← Back to results
Flesh + Blood
1985 126 min Netherlands, Spain R 16+
★7.0
Adventure, Drama
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
A band of medieval mercenaries take revenge on a noble Lord who stiffs them by kidnapping the betrothed of the noble's son. As the plague and warfare cut a swathe of destruction throughout the land, the mercenaries hole up in a castle and await their fate.
Budget:
$6.5M
Worldwide:
$100,000
Starring
Rutger Hauer
Actor
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Actor
Tom Burlinson
Actor
Awards
2 wins & 1 nomination total
Key opinion
Flesh + Blood is a gritty, uncompromising medieval epic that stands out for its bold, naturalistic depiction of the period and its morally complex characters. While its relentless, violent, and vulgar tone is polarizing, the film is widely regarded as a visually daring and visceral piece of cinema that avoids conventional heroism.
| Acting | Rutger Hauer delivers an iconic, charismatic performance that effectively anchors the film's gritty atmosphere. | |
| Production | The production design and cinematography create an immersive, historically evocative sense of medieval filth, decay, and survival. | |
| Theme | The film deliberately eschews moral archetypes, presenting a world of complex, deeply flawed, and unpredictable characters. | |
| Pacing | The graphic, visceral depiction of violence and survival is viewed by some as an honest, bold stylistic choice, while others find the persistent pessimism and brutality exhausting. | |
| Runtime | The two-hour runtime is considered excessive by some, who argue that the film’s narrative could have been tightened without losing its impact. |