Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- visceral
- flamboyant
- darkly sensual
- fantasy movie night
- epic action marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film to be visually groundbreaking and highly entertaining, while remaining divided over its liberties with the source material and uneven dramatic depth.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The central human performances are created through motion capture, with Ray Winstone, Angelina Jolie, and Anthony Hopkins translated into a digitally rendered medieval world.
Beowulf's boastfulness, vanity, and later confrontation with the consequences of his earlier choices shape his second heroic ordeal.
The story is explicitly set against the coming of Christianity while centering Norse demons, monsters, kingship, and ritual mead-hall culture.
Roger Avary and Neil Gaiman reshape the Beowulf poem around expanded motivations, temptation, and a more psychologically conflicted hero.
Films like Beowulf, and why
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
shares medieval fantasy adventure, heroic combat, mythic creatures, and large-scale visual spectacle
300
shares sword and sorcery, legendary heroism, brutal monster battles, and heightened fantasy world-building
The Polar Express
shares motion-capture animation, dark fairy-tale atmosphere, and visually ambitious fantasy adventure
The Northman
shares Norse-inspired mythology, royal dynastic conflict, and tragic heroic themes
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Zemeckis
- Release Date
- 2007-11-05
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (3168)
Cast
- Ray Winstone
- Angelina Jolie
- Anthony Hopkins
- John Malkovich
- Robin Wright
- Brendan Gleeson
- Crispin Glover
- Alison Lohman
- Paul Baker
- John Bilezikjian
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Beowulf about?
- A boastful Geat warrior battles monsters and the burden of his own legend in a visually audacious motion-capture retelling of the ancient epic.
- What is Beowulf like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Beowulf as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Beowulf violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Beowulf as graphic.
- What did critics think of Beowulf?
- Critics broadly found the film to be visually groundbreaking and highly entertaining, while remaining divided over its liberties with the source material and uneven dramatic depth.
- Which films are like Beowulf?
- Films with a similar feel include The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, 300, The Polar Express, and The Northman.
- How long is Beowulf?
- Beowulf runs 115 minutes.
- Where can I watch Beowulf?
- In United States, Beowulf is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
