Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- bleak
- visceral
- erotic
- cult movie night
- historical cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics increasingly value the film as a visceral cult favorite for its morally bleak, violent, and sexually charged depiction of early modern Europe, despite its harshness and lack of a conventional hero.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The plague, warfare, mud, hunger, and coercive violence make the period feel materially harsh and morally corrupt.
Martin's mercenaries, the noble lord, the prince, and the church figures all act through betrayal, force, or opportunism.
Agnes's abduction and coerced relationship with Martin are embedded in the mercenaries' broader struggle for control.
Sword fights, plague imagery, nudity, and graphic physical degradation are staged with Verhoeven's confrontational excess.
Films like Flesh + Blood, and why
The Name of the Rose
brutal historical adventure, moral ambiguity, and visceral depictions of medieval warfare
The Last Duel
grim period violence, plague-era atmosphere, and cynical treatment of religious and political power
The Devils
sexually charged historical drama with ruthless power struggles and an anti-romantic worldview
Ironclad
muddy medieval setting, graphic violence, and morally compromised protagonists
Movie Details
- Director
- Paul Verhoeven
- Release Date
- 1985-08-30
- Runtime
- 126 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (455)
Cast
- Rutger Hauer
- Jennifer Jason Leigh
- Tom Burlinson
- Jack Thompson
- Susan Tyrrell
- Ronald Lacey
- Brion James
- John Dennis Johnston
- Bruno Kirby
- Fernando Hilbeck
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus
- 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 Flesh + Blood about?
- A mercenary revolt spirals into a plague-ridden medieval nightmare where revenge, desire, and survival erase the boundary between victim and captor.
- What is Flesh + Blood like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Flesh + Blood as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Flesh + Blood violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Flesh + Blood as graphic.
- What did critics think of Flesh + Blood?
- Critics increasingly value the film as a visceral cult favorite for its morally bleak, violent, and sexually charged depiction of early modern Europe, despite its harshness and lack of a conventional hero.
- Which films are like Flesh + Blood?
- Films with a similar feel include The Name of the Rose, The Last Duel, The Devils, and Ironclad.
- How long is Flesh + Blood?
- Flesh + Blood runs 126 minutes.
- Where can I watch Flesh + Blood?
- In United States, Flesh + Blood streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus.
