70
Medieval succeeds as a lively, handsome chunk of history (however freely imagined), with nary a dull moment between densely-packed intrigues, chases and battles.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
40
The New York Times by Jeannette Catsoulis
On land and underwater, the verisimilitude of the violence is numbing.
50
The Seattle Times by Katie Walsh
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.
33
Jákl’s film is precisely as generic as its title would suggest, and what little there is to recommend is buried under a mountain of tedium
78
Austin Chronicle by Matthew Monagle
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.
50
It’s all perfectly workmanlike, save for the fights, which are splendid. If Medieval Times are your jam (as they are mine), Medieval is worth a look and almost entertaining enough to get by.
60
We Got This Covered by Scott Campbell
Medieval works best when it throws dirt, mud, blood, and body parts at the screen, with the crunching battle scenes just about overcoming the narrative shortcomings.
38
RogerEbert.com by Simon Abrams
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.
75
The violence in Medieval is fast, frequent and fierce and could possibly be the film's biggest draw. History might be the film's initial hook, but it's the movie's grisly depictions of military violence that the film will likely be remembered.
65
Medieval struggles as a work of historical fiction, but when the action mounts, it’s immersive and exciting.