Redbad

Set in 754 AD, Redbad unfolds during a vicious era of raids, shifting loyalties, and empire building. The film centers on a fierce pagan king who must decide how far he will push back against encroaching Christian power. As Frankish forces push deeper into his lands, Redbad weighs not just his military strength but the fate of his people, his kin, and their ancestral beliefs. To keep his realm intact, he turns to a formidable Viking alliance, hoping a united front can blunt centuries of conquest. The story pairs brutal siege warfare with tense diplomacy, painting a world where faith and authority collide and every alliance carries a price. It's a hard edged portrait of survival and leadership under fire.

Released in 2018, Roel Reiné directs Redbad with a script from Alex van Galen, drawing on the legend of the pagan king and his struggle to defend a fading world. The production blends practical effects with digital effects to evoke the harsh coastlines and fortified towns of the era.

Box office receipts totaled about 482,806 dollars worldwide, a figure that underscores the film's modest showing beside its 8,155,000 dollar budget. Despite the scale of its production, it failed to recoup the investment, making the venture one of the smaller box office entries of its year.

Although not a global phenomenon, Redbad contributes to a wave of European period pieces that reframe the early medieval era for contemporary audiences. Its battlefield tactics and political maneuvering echo in later cinema and TV, inviting discussions about faith, sovereignty, and cultural memory. Its emphasis on regional conflicts over religion resonates with audiences interested in how communities survive upheaval.

Critics offered mixed responses, with audiences giving the title roughly 6.3 out of 10 from about 215 votes. The film foregrounds leadership under pressure, the collision of belief systems, and the costs of preserving a people's identity in a changing world. The film's visual scale and action drew praise from some critics despite historical simplifications.