Brotherhood Of The Wolf review

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

An epic period French action movie complete with Gothic trimmings, martial arts scrapping and CG monsters, Brotherhood Of The Wolf has to be seen to be disbelieved. Christophe Gans takes the rule book for big-budget art-house Euro puddings and doesn't so much tear it up as feed it through a large wood chipper and then gavotte gleefully on the remains...

It may have the standard grubby peasantry, effete nobles and sweeping landscapes of yer average period epic, but Gans then bolts on every technique of the modern action film that he can lay his hands on. Slo-mo enlivens fight sequences, pounding music kicks the action up a notch and a whirling, spinning camera records it all. There may be a slight stutter about 45 minutes before the end (with plot points becoming fuzzy at much the same time), but the overall effect is so enjoyable that you can forgive that.

Chunkily good-looking leading man Samuel Le Bihan handles the talky stuff with laid-back conviction before turning into a credible action man in time for the finale. Meanwhile, Vincent Cassell excels as a menacing one-armed aristo and Monica Bellucci is sex-on-very-shapely-legs as the high-class prostitute de Fronsac dallies with.

But it's Mark Dacascos (Driven) who really leaps out at you. He may have fewer lines than Arnie in The Terminator, but after the moment he opens the action by delivering a sound and stylish ass-kicking to a bunch of soldiers, the film seems somehow empty whenever he's off screen. Forget the improbability of an American Indian being in 18th-Century France, let alone him having an in-depth knowledge of Far Eastern martial arts, and just sit back and enjoy the punch-ups. With looks, charisma, a fair degree of acting ability and a colossal degree of physical skill, it's a limb-cracking shame that this man isn't a huge star.

Period drama with punch-ups? Action movie in breeches and knee-stockings? Who cares what you call it, Brotherhood... is pigeonhole-smashing entertainment. Surely it's time that Hollywood put Crying Freeman director Gans on speed dial?

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

Latest in Action Movies
Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield in Stranger Things 4
Stranger Things star Sadie Sink joins Spider-Man 4 and fans are already theorizing she might be X-Men’s Jean Grey
Doctor Doom in Marvel Comics
The Russo brothers say Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars will draw inspiration from multiple comics – which explains how Doctor Doom might fit into the story
John Wick 4
John Wick 5 is still in the works, but Lionsgate isn't confirming Keanu Reeves' return just yet: "We're all on bated breath waiting to find out"
The cast of Thunderbolts
Marvel fans are revealing who they'd like to see added to the Thunderbolts lineup, from Moon Knight to a major Hulk villain
Black Widow
Scarlett Johansson doubles down on never coming back as Black Widow: “Natasha is dead. She is dead. She’s dead. Okay?"
Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn on set of Joker 2
Lady Gaga jokingly celebrates Joker 2 reception and Razzie nominations: "Joke's on them. I love winning things"
Latest in Reviews
Lenovo Legion Go S with FlyKnight gameplay on screen featuring player character holding bow and arrow with enemy ant in backdrop.
Lenovo Legion Go S Windows 11 review: “my heart aches for this mixed up handheld”
Talisman 5th Edition game components
Talisman 5th Edition review: "The characterful imperfections of the original game remain clear to see "
WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 review: "A colossal package even if you never go anywhere near Virtual Currency"
Altered: Trial by Frost booster box and packs on a playmat
Altered: Trial by Frost review - "Satisfying enough to offer highly varied gameplay"
Three SteelSeries QcK Performance mouse pads on a wooden desk
I didn't expect to prefer a coarser mouse pad, but SteelSeries' new QcK Performance range has changed my mind
Boro and Alta sit on a bench together in Wanderstop
Wanderstop review: "Exalting the transformative power of tea"