Film

Centurion

Name: Centurion
Genre: Adventure, Action, Drama
Released: 2010
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Olga Kurylenko, David Morrissey, Liam Cunningham, Dominic West

Action
Western
Very dark

Centurion is a brutal, kinetic take on Rome's Ninth Legion, swallowed by the Scottish Highlands. Director Neil Marshall wrings genuine tension from sparse dialogue and landscape dread. It's a pursuit film dressed as historical drama—lean, furious, and utterly indifferent to comfort. For anyone who loves visceral action and doesn't need their sword-swinging to be dignified.

TMDb rating

3.1

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like lean, muddy survival stories where the fight scenes are brutal, quick and rooted in exhaustion rather than spectacle, in the spirit of Neil Marshall's Dog Soldiers.

Skip it if you want a grand, sweeping epic with stately pacing and lots of political intrigue; this one is a scrappy chase through wet forests and rarely lingers on anything but the next fight.

What it asks of you: It runs under ninety minutes and rarely pauses, so you need to stay alert through the rain and mud, with violence that arrives abruptly and stays grim.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Eagle2011

A more elegant treatment of the same legend: a centurion and slave search for the lost Ninth Legion. Tighter plotting, stronger character work, and Channing Tatum's surprising emotional depth make this the grown-up sibling.

But It trades Centurion's raw kinetic fury for measured historical drama, which some will find slower and more conventional.

Valhalla Rising2010

Another Marshall-adjacent odyssey through hostile landscape with minimal dialogue. Mads Mikkelsen's wordless warrior, hallucinogenic dread, and total visual commitment—a true outlier that rewards patience and punishes comfort.

But Deliberately obscure and glacial. If you want clarity and momentum throughout, this will feel like wading through molasses.

Braveheart1995

The historical-action blockbuster that taught everyone else how it's done. Mel Gibson as William Wallace, quotable dialogue, rousing battles, and genuine emotional stakes. A masterclass in how to make mud and claymores matter.

But The historical accuracy is... creative. And it's long enough that you'll want to commit to it fully.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Centurion

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan1982

Both are pursuit films about armies and honor where the landscape becomes a character and the antagonist nearly wins through sheer will.

It's a pursuit across hostile terrain where the landscape itself is weaponized and the hunter becomes the hunted. No time for breath or sentiment—just action, strategy, and the cold calculus of survival. Khan and Virilus are cousins: brilliant, implacable, losing their way.

But It's science fiction disguised as ancient warfare, which some find jarring. And it moves at Star Trek pace, not action-thriller pace.

The Last Kingdom2015

A Saxon warrior caught between his birth and his oath. BBC/Netflix's multilayered storytelling across five seasons, real stakes, and a protagonist learning to bridge two worlds. Far smarter than the premise suggests.

But The first season is shakier than what follows. And it's a proper commitment—five full seasons, not a lean 97 minutes.

Dunkirk2017

Nolan's pursuit-and-survival film uses landscape and clock pressure the way Marshall uses them here. Minimal exposition, maximum dread, and the Channel itself becomes an enemy. A masterwork of tension over explanation.

But Deliberately fragmented structure frustrates some viewers. And it's far more ambitious formally than you might want from an evening's entertainment.

Outlaw King2018

Chris Pine as Robert the Bruce in muddy, hand-to-hand medieval warfare. A bruising film that doesn't flinch from the cost of freedom or the work of reclaiming a kingdom. Visually stunning and genuinely earned.

But Netflix production values sometimes show. And it's a revenge cycle, not an adventure—darker and more grinding than cathartic.

Northmen: A Viking Saga2014

Stranded Viking warriors trek through hostile wilderness. Solid action, lived-in peril, and an ensemble that has to trust each other or die. Less polished than Centurion but similarly committed to the dirt.

But It's genuinely minor—perfectly competent but without moments that stick. A good night in, not a film you'll be thinking about next week.

The Dark Ages2007

An overlooked gem about survival in hostile territory during the Anglo-Saxon period. Raw, unglamorous, and lean on dialogue the way Marshall likes. Builds real dread from isolation and desperation.

But Very low budget shows. Limited distribution means it can be hard to track down, and some performances are rough around the edges.

Barbarian2022

A pursuit film across ancient Britain with genuine surprises and commitment to its own logic. If you loved Centurion's willingness to go dark and strange, this indie film has more ideas than budget but swings for the fences.

But The third act turns entirely into a different film. Some will love the tonal shift; others will feel betrayed by what they signed up for.

The Holy Mountain1973

Both send their warrior through impossible terrain as a form of spiritual reckoning. Both use the landscape as judgment and ordeal.

Jodorowsky's surreal odyssey through symbolic wasteland toward an unreachable goal. Like Centurion stripped of plot and refilled with nightmare logic. Visually overwhelming and absolutely committed to its own strangeness—a film that operates on pure mood and image.

But It's deliberately obscure, deliberately slow, and deliberately hostile to narrative. If you want plot and resolution, this will feel like punishment.

Come and See1985

Both use harsh landscape and relentless forward motion to strip their protagonists of identity and comfort. Both refuse to look away from what violence actually does.

A Soviet masterpiece following a boy soldier through the hell of Nazi invasion. Unblinking, utterly committed, and genuinely unbearable in the best way. Like Centurion if Centurion decided to make you *feel* the actual cost of war rather than thrill to it.

But It's a trauma film about atrocity and the obliteration of innocence. Not entertainment. One of the most difficult films ever made and meant to be endured, not enjoyed.