aronharde

Like I mentioned in the headline, I did not read the classic novel by Mikhail Bulgakov and therefore had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into by watching this movie. The rating was very high and the few pictures and scenes I had seen looked great, so I thought I would give it a try.

It is quite hard to describe the plot of this movie because there are several time jumps and different stories being told. It was quite confusing at first, but overall I managed to follow most of the scenes, apart from a few connections. The cinematography is absolutely amazing and probably the standout aspect the movie has to offer. There are lots of great shots and well-executed scenes. The acting was also very convincing and the cast did a great job.

However, apart from these technical aspects that were definitely high quality, I think the movie had many scenes and moments that were still quite hard to follow. The film is quite strange and includes many scenes that felt out of place, random, and unrealistic overall. If I had read the book beforehand, these scenes might have made complete sense, but since I did not, I think the movie is a very tough watch without any knowledge of the novel.

The film has received lots of praise from people who have read Bulgakov's story and are happy that it seems to be a successful adaptation. However, I believe it should also be able to entertain viewers who are not familiar with the book. So my advice is that if you are familiar with the novel, this movie is probably a great watch and worth spending two and a half hours on. If you are not, you should think twice about investing that much time in a story that may not make much sense to you in the end, just like it did not for me. [4.4/10]

Even though I love medieval fantasy movies with a little horror sprinkled in, my expectations were very limited for this one. The poster looks rather unexciting, and the ratings are quite low at the moment. You could already tell that the movie did not have much of a budget. However, the cast and crew behind this flick managed to deliver a decently enjoyable film that looks quite good and manages to entertain throughout.

Despite my overall enjoyment, there are clearly some flaws. The editing is a little poor at times, and the pacing does not quite flow, which harms the storytelling. The story itself was enjoyable and fairly unique, and it actually convinced me that I would watch a second part if there ever is one, which I doubt. The movie features some decent gore, and the witches, demons, and other evil beings looked fantastic, especially considering the limited budget.

The acting from the two main protagonists was good and believable, and their characters were written well enough for me to root for them and enjoy their screen presence. This is definitely not a top-tier medieval fantasy film, but considering the limited resources, they really created something impressive. I certainly had a good time watching it, so if you are into this kind of movie, you should definitely give A Knight's War a try.

Also, it appears there are quite a few fake reviews that gave the movie ten stars, which are sadly countered by many people disliking those reviews. This makes it seem like the movie is not worth watching. Ignore the fake reviews and check the profiles of the people who wrote them to see if they are genuine viewers who simply enjoy these kinds of flicks without ruining them through fake reviews. [5.9/10]

The movie has a rather slow start and takes some time to get used to the characters and the situation they find themselves in, but once it gets going, it is actually quite entertaining. The humor mostly works, using a mix of slapstick elements and one-liners that are quite funny. It really reminded me of The Parenting (2025) and probably makes for a great double feature, since both are horror comedies featuring a gay couple as protagonists and have similarly enjoyable humor.

However, this movie does not fully succeed, and the dragging first act is especially tiresome to get through. The protagonists find themselves in a situation that immediately makes you think about what you would do, and while their actions were frustrating at first, I quickly realized that the film is not aiming for realism. The slapstick humor and silliness are front and center, and trying to apply too much logic would ruin the experience.

The movie also reminded me of Tucker & Dale vs. Evil due to the similar tone and some overlapping plot elements. I do not want to directly compare the two since Tucker & Dale is definitely the stronger film in terms of quality and comedy, but this still felt like a little love letter to that kind of horror comedy, which is rare to see these days.

The chemistry between Andrew Rannells and Nick Kroll is not perfect but still works well enough. I was a bit disappointed that Amanda Seyfried only had a minor role, as I would have loved to see more of her. At first, I was also let down by the lack of gore, and I still think the movie would have benefitted from more of it, but there is enough blood and carnage to satisfy horror fans like me.

Overall, this is a decent horror comedy with some good laughs. It is not really meant to scare but rather to entertain, and for the most part, I was entertained. [5.8/10]