cinderella Story Ranker
94 Fan of the Game Historum
95 Fellini Satyricon (1970
Source Books
96 Fire Over England (1937
Source Books
97 Francesco d’Assisi (1966
Source Books
98 Francesco, giullare di Dio (1950
Source Books
99 Francis of Assisi (1961
Source Books
100 Galileo (1975
Source Books
101 Game of Thrones (2011– ) IMDB
102 Gate of Hell (1953
Source Books
103 I Tartari (1962
Source Books
104 Il miracolo (1948
Source Books
105 Immortals (2011) IMDB
106 Intolerance (1916
Source Books
107 Joan of Arc: The Virgin Warrior (in process
Source Books
108 Joan the Woman (1916
Source Books
109 King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
About History
110 Knightriders (1981
Source Books
111 Kristin Lavransdatter (1995
Source Books
112 Lady Godiva (1955
Source Books
113 Lady Jane (1985
Source Books
114 Last Knights
Gamers Decide
115 Le Moine et la sorcière [Alt: The Sorceress] France (1987
Source Books
116 Lightning Swords of Death (1974
Source Books
117 Macbeth (2017)
The Cinemaholic
118 Magnificat (1993
Source Books
119 Mannequin Two: On the Move (1991
Source Books
120 Marco (1973
Source Books
121 Marco Polo (1962
Source Books
122 Marco the Magnificent (1965
Source Books
123 Marketa Lazarová (1967) BFI
124 Martin Luther (1953
Source Books
125 Mary of Scotland (1936
Source Books
126 Mary, Queen of Scots (1971
Source Books
127 Masque of the Red Death (1989
Source Books
128 Melisende Historum
129 Men of Sherwood Forest (1954
Source Books
130 Merlin Ranker
131 Mohammad, Messenger of God/The Message (1977
Source Books
132 Mongol (2007)
Bright Ideas Press
133 Omar Khayyam (1957
Source Books
134 Optiow Historum
135 Perceval le Gallois (1978
Source Books
136 pinguin Historum
137 Ponzio Pilato (1962
Source Books
138 Prince of Foxes (1949
Source Books
139 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) IMDB
140 Prince Valiant (1954
Source Books
141 Prisoner of the Volga (1960
Source Books
142 Queen Margot (1954
Source Books
143 Quest for the True Cross
The Templar Knight
144 Ran (1985) BFI
145 Red Cliff (2008)
Bright Ideas Press
146 Rembrandt (1936
Source Books
147 Rembrandt (1999
Source Books
148 Revenge of the Gladiators (1965
Source Books
149 Richard III (1912
Source Books
150 Richard III (1955
Source Books
151 Robin and Marian (1976
Source Books
152 Robin Hood: Men in Tights Ranker
153 Rome (2005–2007) IMDB
154 Romeo and Juliet (1968
Source Books
155 Romero (1989
Source Books
156 See List of all Joan of Arc Movies, with film clips. [At SMU]
Source Books
157 Seven Seas to Calais (1962
Source Books
158 Seventh Seal
The Templar Knight
159 Sign of the Gladiator (1959
Source Books
160 Sign of the Pagan (1954
Source Books
161 Simón del desierto (1965
Source Books
162 Son of Cathal Historum
163 Spartacus (1960)
Bright Ideas Press
164 Spartacus: War of the Damned
Gamers Decide
165 Stealing Heaven (1988
Source Books
166 Sword in the Stone Ranker
167 Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960
Source Books
168 Tempest (1959
Source Books
169 Teodora (1913
Source Books
170 Teodora Imperatice Di Bisanzio (1954
Source Books
171 The Advocate [Alt: The Hour of the Pig] US (1994
Source Books
172 The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965
Source Books
173 The Black Rose (1950
Source Books
174 The Black Shield of Falworth (1954
Source Books
175 The Bruce (1996
Source Books
176 The Canterbury Tales (1971
Source Books
177 The Conqueror (1956
Source Books
178 The Court Jester (1956)
History Of European Fashion
179 The Crusades (1935
Source Books
180 The Decameron (1970
Source Books
181 The Emperor and the Assassin (1999
Source Books
182 The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964
Source Books
183 The Fighting Prince of Donegal (1966
Source Books
184 The Flame and the Arrow (1950
Source Books
185 The Golden Horde (1951
Source Books
186 The Green Glove (1952
Source Books
187 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) IMDB
188 The Incredible Adventures of Marco Polo (1998
Source Books
189 The Jester’s Daughter Historum
190 The Juniper Tree (1987
Source Books
191 The King’s Whore (1990
Source Books
192 The Last Roman (1968
Source Books
193 The Legend of the Suram Fortess aka Ambavi Suramis tsikhitsa (1984
Source Books
194 The Long Ships (1964
Source Books
195 The Man in the Iron Mask (1998) Medium
196 The Merchant of Venice (2004)
The Cinemaholic
197 The Mission (1986
Source Books
198 The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (1988
Source Books
199 The Norseman (1978
Source Books
200 The Pillars of the Earth Ranker
201 The Prince of Thieves (1948
Source Books
202 The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939
Source Books
203 The Rapture (1991
Source Books
204 The Return of Martin Guerre, The (1982
Source Books
205 The Robe (1953
Source Books
206 The Romance of Astrea and Celadon (2007) BFI
207 The Silk Road (1992
Source Books
208 The Silver Chalice (1954
Source Books
209 The Sword and the Rose (1953
Source Books
210 The Ten Commandments (1956)
Bright Ideas Press
211 The Three Musketeers (2011) IMDB
212 The Viking (1928
Source Books
213 The Viking Queen (1967
Source Books
214 The Viking Sagas (1995
Source Books
215 The Vikings (1958
Source Books
216 The Virgin Queen (1955
Source Books
217 The Virgin Spring (1959
Source Books
218 The War Lord
The Templar Knight
219 The Warrior and the Slave Girl (1958
Source Books
220 Theodora (1912
Source Books
221 Theodora (1919
Source Books
222 Theodora, Imperatice Di Bizanzio (1909
Source Books
223 Time Bandits (1981
Source Books
224 Timeline Ranker
225 Tsar Ivan Groznyj (1991
Source Books
226 Tudor Rose (1936
Source Books
227 Viking Women and the Sea Serpent (1957
Source Books
228 Vikings Ranker
229 Willow Ranker
230 Wrath of the Titans (2012) IMDB


14 Best Medieval Film Sources/Lists



Source Article
About History Ranking The Best Medieval Movies of All Time | About History
BFI 10 great films set in the middle ages | BFI
Bright Ideas Press Top Ten Family Movie Night Movies Set in Ancient and Medieval Times
Gamers Decide Top 25 Best Medieval Movies Ranked From Good To Best | GAMERS …
Games Radar The 20 best Medieval movies to watch and stream now | GamesRadar+
Historum Best Films/Documentaries on the Medieval Time Period? – Historum …
History Of European Fashion Medieval Movies…and their Accuracy | History of Costume
IMDB Best films about Ancient and Medieval times – IMDb
Medium Some of the Best Medieval Times Movies – avacoby31 – Medium
Ranker Best Medieval Movies | List of Films Set in Medieval Times – Ranker
Source Books Medieval History in the Movies – Internet History Sourcebooks Project
The Cinemaholic Medieval Movies | 12 Best Films About Medieval Times – The …
The Templar Knight Top Ten movies about the Middle Ages | The Templar Knight
Watch Mojo Top 10 Medieval Movies | WatchMojo.com