10 Best Movies Set in the Middle Ages

Historians still take issue with the kilts and many inaccuracies, but Braveheart's emotional impact is unmatched. Mel Gibson directed and starred in this epic about Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace. It won five Oscars and set the standard for how battles should be filmed. James Horner's iconic score, the ruthless combat and the famous cry for freedom make it the absolute number one, a film that breathes passion and hasn't lost any of its power after thirty years.

An important warning: only watch the Director's Cut. The theatrical version was a mess, but the three-hour-plus version is a masterpiece. Orlando Bloom plays Balian, a blacksmith who travels to Jerusalem during the Crusades. The film offers a nuanced look at religious fanaticism and shows the respect between the city's defenders and the Muslim leader Saladin. With spectacular sieges and a deep script, it's one of the best works of Ridley Scott's impressive career.

The definitive film of the King Arthur legend. With gleaming armor, mystical mist and Wagner's bombastic music, John Boorman created a visual spectacle that's still unmatched. With early roles for greats like Liam Neeson and Patrick Stewart, it feels like a mythical opera. Its modest budget was used to the fullest to create an atmosphere of decay and magic, influencing everything that came after, from Game of Thrones to The Lord of the Rings.

At 83, Ridley Scott proved he still masters the genre down to the last detail. The film tells the true story of the last officially sanctioned duel in France in 1386. Using three different perspectives, the truth behind a brutal crime is slowly unraveled. Despite disappointing box office, it was praised for its strong performances and raw final fight. Jodie Comer is especially impressive as the moral center, and the duel may be one of the most brutal and realistic fights ever filmed.

Not a standard action hero story, but a visual fever dream from A24. Dev Patel plays Sir Gawain, an unproven knight who accepts a deadly challenge from a mysterious green being. Based on a 14th-century poem, it explores honor and mortality. David Lowery opts for a slow pace and beautiful, surreal images that hypnotize the viewer. A medieval art film showing how dark the old sagas really are once you strip away Hollywood gloss. Not for everyone, but a unique experience.

Made on a laughably low budget of around 400,000 dollars, this became one of the most quoted comedies ever. Monty Python turn the legend of King Arthur completely inside out. With no money for real horses, the actors used coconuts for the sound, instantly one of the most iconic gags in film history. From the Black Knight who fights on without limbs to the killer rabbit, it's pure comic anarchy.

In this gripping mystery, Sean Connery plays a kind of medieval Sherlock Holmes. Based on Umberto Eco's bestseller, it follows the monk William of Baskerville as he investigates a series of bizarre deaths in an Italian abbey. The film breathes religious fanaticism and the cold reality of the 14th century. With a young Christian Slater, it's a masterful combination of detective story and historical drama in which the struggle between knowledge and faith feels tangible.

Brian Helgeland took a gamble by combining rock music by Queen and David Bowie with 14th-century jousting, and it paid off brilliantly. Heath Ledger shines as William Thatcher, a commoner who poses as a knight to win glory. A celebration of following your dreams that breaks all the dusty conventions of the genre, it feels like a pop concert in the mud. Paul Bettany as a gambling-addicted Geoffrey Chaucer steals every scene he's in. Wonderfully unpretentious entertainment.

Kevin Costner barely attempted an English accent, yet the film was a huge success, grossing around 390 million dollars worldwide. Still, he isn't the reason we keep watching: the real star is Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham, a perfect mix of sadism and humor, with much of his legendary dialogue reworked by himself. With an iconic soundtrack and a memorable Sean Connery cameo, it remains the ultimate Sherwood Forest adventure.

Forget shiny armor and romantic poetry: Ironclad is dirty, raw and relentless. Set in 1215, a small group of rebels led by a Templar (James Purefoy) defends Rochester Castle against the vengeful King John. Director Jonathan English chose an approach in which you can almost feel every sword blow. It wasn't a big commercial hit, but it became a cult favorite for its brutal, realistic portrayal of medieval warfare.