10 Best Medieval War Movies

Though it’s unlikely that you’ll find Jonathan English’s Ironclad listed as one of the greatest war films ever made, this critically underwhelming outing is nevertheless a gore-splattered medieval romp guaranteed to keep you thoroughly entertained – as long as you don’t get bogged down too much in the historical accuracy, that is.

Set just after the signing of the Magna Carta, this film sees Paul Giamatti star as the notorious King John as he attempts to capture Rochester Castle from a group of rebellious barons.

For those unfamiliar with English history, the real-life King John, brother of King Richard I and depicted as the villainous lion in Disney’s Robin Hood, was disliked by his countrymen so much for his greed and cruelty that he was ultimately forced to sign the Magna Carta by his barons after they rebelled. This historic treaty would give these barons more rights and go on to become incorporated in English law.

However, if all this historical politics and feudalism sounds rather dull, don’t worry because Ironclad doesn’t concern itself much with that. Instead it gives audiences plenty of visceral action sequences that you'd expect from the genre.