William Tell2025

William Tell is a rare movie that I would argue should have been longer. If there's any story that could justify a three-hour runtime, it's William Tell, and the pacing would have benefited from this length enormously.

This is a surprisingly good adaptation of a play in which a cast of strong actors deliver the tale of Wilhem Tell, former crusader and now a common hunter in Switzerland during its occupation by Austria. The dialogue is Shakespearean in its craftsmanship, and the action is serviceable but not groundbreaking. It's perhaps the best medieval period film from this past year, and I look forward to seeing a sequel if they're able to make one.

This old-fashioned tale of folk heroism and hardy underdogs benefits from solid performances and spectacular vistas, but it loses points for a sequel-baiting ending.