Movie · 1989 · War, Drama, History · 2h 17m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 7.4/10 (51.1K ratings)
The great adventure of a king who defied the odds to prove himself a man.
Overview
In 1415, in the midst of the Hundred Years' War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France.
Ratings
Curator score: 7.4/10
IMDb: 7.5/10
Letterboxd: 3.76/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Metacritic: 83
TMDB: 7.1/10
Director
Kenneth Branagh
Production
BBC Film, Renaissance Films, Curzon Film Distributors
Cast
Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Brian Blessed, James Larkin, Paul Scofield, Emma Thompson, Judi Dench, Simon Shepherd, James Simmons, Charles Kay, Alec McCowen, Fabian Cartwright, Stephen Simms, Jay Villiers, Ian Holm, Danny Webb, Michael Williams, Jimmy Yuill, Paul Gregory, Edward Jewesbury
Where to watch
fuboTV, MGM Plus, Philo
Curator Review
Verdict
A muscular, emotionally intelligent Shakespeare adaptation that balances battlefield grandeur with intimate moral doubt. Branagh’s debut is especially rewarding for viewers who want period drama with strong performances, vivid atmosphere, and speeches that still land with force.
Best for
Shakespeare adaptations
historical war dramas
theatrical performance lovers
viewers who enjoy rousing speeches and battle scenes
fans of prestige British period cinema
Skip if
you want a fast, purely action-driven war movie
you dislike Shakespearean dialogue or verse
you prefer loose historical realism over heightened drama
you want a light or easygoing period piece
Overview
Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V is the rare Shakespeare adaptation that feels both stately and alive. It opens in a cramped, theatrical world and gradually expands into mud, blood, and open battlefield spectacle, giving the story a real sense of escalation. The film understands that Henry’s charisma and certainty are inseparable from the violence he unleashes, which makes the victory feel stirring and uneasy at once.
Worth noting
Branagh’s performance is central: he plays Henry as a young ruler whose confidence is constantly shadowed by doubt, calculation, and political theater. The supporting cast adds texture and wit, and the film’s visual design gives the medieval world a tangible weight without losing the poetry of the text. Even when the pacing feels brisk or the politics get dense, the momentum of the speeches and the physicality of the production keep it compelling.
Bottom line
This is one of those adaptations that can convert skeptics, especially viewers who think Shakespeare on film must be dry or academic. It is formal, but not stuffy; reverent, but not inert. If you want a historical drama with real cinematic sweep and a strong sense of moral tension, it’s an easy recommendation.
Top Letterboxd reviews
russman (3.5★) · 941 likes
Going into this film I was a little concerned since I've never seen Henry I - IV, but I was able to follow along
Patrick Willems (3.5★) · 395 likes
Kenneth Branagh: Everyone smear more mud on yourselves! More! And get it on your faces! This movie needs to be muddier! Muddier!
Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine (4★) · 222 likes
When it comes to directors breaking into the industry with a debut that puts many veterans to shame, Kenneth Branagh is never mentioned or considered, despite the fact that he should be in the top ten.
Indeed, his debut picture, a film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play Henry V, is among the best cinematic adaptations of the Bard's work. There are films that cost about a hundred million dollars that don't come close to the immersiveness of this film, like… more
Shreerang Dixit (4.5★) · 124 likes
The best scenes in Henry V (which by all accounts is a Kenneth Branagh show) are not the famous speech at the siege of Harfleur ("Once more unto the breach..."); or Henry's incognito, nocturnal wanderings in the English camp as he takes stock of his host; racked with doubt and grappling with the moral burden of his decisions.
No - the best scenes are the ones with Katherine, played by the ever luminous Emma Thompson. The first, almost entirely in… more
porksweats (4★) · 104 likes
id be offended too if someone gave me tennis balls as a gift
1995 · Drama, War · 1h 44m · R · Curator 7.1/10 (28.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM Plus, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Another stylish Shakespeare adaptation that turns political ambition and battlefield rhetoric into propulsive cinema.
A visually rich historical epic about kingship, deception, and the fragility of authority.
Topics
Shakespeare adaptation, historical drama, war epic, medieval, prestige period piece, battle scenes, rousing speeches, British cinema, moral ambiguity, theatrical