Shadow of the Sword
Central Europe, early 16th century: two childhood friends, Martin & Georg, find themselves on rival sides of a religious war with both of them struggling to do the right thing.
Top Cast
-
Steven Berkoff
Inquisitor
-
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Martin
-
Julie Cox
Margaretha
-
Lili Gesler
Librarian's daughter
-
Anastasia Griffith
Anna
-
Maria Hofstätter
Maria
-
Virág Bárány
Margaretha's Maid
-
Patrick Godfrey
Bertram
-
Lee Ingleby
Bernhard
Overview
Central Europe, early 16th century: two childhood friends, Martin & Georg, find themselves on rival sides of a religious war with both of them struggling to do the right thing.
Rating
5.8
/ 10
32 Reviews 1 Popular
1 Reviews
-
CinemaSerf6 Aug 2, 2025Ok, so the writing and much of the acting do rather let this down, but it has assembled a surprisingly decent cast and the standard of the production is really fairly good for what must have been a fairly low-budget affair. It’s all about two lads who were separated at a young age. One - “Georg” (Peter McDonald) is headed for holy orders, the other “Martin” (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is seconded into the military service of the emperor. Years pass and events now dictate that the former man be the prior in a small town where the latter is sent - as it’s executioner. John Shrapnel is probably the most lauded Thespian in this drama, but his role of the bishop is predictable and undercooked suggesting he only had one or two filming days to give this. Steven Berkoff is here too, but he is nowhere near his maniacal best as the menacingly titled “inquisitor” and at just short of two hours, it all takes far too long to get anywhere near the sharp end of it’s blade. Aesthetically, it does look good and it does give us a sense of the mud-strewn life lived by a population that lived in fear of a church that was very much of the “do as I say, not as I do” frame of mind and you like the genre then it’s a sort of “Cadfael” with gore, - and I didn’t hate it.
Recommendations
Noreno, a half-Roman, is entrusted with the mission of crossing the snowy mountains of Armenia, swarming with Parthian patrols, to seek help for his slowly dying men.
The Legion
6.2 2020
When an evil contractor goes to extreme measures to evict a testy tenant who is standing in the way of his new project, he fails to take into account that this seemingly harmless old woman is a trained killer and will do anything to protect her beloved home.
The Last Stand of Ellen Cole
7.8 2024
Waking up in an unfamiliar city, a man with no memory must confront the mysteries of his own identity. However, his desperate search to uncover the past pits him against a powerful enemy, leading to a showdown that ultimately reveals the truth.
Man with No Past
6.5 2025
In feudal India, a warrior who renounces his role as the longtime enforcer to a local lord becomes the prey in a murderous hunt through the Himalayan mountains.
The Warrior
6.3 2001
Faced with the suspicious death of their father, two brothers must motivate one another to get back on their bikes and take the Las Vegas Motocross Championships by storm.
Supercross
6.3 2005
A U.S. Army Captain uses her years of tactical training to save humanity from sixteen nuclear missiles launched at the U.S. as a violent attack threatens her remote missile interceptor station.
Interceptor
6.0 2022
A former DEA agent and a former undercover operative revisit their romance during a fateful weekend in Taipei, unaware of the dangerous consequences of their past.
Weekend in Taipei
6.4 2024
After a mission goes wrong, only one of a group of mercenaries is left alive to avenge his fallen brothers.
Hounds of War
6.3 2024
Follows a pair of siblings who love but distrust each other as they embark on a white-water rafting trip with a small group. One of their friends from childhood turns out to be more dangerous than he appears.
River Wild
6.3 2023
Hiding out with his son Taylor on the Mexican coast, Nero hopes to put his violent Special Forces career behind him. But after Nero’s home is attacked and Taylor is abducted, the mysterious Mzamo orders Nero to slaughter the members of three rival crime syndicates. If he fails, Taylor will die. Now, with bullets flying and bodies dropping as Nero completes his mission, he races to find Mzamo’s hideout and seek revenge.
Seized
6.7 2020