Beowulf (2007)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A warrior travels to Denmark to slay a monstrous creature, only to find himself entangled in a cycle of ancient, seductive magic.
The story
In 507, the Geatish warrior Beowulf travels to Denmark with a band of soldiers to slay Grendel, a monstrous creature that has been terrorizing King Hrothgar's people during celebrations in the mead hall Heorot. To ensure a fair fight, Beowulf faces the creature in a brutal confrontation. After defeating Grendel, Beowulf is rewarded with a golden drinking horn. However, the victory is short-lived as Grendel's mother emerges to seek revenge, leading Beowulf and his companion Wiglaf into a perilous journey to confront the remaining threat in a dark, magical cave.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After defeating Grendel, Beowulf faces Grendel's mother in her cave. She offers him a deal: she will be 'slain' if he gives her the golden drinking horn and a son. Beowulf accepts, and the two share a kiss. He returns to Heorot claiming victory, but Hrothgar reveals he too was seduced by the demon, and the curse has passed to Beowulf. Hrothgar dies, and Beowulf is crowned king. Fifty years later, an elderly Beowulf is haunted by a dragon—the physical manifestation of his bargain. He confesses his secret to his wife, Wealtheow, and prepares for a final battle. He kills the dragon but loses his arm and his sword. In his final moments, he reveals the truth of his son's identity to Wiglaf, who chooses to keep the legacy intact. The film ends with Wiglaf facing Grendel's mother's seduction in the surf, ultimately showing resistance.
- First release year
- 2007
- Runtime (minutes)
- 114
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Robert Zemeckis
- Writers
- Neil Gaiman · writer; Roger Avary · writer
- Cast and characters
- Ray Winstone · Beowulf; Anthony Hopkins · King Hrothgar; John Malkovich · Unferth; Robin Wright Penn · Queen Wealtheow; Brendan Gleeson · Wiglaf; Crispin Glover · Grendel; Alison Lohman · Ursula; Angelina Jolie · Grendel's mother
- Genres
- animated; fantasy; action; epic
- Themes
- sexual unease; monstrous feminine; gender roles; unbridled desire; metatextuality; deconstruction
- Tone and mood
- epic; dark; mythic
- Setting
- Medieval Denmark and Geatland in the year 507.
- Premise and plot tags
- mythology; monster-hunting; fantasy; action
- Source material / true-story basis
- Old English poem Beowulf
- Content notes
- violence; nudity
- Reception
- The film was generally well received by critics, though there was criticism towards its deviations from the original poem.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 71% · scale: percentage · review count: 194; Metacritic · score: 59 · scale: 100 · review count: 35
- Production trivia
- The film used motion-capture animation, a technique also used in The Polar Express and Monster House.; Crispin Glover's dialogue was entirely in Old English.; The film was intended to be released in 3D in over 1,000 theaters.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…