When it comes to Heath Ledger and his movies, The Dark Knight is obviously the film that gets brought up most often, and understandably so. It is, after all, a masterpiece and features not only the best work of the actor’s career, but one of the greatest performances the comic book movie genre – and perhaps even cinema as a whole – has ever seen.
And while Ledger will always be most remembered for Christopher Nolan’s epic, he also did a lot of other notable work across film and television and one of his most beloved movies is actually one of his earliest: A Knight’s Tale. Indeed, it’s arguably the performance that really put him on the map and was a turning point in his career, earning nearly $120 million worldwide at the box office and scoring generally favorable reviews.
Among general audiences, it’s fondly remembered and certainly beloved by Ledger’s fans, many of whom would cite it as one of his best. And now, Netflix has added it to its vast library of titles, meaning that as of today, you can rewatch A Knight’s Tale as many times as you’d like and take in its rocking soundtrack, crowd-pleasing story and enjoyable performances from a solid cast that also includes Rufus Sewell, Alan Tudyk and Paul Bettany, among others.
For those unfamiliar with A Knight’s Tale, it follows “a peasant squire, fuelled by his desire for food and glory, who creates a new identity for himself as a knight.” After doing so, he goes on to “compete in tournaments, winning accolades and acquiring friendships with such historical figures as Edward the Black Prince and Geoffrey Chaucer.”
It’s far from a perfect film, with criticism at the time lobbied against it for its thin plot and predictable cliches – both valid complaints, to be fair – but it’s an undeniably fun ride which Ledger carries admirably, showing us that he’s a true Hollywood star. And with an IMDb rating of 6.9 and Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 79%, it’s clear that a lot of people hold the pic in high regard.
So, if you’ve never seen one of Heath Ledger‘s most beloved movies, be sure to check out A Knight’s Tale on Netflix when you get the chance.
