Movie · 2016 · Action, Adventure, Science Fiction · 1h 56m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 0.3/10 (398.3K ratings)
Your destiny is in your blood.
Overview
Through a technology that unlocks the genetic memories of his ancestor in 15th century Spain, Callum Lynch discovers he is a descendant of an ancient line of Assassins and amasses lethal skills to take on the oppressive Templar Order.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.3/10
IMDb: 5.6/10
Letterboxd: 2.01/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 18%
Metacritic: 36
TMDB: 5.4/10
Director
Justin Kurzel
Production
New Regency Pictures, The Kennedy/Marshall Company, Ubisoft Film & Television, DMC Film
Cast
Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, Charlotte Rampling, Michael Kenneth Williams, Ariane Labed, James Sobol Kelly, Denis Ménochet, Callum Turner, Khalid Abdalla, Essie Davis, Carlos Bardem, Javier Gutiérrez, Hovik Keuchkerian, Crystal Clarke, Brian Gleeson, Rufus Wright, Matias Varela, Coco König
Where to watch
FilmBox+
Curator Review
Verdict
A grim, overcomplicated video game adaptation that has flashes of style and a few solid action beats, but mostly buries its best ideas under dense lore, muddy pacing, and a joyless modern-day framework. It’s more interesting as a failed ambition than as a satisfying adventure.
Best for
Viewers curious about ambitious but messy franchise adaptations
Fans of moody, prestige-leaning action with historical flashbacks
People who can tolerate convoluted sci-fi mythology if the visuals are strong
Skip if
You want a clear, fast-moving adventure
You dislike dour, exposition-heavy blockbusters
You’re looking for the fun, playful spirit of the games
Overview
Assassin’s Creed is the rare big-budget adaptation that seems determined to smother its own appeal. The historical assassin material has movement and texture, and Justin Kurzel gives it a severe, almost ritualistic atmosphere, but the film keeps cutting back to a present-day plot that feels like homework. The result is a movie that is frequently busy and rarely exciting.
Worth noting
There are moments where the production design, stunt work, and Fassbender’s committed performance suggest a better film trapped inside this one. But the mythology is overstuffed, the emotional stakes are thin, and the whole enterprise is weighed down by a grey, self-serious tone that drains momentum. Even when it’s trying to be epic, it often feels oddly inert.
Bottom line
If you’re interested in video game adaptations as a genre experiment, there’s some value in seeing how hard this swings. For most viewers, though, it’s a case of style without enough payoff, and ambition without enough clarity.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Matthew L. Brady (2★) · 2313 likes
YOU WERE THE CHOSEN ONE! You were supposed to destroy bad video game movies, not join them! Bring balance to cinema, not leave it in darkness!
Jay (1.5★) · 896 likes
distinguishably lacked the only thing i remember from playing assassins creed: hiding in haystacks
David Sims (3.5★) · 710 likes
fuck...is this movie good?
fuck!!!!
gotta give it up for the creed though. what a creed. top 10 creeds.
and you GOTTA give it up for the apple. need that apple to win a Nobel Peace Prize!
P.S. Marion Cotillard 100% believes this movie is non-fiction and that the Knights Templar are after her even as we speak
adambolt (2★) · 592 likes
how many fools can I kill today
davidehrlich (3.5★) · 551 likes
History, which is foundational to the captivatingly bonkers story of Justin Kurzel’s “Assassin’s Creed,” tells us that this should be a very bad movie. For one thing, this dense, dour, and oft-delayed holiday spectacle is based on a popular series of video games — a grim omen in a year that brought us the likes of “Warcraft” and “Ratchet & Clank.” For another, Kurzel’s moody adaptation is told on a massive scale, budgeted to compete with other franchise monstrosities like “Rogue… more History, which is foundational to the captivatingly bonkers story of Justin Kurzel’s “Assassin’s Creed,” tells us that this should be a very bad movie. For one thing, this dense, dour, and oft-delayed holiday spectacle is based on a popular series of video games — a grim omen in a year that brought us the likes of “Warcraft” and “Ratchet & Clank.” For another, Kurzel’s moody adaptation is told on a massive scale, budgeted to compete with other franchise monstrosities like “Rogue… more
2000 · Action, Drama, Adventure · 2h 35m · R · Curator 8.4/10 (3.8M ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Kanopy, AMC, Philo
A prestige action epic that balances revenge, empire, and muscular spectacle more effectively.