Film

First Knight

Name: First Knight
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance
Released: 1995
Cast: Sean Connery, Richard Gere, Julia Ormond, Ben Cross, Liam Cunningham

Period drama

A 1995 gloss on Arthurian legend that prioritizes romance and swordplay over mythology. Sean Connery's aging Arthur watches Richard Gere's Lancelot seduce both his kingdom and his wife. It's visually handsome, emotionally straightforward, occasionally silly—a date-night film that doesn't ask much but delivers what it promises.

TMDb rating

3.1

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like big, handsome costume epics where a love triangle carries the weight and the swordplay is there to punctuate the romance rather than drive it.

Skip it if you want the Arthurian legend treated with grit or mythic strangeness, since this version is polished, sentimental and happy to trade lore for glossy romance and a rousing finish.

What it asks of you: Settle in for over two hours of unhurried talk between sword fights, with the emotional beats spelled out clearly and the mood kept warm rather than bleak.

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

If you liked this

Rob Roy1995

Liam Neeson in a similar period-action-romance about a man defending honour against a more powerful enemy. Grittier and more morally complex than First Knight, with better swordplay and real emotional stakes.

But It's slower and darker, with less of the glossy romance. If you want spectacle and swooning, this trades those for mud and Scottish theology.

Excalibur1981

John Boorman's operatic take on Arthur—hallucinogenic, lavish, genuinely mythic. It takes the legend seriously as legend. Connery himself appears, and the whole film crackles with visual invention.

But It's bizarre and deliberately mannered. The dialogue often sounds like incantation. If First Knight felt too tidy, this will feel almost hostile to narrative sense.

The Princess Bride1987

Swordplay, romance, and adventure told with wit and warmth. It has everything First Knight reaches for—daring escapes, true love, heroic sword-fighting—but executed with genuine craft and humour.

But It's a fairy tale, not trying for realism at all. If you want historical texture and solemnity, this embraces the absurd instead.

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail1975

Both take the Arthur story seriously as material worth investing in, but where First Knight plays it straight, this asks what happens if you remove the reverence and keep only the shape.

The Arthurian legend as absurdist comedy—knights, quests, and impossible logic. It's formally inventive, genuinely hilarious, and proves the myth is flexible enough for any register. A masterpiece of its kind.

But It's anarchic and deliberately stupid. If you want reverence for the legend, this demolishes it with a rubber chicken. Absolutely not for humourless viewing.

Tristan & Isolde2006

Another Arthurian-adjacent romance about forbidden love and political obligation. James Franco and Sophia Myles have real chemistry, and it scratches the same itch as First Knight's love triangle.

But It's just as glossy and just as thin. You're basically watching First Knight again with less star power and a Celtic filter.

The Last Duel2021

Ridley Scott on medieval honour, betrayal, and the cost of loyalty. It's got the period grandeur and the romantic tension, but approached with real intelligence and moral weight.

But It's long, violent, and bleak. The film keeps pivoting away from what you want to happen. Expect discomfort, not catharsis.

Highlander1986

Immortal swordsmen, impossible romance, and a duel-obsessed mythology. Sean Connery is magnetic in it, and it has the same pulpy earnestness as First Knight's approach to legend.

But The plot doesn't quite make sense and the film knows it. You have to surrender to the vibe rather than follow the logic.

DragonHeart1996

Sean Connery again, this time as a dragon, in a medieval adventure about a knight and a peasant girl against an evil king. It's pure popcorn with genuine charm and a surprising emotional core.

But It's unabashedly silly and the CGI dragon hasn't aged well. If you want realism or subtlety, you're looking at the wrong film.

The Mask of Zorro1998

Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones in a swashbuckler that does everything First Knight attempts—romance, action, heroism—but with real humour and style. It's lighter but smarter.

But It's a Spanish colonial adventure, not a medieval legend. The tone is far more playful and modern.

King Arthur2004

Keira Knightley and Ioan Gruffudd in a grittier, more militaristic take on the legend. It trades romance for tribal politics and historical texture. Still accessible, but with more substance.

But Guinevere becomes a warrior rather than a romantic prize. If you're invested in the love triangle, this deconstructs it in ways you won't enjoy.

Berserk1997

Both explore the moment when a knight's honour collides with impossible desire. First Knight makes it beautiful; Berserk makes it tragic and inevitable.

A 1997 anime series that rewrites medieval fantasy as psychological darkness. Betrayal, loyalty, and doomed love told with operatic intensity. It uses the visual language of legend to go places live-action can't.

But It's brutal and doesn't flinch from depicting violence or suffering. The plot spirals into nightmare. If you want comfort and heroic resolution, this offers neither.

A Knight's Tale2001

Both are unashamed period romances that prioritize feeling over accuracy, but where First Knight aims for timeless gravity, this embraces being a contemporary fantasy dressed up in tights.

Heath Ledger as a medieval imposter with anachronistic rock music and genuine joy. It's a period film that knows it's a film, mixing medieval tournaments with modern music and comedy. Surprising and delightful.

But It's deliberately artificial and tonal mess for some viewers. Modern songs in a medieval setting is gimmicky, not profound. The narrative is thin.