Outlaw King Review: 7 Ups & 2 Downs

5. The Epic, Brutal Battle Scenes

Though there's not a ton of action in the movie, the battle scenes certainly live up to the hype, with their unflinching, unrepentant approach to violence and agreeably diverse visuals.

The obvious highlight of the film is the climactic battle between Bruce's Scottish army and Edward II's (Billy Howle) English army, a stomach-churningly bloody affair that doesn't skimp away from showing both man and animal alike being impaled, hacked to pieces and generally savaged.

That's not to forget some of the other gnarly beats earlier in the movie, namely some of William Wallace's dismembered remains making a quick cameo, and one of Bruce's relatives receiving one of the most jaw-droppingly realistic disembowellings ever put on screen.

The battles clearly account for most of the film's blockbuster-sized budget, and Mackenzie does a wonderful job making them both highly entertaining and often shockingly brutal.