Film

Grendel

Name: Grendel
Genre: Action, Fantasy
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Dave Bautista, Bryan Cranston, Thomasin McKenzie, Aidan Turner

Mythological fantasy

A reimagining of Beowulf told from Grendel's perspective, positioning the legendary monster as the story's emotional centre rather than its villain. This is a character study wrapped in fantasy action—intimate despite its epic scope, asking what monstrosity really means when you're the one living it. For anyone tired of straightforward good-versus-evil narratives.

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like the Beowulf story turned inside out, with the monster as a narrator whose grievances make the heroics look less clean-cut.

Skip it if you want a fast, muscular battle movie, since this is a talky, brooding retelling where the mood matters more than the swordplay.

What it asks of you: Settle in for a sustained, thoughtful stretch of myth-retelling, where you're asked to hold two versions of the same old story in mind at once.

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

If you liked this

Oppenheimer2023

A brooding protagonist grappling with the weight of creation and destruction, surrounded by powerful men who don't understand him. Epic in scale but obsessed with interiority—exactly what Grendel needs to be.

But Three hours long with minimal action; if you want pure spectacle over moral complexity, this will feel slow.

The Last of Us2023

Positions a supposedly monstrous infection as the lens through which we see humanity's cruelty. Episode three alone reframes everything you thought you knew. Stunning acting and genuine emotional devastation.

But The show moves deliberately and some episodes are agonizing to watch. If you need constant plot momentum, you'll find stretches unbearable.

Dune2021

A hero's journey told with visual grandeur and genuine weight. Denis Villeneuve understands that destiny is a burden, not a gift. The production design alone justifies the commitment.

But Deliberately paced and the story stops mid-arc, requiring a sequel commitment. Some will find it emotionally distant despite its scope.

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Beowulf & Grendel2005

The literal precedent: if a 2005 film already reframed Grendel as tragic, this new version must grapple with what that film found and what it missed.

The film that already did this—told Grendel's story as a man driven to monstrosity by violence and abandonment. Gerard Butler and Stellan Skarsgård are excellent. It's proof the concept works and what it can be.

But Early-2000s action filmmaking feels dated now. The execution is uneven and some sequences don't land, though the core idea is genuinely moving.

Mad Max: Fury Road2015

Myth-making in real time. Every frame is composed like a painting, every action sequence has choreography and purpose. Brutal and beautiful without a wasted moment.

But Minimal dialogue and plot in the traditional sense. If you need exposition and character backstory spelled out, the restraint will frustrate you.

Vinland Saga2019

A Viking epic that spends half its runtime on quiet introspection—trauma, revenge, and the possibility of redemption. The animation during moments of violence is unforgettable. Genuinely moving.

But The second season abandons action almost entirely for sustained character work. Slower pacing will lose anyone hunting for constant external conflict.

The Green Knight2021

A medieval legend retold as psychological horror. David Lowery makes the genre feel ancient and alive. Visually haunting and structured around moral uncertainty rather than heroic clarity.

But Intentionally cryptic and dreamlike—no clear answers about what things mean. If ambiguity frustrates you, this will feel deliberately obscure.

Gladiator2000

A man stripped of everything forced into an arena discovers his power comes from pain. Russell Crowe is magnetic. The production and fight choreography set the standard other films still chase.

But Uneven pacing in the second half and the emotional arc stalls partway through. Some sequences feel obligatory rather than earned.

The Northman2022

Revenge mythology grounded in grim physicality and genuine Norse atmosphere. Robert Eggers makes violence feel weighty and consequential. The cinematography is stunning and the cast is fully committed.

But Intentionally bleak and repetitive in structure—the sameness of violence and landscape will bore anyone wanting narrative momentum or light.

Werewolf by Night2022

A monster forced to exist in a world that fears and hunts him. Michael Giacchino's direction finds intimacy in gothic horror. The black-and-white cinematography and creature design are deeply creative.

But Marvel adjacent but deliberately small-scale and weird. If you need spectacle and clear plot resolution, this will feel like an incomplete sketch.

Come and See1985

Both ask: what if the 'monster' in the story is actually just a person who lived through what we did to them? The mechanism of monstrosity is always the same.

A boy thrust into war's machinery discovers that humans—not monsters—commit true atrocity. Devastating and relentless. One of cinema's greatest achievements about how innocence dies and violence transforms everything it touches.

But Genuinely hard to watch. Not artistic difficulty—real trauma. This is a 142-minute experience of unrelenting despair. Only watch if you're prepared for it.

The Elephant Man1980

Both force audiences to recognize the monster as the most human thing in the frame. Monstrosity is imposed, not inherent—a category we invent to justify cruelty.

A creature presented as grotesque who is revealed to be profoundly human. David Lynch's most accessible film and his most devastating. John Hurt gives one of cinema's greatest performances of dignity amid cruelty.

But Black and white, slow-moving, and anchored entirely in pathos. If you need plot movement or colour, this is a meditation that might feel like punishment.