The Princess Bride (1987)

Movie · 1987 · Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Comedy, Romance · 1h 39m · PG · English

Curator score: 8.7/10 (1.5M ratings)

Heroes. Giants. Villains. Wizards. True Love.

Overview

In this enchantingly cracked fairy tale, the beautiful Princess Buttercup and the dashing Westley must overcome staggering odds to find happiness amid six-fingered swordsmen, murderous princes, Sicilians and rodents of unusual size. But even death can't stop these true lovebirds from triumphing.

Ratings

Director

Rob Reiner

Production

The Princess Bride, Buttercup Films, Act III Productions

Cast

Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, André Roussimoff, Fred Savage, Peter Falk, Peter Cook, Mel Smith, Carol Kane, Billy Crystal, Anne Dyson, Margery Mason, Malcolm Storry, Willoughby Gray, Betsy Brantley, Paul Badger, Sallie McLaughlin

Where to watch

Disney Plus, Hulu, fuboTV

Curator Review

Verdict

A warm, endlessly quotable fairy-tale adventure that works as both sincere romance and sly parody. Its swordplay, comic timing, and storybook charm make it a rare crowd-pleaser that still feels fresh.

Best for

  • fans of witty fantasy adventures
  • viewers who like romance with a self-aware edge
  • families and mixed-age groups
  • people who enjoy quotable cult classics

Skip if

  • you want grim or high-stakes fantasy
  • you dislike broad comedy and constant banter
  • you prefer modern action pacing over storybook structure

Overview

The Princess Bride is one of the great balancing acts of popular cinema: affectionate without being sugary, funny without undercutting the emotion, and adventurous without losing its fairy-tale simplicity. It treats true love, revenge, and heroics with a straight face just long enough for the jokes to land harder.

Worth noting

What makes it endure is how complete the ensemble feels. Every character gets a memorable rhythm, from the deadpan framing to the gleeful villainy and the swordfight choreography. It’s a movie built on charm, but the craft is real: timing, performance, and a confident sense of tone keep it from ever feeling flimsy.

Bottom line

It’s also unusually rewatchable because it plays to both kids and adults at once. Younger viewers get the adventure; older viewers catch the satire, the romance, and the precision of the dialogue. Few films are this easy to love or this hard to outgrow.

Top Letterboxd reviews

eely (5★) · 25381 likes

buttercup just standing there while westley gets fuckin ripped to shreds by that giant rat...go girl give us nothing!

mariah (4★) · 22309 likes

no don't stab urself in the tit you're so sexy ahaha

siobhan (4★) · 12387 likes

when fezzik the giant asked why westley was wearing a mask and he said "they're terribly comfortable. i think we'll all be wearing them in the future" .... maybe he was ahead of his time

anjy (4★) · 9064 likes

that man is the biggest simp i have ever seen. normalise it. normalise saying “as you wish” to everything a woman asks of you ❤️

vi (4.5★) · 7874 likes

i care deeply for andre the giant

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Topics

fantasy adventure, romantic comedy, cult classic, swordplay, meta humor, family friendly, storybook tone, 1980s, ensemble cast, quotable dialogue

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