Skip to content
MovieCove
The Reckoning

The Reckoning

The truth shall come to light.

2003112 minRMidcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Director
Paul McGuigan
Starring
Paul Bettany, Willem Dafoe, Tom Hardy, Brian Cox

In 14th Century England, this tale of murder and mystery follows a fugitive priest who falls in with a troupe of actors. As they arrive in a small town, the actors encounter a woman being sentenced to death for practicing witchcraft and murder. Discarding the expected bible stories, the actors now stage a performance based on the crime. Through the performance of the play, they discover a mystery.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Reckoning?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Reckoning to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Reckoning?

The Reckoning earns 4 badges, led by Atmospheric and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Reckoning worth watching?

The Reckoning's Midcredits score is the 54th percentile of all films, from 8.8K ratings across 6 sources. 55% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

54th percentile

Better received than 54% of films

55th percentile among Crime52nd percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)47th
Approval (how many liked it)59th

61 /100

47th percentile of all films

48th percentile among Crime47th percentile among 2000s

Critics 49 · Audience 62

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.6 — solid but not unanimous.

55% liked it

59th percentile of all films

60th percentile among Crime57th percentile among 2000s
55% rated it 7–1045% rated it 1–6

Critics 38% · Audience 56%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 2 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

73rd percentile

8.7K ratings across platforms

67th percentile among Crime65th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 32% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$18K
Domestic gross$257K
Worldwide gross$1.2M

52nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A medieval murder mystery that relies on a talented cast and atmospheric period detail, but whose plot is too thin and pacing too slow to fully satisfy.

Fans praised

  • strong ensemble cast featuring Bettany, Dafoe, Cox, Cassel
  • atmospheric and authentic medieval production design
  • thoughtful exploration of guilt, redemption, and justice

Detractors panned

  • slow, ponderous pacing that drags in the second half
  • predictable and thin mystery with a simplistic resolution
  • stilted, preachy dialogue and heavy-handed moralizing

What stands out

Atmosphere85

gritty, immersive medieval world with authentic sets

Acting78

strong ensemble highlighted by Bettany, Dafoe, Cox, Cassel

Cinematography75

stunning visuals and moody lighting, but handheld camera annoys some

Emotional impactDivisive60

moves some viewers with redemption arc; others find it unaffecting

Characters55

thin character development, some roles underused

Dialogue50

stuffy, preachy at times; some quotable lines

Plot and storyDivisive45

slow, predictable mystery with mid-film dip

PacingDivisive35

slow, meandering; loses momentum in second half

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 9 points apart
  • Critics vs users 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Reckoning like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

No single mood: browse every movie of this kindNo one kind of watch fits it, so it is described by how heavy it is.

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something serious.

It takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Moods
TenseMelancholicHopeful
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Tender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.
ToneThe film treats its medieval setting and themes with a solemn, earnest seriousness, never winking at the audience.
The rideThe film builds tension around the monk's guilt and the girl's trial, then resolves with a redemptive sacrifice in the final act.
StructureThe film follows a conventional progression with the morality play serving as a framing device for the investigation.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves you pondering justice and truth, with a mixed emotional resolution.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rebirth
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% (this title) · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Redemption: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).

13% of films fit this archetype

with Mystery underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe fugitive monk's journey leads to personal redemption through uncovering the truth behind a murder, fitting a redemption-focused rebirth with a mystery element.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% (this title) · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Redemption · 6% of filmsJustice · 13% of filmsTruth · 4% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeA fleeing monk finds moral renewal by using theater to expose an unjust accusation and save an innocent woman.
StanceThe film affirms that truth-telling and sacrifice can redeem a flawed individual and save a community from injustice.

The world

MedievalRuralWildernessSmall townRealistic
Orchestral modernFolkSupportive music · original score · Mark Mancina
Setting14th-century England, traveling through villages and rural landscapes
MusicCombines medieval folk elements with a modern orchestral score to underscore the period setting and emotional arcs.

Content guide

Is The Reckoning okay for kids?

R

The Reckoning is rated R: “Rated R for some sexuality and violent images” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its sexual content at mild (27/100). It has too few votes to rank yet.

Overall
needs 3 or more scored categories
not ranked
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (5 votes)

Overall standing needs at least three scored categories; this title has 1.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Reckoning have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Reckoning?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Paul Bettany
as Nicholas
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Willem Dafoe
as Martin
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tom Hardy
as Straw
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Brian Cox
as Tobias
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Simon McBurney
as Stephen
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Luke de Woolfson
as Daniel
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Gina McKee
as Sarah
Vincent Cassel
as Lord De Guise
Ewen Bremner
as Simon Damian
Mark Benton
as Sheriff

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Reckoning?

Movies like The Reckoning include The Name of the Rose (1986), Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man (2026) and The American (2010). Of the 12 closest matches, several are stories about priests, and half are films set in a religious community.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

4 of these 12 share its world: medieval. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Reckoning?

733 other films share the rarest tag below, follows: clergy. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.