Television series
The Mists of Avalon
A revisionist Arthurian legend told through the eyes of the women who shaped it. Anjelica Huston commands as the mysterious priestess Vivianne, orchestrating events from Avalon's shadows while political intrigue, sorcery, and conflicting faiths tear Britain apart. Lush, deliberately theatrical, sometimes uneven—but it asks genuinely interesting questions about whose story gets told.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you want Arthurian legend retold from the sidelines, where the women who make kings are the real players and fate is a matter of politics.
Skip it if the mysticism is more talk than spectacle, so if you want swords, battles and a brisk pace, the long conversations and somber courtly rooms will feel like an obstacle.
What it asks of you: Two parts and about ninety minutes, a short commitment, but it rewards patient attention to who is scheming against whom, since the politics arrive unexplained.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Merlin2008
A sweeping reimagining of Arthurian legend with strong female characters and darker themes. Colin Morgan's Merlin evolves from wide-eyed boy to burdened hero over five seasons, earning every scar.
But The early episodes feel tonally uneven—part family adventure, part serious fantasy. Some plot threads drag when they should snap.
The Miniaturist2017
Atmospheric Dutch Golden Age mystery where a young bride discovers her husband's secrets through a possessed dollhouse. Julianna Margulies brings quiet intensity to a story about women's constrained agency and hidden power.
But The pacing is glacial and the ending divisive. If you want plot momentum over mood, this will frustrate you.
Penny Dreadful2014
Victorian gothic where literary characters collide with genuine horror. Gloriously overstuffed, beautifully shot, anchored by Eva Green's mesmerizing performance as a woman discovering her own supernatural gifts.
But It's aggressively dark and sometimes pretentious. The third season loses focus and sprawls into narrative chaos.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Mists of Avalon
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Serpent Queen2022
Both center on women orchestrating power from the margins, using prophecy, superstition, and political acumen. Both ask: who controls the story?
A darkly comic limited series about Catherine de' Medici's rise in Renaissance France. Samantha Morton is magnificent as a woman written off as powerless who becomes history's great manipulator. Gossipy, gorgeous, and genuinely funny—Avalon energy in a different register.
But It's camp and often plays the material for laughs. If you want your Arthurian drama solemn and dour, this tonal lightness will grate.
More like this (6)
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance2019
A prequel to the 1982 film told entirely through puppet work and practical effects. Sumptuous design, genuine stakes, and a richly built world. Treats its audience with respect and its craft with reverence.
But Puppetry moves at a different pace than conventional acting. It demands patience and won't appeal to anyone allergic to the form.
Labyrinth1986
Jim Henson's baroque fantasy about a girl navigating a literal maze to reclaim her baby brother from the Goblin King. Visually stunning, funny, strange—it operates on dream logic and rarely explains itself, which is entirely the point.
But The plot is thin and the tone lurches between whimsy and menace. Some find it precious; others find it aimless.
Witchblade2000
Contemporary urban fantasy about a detective wielding a mystical weapon. Sara Pezzini becomes the focus of ancient powers beyond her comprehension. Action-driven, visually inventive, and genuinely weird in ways '00s TV rarely risked.
But The early CGI has aged poorly and the mythology can feel scattered. It's campy in spots where it means to be serious.
The Librarians2014
A ragtag team protects magical artifacts across time and space. It's clever, playful, and genuinely funny without winking itself into irrelevance. Rebeccah Romijn's steely confidence anchors the ensemble beautifully.
But The tone is determinedly lighter than what you're after. If you need gravity, this will feel frivolous.
Grendel
A stylized animated take on the Beowulf legend from Grendel's perspective. Surreal, occasionally genuinely unsettling, gorgeously drawn. It's brief, strange, and deserves a place in the conversation about how old stories get retold.
But It's experimental animation from three decades ago. The narrative is fragmented and the pacing oblique. Most viewers will find it difficult.
Venom1981
Like The Mists, it's an ensemble piece where character actors of genuine stature transform material that could have been pulp into something electric. It's about the power of conviction and performance to elevate what's on the page.
A trashy, tense siege thriller where terrorists trap a snake-worshipping cult and a motley group in a London townhouse. Klaus Kinski is feral and magnificent. It has nothing to do with your search—except it's the film that proves that sheer craft and commitment can make anything work.
But It's a B-movie with dated effects and the snake mythology doesn't cohere. It's silly, violent, and entirely unpretentious.
