With Game of Thrones working through it’s fifth season and Thor helping the Avengers level entire cities in Avengers: Age of Ultron, it’s easy to see that the public has a thing for dudes in suits of armor.
But where to go when you’ve seen Age of Ultron twice already and you’ve ran through all the Game of Thrones episodes on your friend’s HBO Go? Luckily, there’s a glut of knight movies scattered across the internet that allow you to get your sword and stream-ery on. (I’m not sorry.)
Dragonheart (Amazon)
We’re going to wean you off of Game of Thrones nice and easy. This 1996 film might be a bit removed from the gore-splattered imagination of George R.R. Martin, but it does have dragons.
Dragonheart follows a knight named Bowen (Dennis Quaid) and a dragon named Draco (voiced by Sean Connery) as they work out a scheme to defraud villagers with staged dragon-slayings. None of that sounds very heroic, but eventually, Bowen is charged with taking down a tyrannical king that he mentored as a child.Whether or not you think this one is great will depend heavily on how old you were in 1996 and how cool you think it is that a dragon sounds like James Bond.
Whether or not you think this one is great will depend heavily on how old you were in 1996 and how cool you think it is that a dragon sounds like James Bond.
Knights Of Badassdom (Netflix)
I hope you’re ready, because this is the last link we’ll have to the world of Game of Thrones. This film follows a group of LARP-ers (including Steve Zahn and Peter Dinklage) who head off into the woods to go fake-stab each other.
Things take a turn for the worse when they accidentally summon a succubus and havoc ensues.
Braveheart (Amazon)
I don’t need to tell you the plot of Braveheart, do I?
This movie features a top-of-his-game Mel Gibson as 13th century Scottish hero William Wallace. Wallace leads an army of Scots against King Edward I in a fight for independence from the crown.
This 1995 flick (which was also directed by Gibson) won five Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director.
Kingdom of Heaven (Amazon)
Keep scratching that “slightly historical epic” itch with Ridley Scott’s 2005 film Kingdom of Heaven. The film follows a Frenchman whose dream of fighting in the Crusades becomes all too real.
Monty Python and The Holy Grail (iTunes)
Movies about knights can be overstuffed with seriousness, so feel free to switch to this Monty Python classic any time you need to brighten the mood.
Bonus points: At home you don’t have to deal with nerds shouting over every line.
Knights of the Round Table (Amazon)
A classic that just about every knight movie that followed owes a debt of gratitude to. If you’ve got a box of wine and want to bring a little class to your knight movie marathon, this story of King Arthur and his titular knights should do the trick.
This 1954 film was directed by Richard Thorpe and stars Old Hollywood titans Robert Taylor and Ava Gardner.
Ivanhoe (Amazon)
The first movie from the director-actor duo of Richard Thorpe and Robert Taylor was undoubtedly more lively than those that followed. Ivanhoe follows the exploits of William of Ivanhoe (Taylor) as he attempts to retrieve the kidnaped King of England.
This 1952 film pops off the screen in Technicolor and is the perfect movie to keep your knight-watching classy while not nodding off.
A Knight’s Tale (Hulu)
This Heath Ledger film has a tendency to be a bit divisive. It tells the story of a peasant named William Thatcher who pretends to be a knight to compete in jousting tournaments.
This movie is a lot of fun if you’re willing to accept it on its own terms. Those who don’t like campy musical numbers and numerous nods at the present-day audience should steer clear.
Excalibur (Amazon)
Getting back to more serious fare, Excalibur tells the story of Camelot with Nigel Terry as Arthur. While this 1981 movie can be a bit of a mess plot-wise, it’s easily one of the most visually striking films on the list.
Highlander (Hulu)
We started with Sean Connery and we’re going to go out on Sean Connery.
Highlander is a classic example of ‘80s excess starring Christopher Lambert as an immortal knight fighting for his life against his fellow immortals. It also has a soundtrack largely composed of Queen tracks and Connery inexplicably playing a Spaniard.
It is great.
