Genre: Adventure/Fantasy
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Writer: Roy Horne
Based on the 1981 film
Cast: Daniel Craig, Christina Hendricks, George MacKay, Caleb Landry Jones, Nell Tiger Free, Karl Glusman, Richard Coyle, Callan Mulvey, Douglas Booth, Roman Griffin Davis, Olivia DeJonge, Ryan Gosling
Plot: Lord Uther Pendragon (Ryan Gosling) leads his knights against a horde of Moors in the Welsh countryside. Uther brutally battles the enemy, becoming drenched in the blood of the dark-skinned army he and his knights are combating. As the battle comes to an end, only Uther and one of his knights, Cador (Callan Mulvey), remain standing exhausted surrounded by the lifeless, mutilated bodies of both friend and foe. As Uther catches his breath, he notices the great wizard Merlin (Daniel Craig) standing at the edge of the tree line.
In the morning, Uther tells his knight that he saw Merlin the night before after their battle and wishes to seek him out. Cador is not fond of the idea of trying to locate the wizard, as he mentions the legends that Merlin dwells in the haunted Broceliande Forest. Uther scoffs at such superstition and mounts his horse and rides off. Cador follows his lord all the way to the edge of the forest. Uther tells Cador to stay there and gets down from his horse. Cador asks him if he is sure, and Uther nods, telling Cador that he doesn’t want to come across as a threat to any being in the woods. Cador nods to his lord as he disappears into the thick brush of the forest.
As Uther makes his way carefully through the forest, a shroud of mist begins to surround him. The fog begins to clear, and Uther notices a figure ahead of him. He moves closer, thinking it is Merlin the wizard. Instead, he finds the beautiful Morgana (Christina Hendricks) standing before him, adorned in a metallic robe with a large Vipera berus snake draped over her shoulders. Uther asks her if she has seen the magical Merlin, insisting it is an important matter. Morgana disrobes in front of Uther, who finds himself drawn by her allure. Morgana kisses Uther, and their bodies become intertwined. The two have sex in the dirt and mud of the forest floor. As they climax in unison, the trees and brush around them catch fire. Merlin emerges and uses his magic to blow a mighty gust to extinguish the flames. Merlin asks Morgana what she thinks she’s doing, and she tells him that she is simply having fun. Merlin tells Morgana to leave them and asks Uther what brings him to the Broceliande Forest. Uther tells Merlin that he desires to be a king, but the constant battles from his various lordships has decimated his army. Merlin tells Uther to follow him and begins walking. Uther follows Merlin all the way to a large, calm lake hidden in the forest. Uther comments that he didn’t know there was a lake in these woods. Merlin asks Uther how much he wants to be King, and Uther says that he wants it with all his life. Merlin nods and holds his arms up toward the lake. A magnificent, shining sword emerges from the water, seemingly standing up on its own. Merlin tells Uther that the sword is Excalibur, the sword of kings, blessed by the gods and forged with magic. He explains that any man who wields Excalibur will be destined for kingship, and any king who wields the great sword will be one with the land. Uther walks out into the water and lifts the sword, wielding it above his head.
The now King Uther sits upon his throne in Camelot. Next to him is his queen, Eigyr (Olivia DeJonge), who is clearly very pregnant. Uther is watching a jester perform for him, bored. Uther motions for the jester to leave and turns to his queen. Uther tells Eigyr that he spent his entire life working to become a king, but he never would have imagined it being as boring as it is. Eigyr laughs and says he should just conquer another land to occupy his time. Uther says that isn’t such a bad idea. Suddenly Eigyr begins to hold her stomach in pain. Uther calls in the midwives to help his wife deliver their first child. Uther holds Eigyr’s hand as she labors to push the child out of her womb. The midwife announces that the child is a boy and holds it up. Uther grabs the baby to see for himself. He then happily tells Eigyr that Camelot now has an heir to the throne. The midwives begin panicking as Eigyr is not moving. They try to wake her as Uther watches on, helpless. Uther sits on the floor with his newborn son, staring at Eigyr’s lifeless body. Uther sheds a tear as he tells the baby that she Eigyr didn’t even live long enough to hear the name he has given his son: Arthur.
Several years later, Uther and Arthur (Roman Griffin Davis) are riding their horses along the plains, with the trusty Cador riding not too far behind them as protection. Uther notices that they have arrived at the edge of the Broceliande Forest. Uther tells his son Arthur that the forest is home to Merlin, who was the one who granted him the sword Excalibur. Arthur says that they should go into the woods to pay their respect. Uther tells Arthur that these particular woods are no place for a young boy. Uther then dismounts his horse and asks Cador to watch after Arthur while he goes to see about something in the forest. Uther walks through the woods when he sees a red-haired boy playing with rocks and sticks in the brush. Uther enters a small moss-covered hut where he finds Morgana. She tells him that it has been far too long. Uther tells her that he has been busy running his kingdom, but he has never forgotten her or the time they laid together. Uther asks her who the boy in the woods is. Morgana kisses Uther and tells him that the boy is Uther’s first-born son, and the rightful heir to the throne of Camelot. Incensed, Uther throws Morgana to the ground and calls her a liar and a witch. Morgana’s eyes begin glowing red. A frightened Uther runs out of the hut. He finds himself at the lake and looks around. Suddenly a large hand of mud and water reaches out and pulls Uther into the water. Uther screams and kicks as he is dragged beneath the surface of the water. Having heard the yell, Arthur jumps down from the horse. He begins running toward the forest with Cador trying to keep up with him. Arthur runs right into Merlin. Cador finally catches up and bows before Merlin. Arthur demands to know what has happened to his father. Merlin tells young Arthur that his father is now with the Lady of the Lake. Merlin then looks at Cador and tells him to take Arthur back to Camelot and watch after him as the boy is going to need sound guidance if he is to one day become King.
Arthur (George MacKay) grows up trained by Cador to be a knight alongside Lancelot (Douglas Booth), Perceval (Karl Glusman) and Mordred (Caleb Landry Jones). The people of Camelot are apprehensive for Arthur to be a king now that he is old enough to rule as there is rumor that the army of Cornwall are preparing to invade Camelot and they make it very clear that they do not trust Arthur’s abilities to protect the castle. Arthur tries to reassure the people of Camelot that he is ready to rule just as his father once did. However, they are quick to point out that Uther did not rule without the sword of kings, Excalibur. Arthur announces to his court that he and a group of knights will venture to Cornwall and talk to their king about keeping peace between their two kingdoms.
Arthur, Perceval and Lancelot travel to the gates of Cornwall and announce their presence. The knights of Cornwall lead Arthur and his knights into the castle where the King of Cornwall, Leodegrance (Richard Coyle) awaits them. Arthur goes to discuss peace with Leodegrance in private while Perceval and Lancelot wait outside. Lancelot catches the eye of a beautiful young woman, Guenevere (Nell Tiger Free), and goes over to talk to her. As he gets closer, guards shove him away, but Guenevere tells them it is alright. Lancelot begins successfully charming the young woman. In the throne room, Arthur pleads with King Leodegrance not to invade his castle as it is all he has left of his family. Leodegrance asks what Arthur proposes he do instead. Arthur thinks for a moment, then proposes that he take Leodegrance’s daughter to be his queen. This would not only effectively increase Leodegrance’s power and influence over the entire region, but it would also align their two kingdoms as one family. King Leodegrance ponders the proposition for a moment before finally agreeing. Outside, Lancelot is still talking to Guenevere when she is ushered inside by the guards, who tell her that she is needed in the throne room. King Leodegrance introduces his daughter Guenevere to Arthur. He tells his daughter that he as agreed to have her marry King Arthur so that she may become the Queen of Camelot. Guenevere looks disappointed, while Arthur looks pleased with the beauty of his soon-to-be queen.
While out on a horseback ride with Guenevere as the two try to get to know each other, Arthur realizes that they are riding past the edge of the woods of Broceliande. Arthur hears a feminine sound and asks Guenevere if she hears it. No shakes her head no. Arthur feels compelled by the voice to enter the forest. He tells Guenevere to wait for him outside the forest as it may not be safe inside. Arthur makes his way through the forest to the lake in the middle, which now dried up. Arthur sees something sticking out of the dirt and mud. As he gets closer, he recognizes it as his father's sword stuck impaled in a large stone. Merlin watches from the tree line as Arthur pulls the sword from the stone and wields it much as his father had many years prior. Morgana emerges from the woods and holds her hand out to Arthur. She tells him that she knew his father Uther and would like to talk to Arthur about him. Arthur is confused and begins to follow Morgana into the woods. She takes him to a clearing and set him down on a log. Morgana begins kissing Arthur. Guenevere's voice begins calling out for Arthur. Arthur stands up and tells Morgana that he needs to go. Arthur leaves the clearing with Morgana sitting on the log all alone. Merlin emerges and tells Morgana that Arthur is not like his father. He's a much more noble man than Uther and is destined to lead Camelot to greatness. Morgana disrobes in front of Merlin, telling him it would be a shame to waste such an enchanting mood. This time Merlin manages to turn down his sister's feminine charms and leaves her in the clearing. Arthur and Guenevere ride back into Camelot. As they ride past Arthur’s knights, Guenevere eyes Lancelot wistfully. Lancelot exchanges her glance. Arthur notices the two making eye contact and becomes angry. Lancelot, feeling Arthur’s eyes on him, looks down at the ground.
In the middle of the night, Mordred rides his horse into the woods and up to the moss-covered hut. He enters the hut where a cauldron burns over a fire. Morgana emerges from the shadows and gives Mordred a long hug. Mordred tells Morgana, his mother, that he has been officially knighted. Morgana seems pleased, assuring her son that her plan to have Arthur replaced on the throne by Mordred, the rightful king, is coming to fruition.
Arthur wakes up to notice Guenevere getting out of bed. He watches as she sneaks out of their bed chamber. Arthur silently follows her out of the castle. She walks out to a wooded area where she finds a naked Lancelot waiting for her. She undresses and the two begin making love atop a large stone. Arthur watches the two bodies thrusting into each other with passion, illuminated by the moonlight. When they are done, the two fall asleep out in each other’s arms. As Guenevere and Lancelot sleep, Arthur stands above them with Excalibur in his hands. He aims the sword at the two sleeping lovers, tempted to kill them. He raises the sword and strikes it down onto the stone Guenevere and Lancelot are sleeping on. As Arthur walks away, lightning strikes Excalibur, sending a shockwave through the land. At dawn, when Guenevere and Lancelot awake they are at first shocked to see that all of the plant life around them has died overnight. Guenevere then begins crying when she sees Excalibur impaled into the stone. She begins panicking, as she does not know what to do now. Lancelot says he doesn’t know what to do either, but he surely cannot return to Camelot now or surely Arthur would have him executed. Guenevere begs Lancelot to come back with her, saying that if Arthur wanted to kill them, he already could have last night but he chose not to. Lancelot says that he cannot face Arthur as he is too ashamed of himself. Guenevere begins crying on the stone as Lancelot walks away from her. Guenevere then slices her wrists with Excalibur. She lays upon the stone as blood streams from her arms and the life slowly leaves her body.
King Arthur is helpless to watch as the soil around Camelot turns to dust, killing the kingdom’s sources of food and water. Desperate, Arthur announces that he will ride out to the Broceliande Forest and ask Merlin if he can help them. Arthur has grown weak as the land has dried up and struggles to mount his horse. Perceval suits up to accompany Arthur, but Arthur declines Perceval’s company, telling his knight that it is something he must do alone. He says that his father King Uther gave birth to Camelot once upon a time, and now it is time for him to bring his father’s land back from the brink of death. Arthur rides across barren lands that were once lush fields. Once he gets to the forest, he begins yelling for Merlin repeatedly until the wizard finally emerges. Much like Arthur, Merlin too has grown weaker with the land. Arthur begs Merlin to use his magic to life back to the land as his people are starving to death. Merlin tells Arthur that is too big a task for his magic, but that if Arthur drinks from the Holy Grail, that it will replenish Arthur as well as the land around Camelot. Arthur asks where to find the Grail, but Merlin says that it is hidden. Arthur, angry, struggles back onto his horse and rides away. On his ride back to Camelot, Arthur stops off at the stone where he left Excalibur. He finds Guenevere’s skeleton next to the sword. He sheds a single tear and tells the skeleton that he did truly love her, even if she didn’t truly love him. Arthur lifts Excalibur from the stone, but as he does, he is struck by a bolt of lightning.
Some serfs come across Arthur’s barely alive body and load him onto their wagon. They bring him back to Camelot. Arthur is taken up to his bed chamber. Perceval notices that the people of Camelot are weary that their king is about to die. They demand to know that will happen upon Arthur’s death as he has not managed to birth an heir. Perceval tries to quell the unrest and tells everyone that he will speak with the king on their behalf. Perceval enters the royal bed chamber and kneels beside a resting Arthur. As Arthur sleeps, Perceval prays beside him. When Arthur finally wakes up, Perceval asks if Merlin gave any answers. Arthur weakly says that drinking from the Holy Grail will replenish the lands and tasks Perceval with finding it. Arthur then passes out.
Mordred meets with Morgana in the forest. She gives her son a suit of golden armor. As Mordred puts the suit on, Morgana enchants the golden armor so that no weapon made by man will be able to penetrate it. Morgana tells Mordred that now is the time they have waited for. Arthur is weak and his hold over the kingdom is as well. Mordred kisses his mother on the lips and thanks her for the golden suit of armor.
Mordred returns to the court of Camelot to find Perceval mounting his horse. Mordred asks where he is going, and Perceval responds that he has been given a quest to find and retrieve the Holy Grail for King Arthur. Mordred says that he has heard of such an artifact and believes he knows its location. Perceval pleads with Mordred to take him there and Mordred agrees. The two knights ride through the barren lands until they get to a cliff overlooking the ocean. Mordred gets off his horse and tells Perceval to come down and closer to the edge with him. As the two knights look out over the ocean, Mordred pulls out a knife and stabs Perceval in the side. Perceval then falls over the cliffside and down into the rocky waters below. Mordred looks down before commenting to himself that that was quite easy.
While Arthur fights off death in his bed, Mordred goes to Cornwall to meet with King Leodegrance. Mordred gives him the bad news of Guenevere’s death and implies that Arthur is to blame. Leodegrance is furious and announces his intention to lead him men to Camelot and tear the castle apart. Mordred convinces Leodegrance to let him lead the army of Cornwall against Camelot. Leogegrance agrees and orders his men to follow Mordred’s lead.
Perceval’s body washes ashore a sandy stretch of coast. He crawls out of the surf and looks up to the heavens. He prays to God to find the Holy Grail. A bright light shines all around him. An angelic voice asks him why Camelot should be saved. Perceval says that the lands of Camelot feed an entire kingdom of innocent, God-fearing people. The voice asks Perceval why the land is dead. Perceval says that the king of Camelot and the land of Camelot are one. When one fails, so does the other. He pleads with the voice to send him the Holy Grail so that the land may be replenished. The bright light goes away. Perceval begins yelling for the voice to come back and tell him what to do. Perceval breaks down crying in the sand. He looks over to his side and sees a golden chalice next to him in the sand. Perceval happily picks up the Holy Grail and begins sprinting back toward Camelot.
At night, Mordred and the army of Cornwall set up a camp just outside of Camelot. The knights express concern that the knights of Camelot will be able to see them from the castle. Mordred laughs and says that he wants Arthur to see them because he wants Arthur to feel fear before they destroy his kingdom at dawn.
Perceval is still running and can now see Camelot in the distance, but also sees Mordred’s camp. He sneaks past the camp and enters Camelot to find it mostly devoid of people. Perceval runs up the castle steps all the way up to Arthur’s bed chamber. He finds Arthur staring out the window at Mordred’s camp. Perceval gives Arthur the Holy Grail to drink from. As Arthur drinks from the golden chalice, he suddenly feels rejuvenated. He asks Perceval where Mordred is, and Perceval informs Arthur of his treachery.
Arthur and Perceval ride out to the Broceliande Forest. As they ride, leaves reappear on trees and the grass begins to regrow upon the ground they ride on. When they arrive at the edge of the forest, they are greeted by Merlin. He tells them that he sees that Arthur has consumed from the Holy Grail. Arthur asks Merlin if he can have one last favor. Because they have brought life back to the earth, Merlin agrees. Arthur asks that Merlin use his magic to conceal them in the fog so that they may stop Mordred from destroying Camelot. Merlin nods his head and begins conjuring a thick fog that covers the land for miles to see.
Mordred sees the fog as it consumes his camp. He bursts into Morgana’s tent and asks her where the fog came from since she had assured him that the weather would be clear come morning. He tells her that she needs to do something to clear it out. He then storms out of the tent and begins telling his army to stand at extra attention. Morgana begins conjuring a spell to remove the fog from the land, when suddenly Merlin emerges and tells her that her Machiavellian plan will fail, and Arthur will remain King of Camelot. Morgana, angry, turns her magic toward her brother. She uses every last bit of her magic to kill Merlin, turning him to a pile of slithering snakes. Depleting her magic has caused Morgana’s beauty to rapidly die, leaving her with the visage of a grotesque, ancient woman. Having heard a commotion, Mordred returns to Morgana’s tent. He is disgusted by her appearance. She tries to tell him that she is still his mother. Mordred says that he knows this, then stabs his mother through the heart.
Arthur and Perceval have infiltrated Mordred’s camp under the cover of the fog and begin silently killing Mordred’s army. Arthur confronts Mordred, who runs off into the fog. Arthur chases Mordred all the way to the top of the walls around Camelot. As the two duel on top of the castle walls, Mordred stabs Arthur in the chest with a spear. Arthur pulls himself further along the spear, until he is close enough to kill Mordred, who laughs at Arthur, commenting that his armor is impenetrable to the weapons of man thanks to his mother. Arthur reminds Mordred that Excalibur was blessed by the gods and made by magic, then stabs Mordred through his armor and into his heart. Perceval rushes to Arthur’s side. Arthur tells him to take Excalibur and return the sword to the Lady of the Lake in the Broceliande Forest. Arthur sees a blinding light surrounding him and his father King Uther reaching out toward him. Arthur reaches for his father’s outstretched hand as he succumbs to his wounds and dies. At dawn, Perceval rides to the Broceliande Forest and finds the lake. He stares at the sword of kings for a moment before tossing it into the lake.
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