Overview
A young squire rises to knighthood in a quest for glory and love.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- irreverent
- romantic
- fun movie night
- date night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film spirited and entertaining but considered its anachronisms divisive and its underdog story predictable.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Modern songs, including David Bowie's "Golden Years," accompany jousting and courtly scenes in medieval England.
William persuades Chaucer to create genealogy documents that present him as a knight despite lacking proper pedigree.
William enters the country's jousting competitions to establish himself against aristocratic rivals such as Count Adhemar.
The plot follows William's rise through repeated jousting contests, rivalry, setbacks, and public tests of worth.
Films like A Knight's Tale, and why
The Mask of Zorro
Shared swashbuckling adventure, romantic rivalry, social mobility, and playful revisionism of historical settings.
The Three Musketeers
Shared upbeat period adventure, class-crossing romance, tournament spectacle, and charismatic comic energy.
Rocky
Shared underdog competition structure, comic momentum, romance, and a determined outsider challenging an entrenched rival.
Moulin Rouge!
Shared romantic historical adventure, anachronistic humor, and exuberant visual and musical style.
Movie Details
- Director
- Brian Helgeland
- Release Date
- 2001-05-11
- Runtime
- 133 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (3517)
Cast
- Heath Ledger
- Rufus Sewell
- Shannyn Sossamon
- Paul Bettany
- Laura Fraser
- Mark Addy
- Alan Tudyk
- Bérénice Bejo
- Scott Handy
- James Purefoy
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- 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 A Knight's Tale about?
- A spirited medieval underdog reinvents himself as a knight and rides through jousting rivalries, forged identity, friendship, and romance to claim a place among the nobility.
- What is A Knight's Tale like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Knight's Tale as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is A Knight's Tale violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in A Knight's Tale as mild.
- What did critics think of A Knight's Tale?
- Critics generally found the film spirited and entertaining but considered its anachronisms divisive and its underdog story predictable.
- Which films are like A Knight's Tale?
- Films with a similar feel include The Mask of Zorro, The Three Musketeers, Rocky, and Moulin Rouge!.
- How long is A Knight's Tale?
- A Knight's Tale runs 133 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Knight's Tale?
- In United States, A Knight's Tale streams on YouTube TV.
