The Best Sword-and-Sandal Epics Ever Made

Published: June 24, 2024 by Dan Myers

There’s really nothing like a great swords-and-sandals film. An often-overlooked genre, swords-and-sandals epics are among the most fun and venerable of all types of movies, and even though they may not be quite as popular or commonly-made as they once were, it’s still a genre that we can’t get enough of. These are the best swords-and-sandal epics of all time.

Swords and sandal epics are often set in ancient times, in civilizations like Greece, Rome, Egypt, or biblical times. Their storylines can draw from historical events or ancient mythology, and they’re known for their grandiose scale that incorporates big sets, big casts, and big special effects. There’s usually a larger-than-life hero who goes on a journey and fights in some epic battles along the way, and there’s usually no shortage of action sequences, with maybe some sword fights and chariot races thrown in for good measure.

To determine the best sword-and-sandal epics, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of May 2024, weighting all ratings equally. Only movies with at least 1,000 reviews on IMDb were considered, and documentaries were not excluded. Cast information is from IMDb.

So sit back, grab your popcorn (you’re gonna need it!), space out for a couple hours, and get ready to take a trip back in time for a story of romance, betrayal, and plenty of action. And if you’re looking for some really light fare, check out the highest-rated romantic comedies of all time.

50. Wrath of the Titans (2012)

Liam Neeson 2012 | Taken 2 Red Carpet Premiere - 38th Deauville American Film Festival

Source: Francois Durand / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Liam Neeson poses on the red carpet before the screening of his movie Taken 2 in 2012.

Source: Francois Durand / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

IMDb user rating: 5.7/10 (185,226 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 49% (158,182 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 26% (174 reviews)
Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Rosamund Pike

49. The 300 Spartans (1962)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (6,884 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (55,225 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 0% (4 reviews)
Cast: Richard Egan, Ralph Richardson, Diane Baker

48. The Eagle (2011)

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IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (71,288 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 41% (42,622 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 39% (158 reviews)
Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland

47. The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (161,348 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 55% (319,053 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 32% (41 reviews)
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich

46. King Arthur (2004)

Source: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images

IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (169,987 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 59% (390,012 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 31% (191 reviews)
Cast: Clive Owen, Stephen Dillane, Keira Knightley

45. Immortals (2011)

Henry Cavill 2016 | 88th Annual Academy Awards - Arrivals

Source: Jason Merritt / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 28: Actor Henry Cavill attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 28, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Source: Jason Merritt / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (164,445 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 48% (68,397 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 46% (132 reviews)
Cast: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, John Hurt

44. The Three Musketeers (1993)

Charlie Sheen | Project Angel Food's 2018 Angel Awards

Source: Charley Gallay / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

HOLLYWOOD, CA - AUGUST 18: Charlie Sheen attends Project Angel Foods 2018 Angel Awards on August 18, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Project Angel Food)

Source: Charley Gallay / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (52,772 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 62% (169,795 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 28% (29 reviews)
Cast: Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O’Donnell

43. First Knight (1995)

Sean Connery | Target Presents AFI's Night At The Movies - Presentations

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HOLLYWOOD - OCTOBER 01: Actor Sean Connery presents during AFIs Night At The Movies presented by Target held at ArcLight Cinemas on October 1, 2008 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for AFI)

Source: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (70,637 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 54% (166,096 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 43% (47 reviews)
Cast: Sean Connery, Richard Gere, Julia Ormond

42. 300: Rise of an Empire (2014)

300: Rise of an Empire (2014) | Sullivan Stapleton in 300: Rise of an Empire (2014)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

N/A

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (288,776 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 51% (140,607 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 45% (198 reviews)
Cast: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey

41. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

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IMDb user rating: 5.9/10 (182,349 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 53% (254,496 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 49% (150 reviews)
Cast: Logan Lerman, Kevin McKidd, Steve Coogan

40. Hercules (2014)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

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Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (150,868 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 48% (102,632 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 58% (122 reviews)
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, John Hurt, Ian McShane

39. Centurion (2010)

Centurion (2010) | Ulrich Thomsen in Centurion (2010)

Source: Courtesy of Magnet Releasing

N/A

Source: Courtesy of Magnet Releasing

IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (80,626 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 43% (47,749 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 61% (113 reviews)
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Olga Kurylenko

38. Robin Hood (2010)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (259,856 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 58% (265,098 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 43% (252 reviews)
Cast: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Matthew Macfadyen

37. The Robe (1953)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (9,924 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (6,026 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 32% (19 reviews)
Cast: Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, Victor Mature

36. The Young Messiah (2016)

Source: Courtesy of Focus Features

IMDb user rating: 5.7/10 (3,415 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (5,960 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 49% (39 reviews)
Cast: Adam Greaves-Neal, Vincent Walsh, Sara Lazzaro

35. Knights of the Round Table (1953)

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IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (3,526 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 42% (2,901 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 67% (6 reviews)
Cast: Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, Mel Ferrer

34. The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (10,735 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (9,673 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 43% (23 reviews)
Cast: Max von Sydow, Dorothy McGuire, Charlton Heston

33. Last Days in the Desert (2015)

Source: Courtesy of Broad Green Pictures

IMDb user rating: 5.6/10 (3,967 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 45% (4,049 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76% (71 reviews)
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Ciarán Hinds, Tye Sheridan

32. The Nativity Story (2006)

Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema

IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (11,199 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (82,860 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 37% (131 reviews)
Cast: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Oscar Isaac

31. Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (292,318 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (365,559 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 39% (191 reviews)
Cast: Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Liam Neeson

30. Luther (2003)

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IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (15,094 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (8,712 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 45% (62 reviews)
Cast: Joseph Fiennes, Bruno Ganz, Peter Ustinov

29. Risen (2016)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (26,910 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (16,290 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 53% (132 reviews)
Cast: Joseph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth

28. Samson and Delilah (1949)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (7,602 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 59% (2,081 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 63% (8 reviews)
Cast: Hedy Lamarr, Victor Mature, George Sanders

27. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (185,060 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (334,799 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 52% (56 reviews)
Cast: Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio

26. Troy (2004)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (539,561 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (825,276 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 54% (229 reviews)
Cast: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom

25. Cleopatra (1963)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (34,332 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (20,563 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 62% (39 reviews)
Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison

24. The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (233,592 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (369,517 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 49% (280 reviews)
Cast: Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern

23. Clash of the Titans (1981)

Source: Larry Ellis / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

British actor Laurence Olivier (1907 - 1989) in his office, Waterloo, London, UK, 25th January 1968. (Photo by Larry Ellis/Daily Express/Getty Images)

Source: Larry Ellis / Hulton Archive via Getty Images