Movie Spotlight: Red Sonja (2025)

The time is finally at hand. To say that the new Red Sonja film has been my most anticipated release of the last few years would be an understatement. As my previous spotlight on Boss Fight Studio’s wonderful Red Sonja figure proclaimed, the She-Devil with a Sword is one of my all-time favourite pop-culture icons, and one that has been deserving of a fresh cinematic adaptation for far too long.

It is with great pleasure, then, that I can say – after two long years of waiting since post-production was said to have wrapped – I have finally had a chance to sit down and watch M. J. Bassett’s 2025 Red Sonja (2025), and damn if I didn’t love it. A fun, breakneck romp through the world of Hyboria, it embraces the comic book origins of the character and leans into the feeling of the books in such a way that left me with the biggest smile on my face. Make no mistake, this is a comic book movie, the likes of which have rarely been seen in recent memory. Every shot feels like the turn of a page, every scene is crafted to high-fantasy perfection (through the use of real sets and some rather PS3-era looking CGI – more on that later), and every costume looks as if it was pulled right out of a Frazetta painting. Yes, the bikini armour is there, and yes, it looks amazing, ridiculous and badass. Just the way it should!

Bassett, who previously directed the criminally underrated Howard adaptation of Solomon Kane back in 2009, sure knows her stuff when it comes to action and fantasy and puts it all on full display here. Having made Solomon Kane, it is apt that the film feels the way it does. Believe me when I say this is not meant in any way other than the highest of praise; Red Sonja 2025 feels like a film made twenty years ago. An amalgam of the lower budget sword and sandal/sorcery, Conan knockoffs from the 70s and 80s like Deathstalker, Arena, The Beastmaster, Conquest, and The Barbarians, as well as high-concept 90s and 2000s action movies and TV shows such as Xena, Hercules, The Mummy, Van Helsing, Underworld, and, of course, Solomon Kane – Red Sonja is a breath of fresh air in the current, stagnating landscape of comic book and superhero movies, which all appear to have no personality and a seeming distain for their source material.

Red Sonja is action-packed, it has cool, badass characters, it’s got giant monsters and dastardly, black and white heroes and villains. It also, most importantly, has that schlocky, entertaining quality which permeates through those previously mentioned films and shows. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, whilst still respecting itself and its audience. It has humour, but not in the way that, say, a Whedon Avengers movie does, where it feels out of place, sarcastic, ashamed of itself and forced. No, the tone is secure, it is proud, the characters are strong and brave, hardened adventurers of the highest calibre. They don’t need an hour-long origin sequence before the film starts, they – and especially Sonja herself – let the action do the talking. The film knows why you are there, it knows what you want to see, and by God does it deliver. And, whilst that may lead to the plot feeling thin in parts, in the end it doesn’t really matter. Indeed, the lack of too in-depth a plot actually does much to add to the comic book feeling of it all, and nudges proceedings along nicely towards the action rather than letting it get bogged down with over-long dialogue and exposition, which, again, works to the film’s favour.

Whilst, as previously stated, the CGI does sometimes leave something to be desired, this too only adds to the charm of the piece, and the old-school fantasy feeling of the film as a whole. It has a fun, quirky feeling to it. It’s The Little Engine that Could. It does what it can with what it was given; it’s perky and boisterous, not letting itself be held down by constraints of budget or contemporary ideas of what a superhero film should be. Just like Red Sonja, the character.

As a fan of the Red Sonja comics, the film thematically fits perfectly within the zones of the old Marvel stories and the more modern titles, such as Gail Simone’s highly lauded run or Torunn Grønbekk’s exemplary recent title. It manages to straddle the line between traditional and modern takes of the character, whilst keeping her roots and nailing the tone that I, and fans, want and expect. No-nonsense, kick-ass, doing-it-on-her-own, barbarian warrior woman badassery! When compared to the previous film adaptation, 1985’s Red Sonja, it is night and day. This is superior in almost every way (even though I do love that film!), and may even, dare I say, be my new favourite post-Conan the Barbarian (1982) barbarian flick.

Make no mistake, this film is schlock. It is not going to win any Academy Awards. Hell, it probably isn’t even going to review well from critics not already in love with the character. But none of that is the point. This genuinely feels like a love letter to the character, a respectful, joyous celebration of everything that makes her cool and so beloved. Sometimes, that is all you need. Sometimes, that is all you want. Nobody wants some elevated, high-falutin' take on Red Sonja, of all characters. It would feel disingenuous and out of place. No, this is exactly the way it should have been done, and I get a very strong feeling that everybody involved in ensuring this film saw the light of day is a fan of the character, loves her dearly, and is proud of the end result. As they very well should be.

As far as the cast goes, they, once again, nailed it. Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: Matilda Lutz is fantastic as Sonja. She looks the part and performs the action side of things with ease. Her fight scenes are phenomenal, and you really believe that she is the character brought to life. Her mannerisms, action scenes, dialogue delivery and personality are spot on, and the way she portrays the character’s journey from cocky rookie to undisputed barbarian legend feels natural and well-earned. She is a brilliant physical actor, obvious from her previous role in Revenge (2017), but she, too, manages to ace Sonja’s personality balancing act between stoic, jovial, serious and self-assured, showing that she has great range as well as fantastic physical command over the role. As this is the first time movie-goers have seen Red Sonja in over three decades, getting her right was one of the most important things the film had to do. Thankfully, they couldn’t have asked for a better actor for the role, and Lutz genuinely feels as if she was born to play her. I really hope we get a follow-up to this title, as a series of Red Sonja movies starring Lutz would be something I would love to see, and could be something truly special, indeed.

The supporting cast, too, is just fantastic. To bring things back to the 2000s experience of it all, this really feels like a who’s who of British TV and film actors of the time. The appearance of performers, such as Robert Sheehan (Misfits), Luca Pasqualino (Skins), and Tony Way (Spaced, Black Books, Shooting Stars), amongst others, gives the piece a nostalgic, cosy warmth alongside their standout performances. Sheehan, especially, needs to be mentioned, who gives an incredible turn as the big bad, Emperor Dragan. He’s clearly loving every second of his time, chewing the scenery and relishing the pulp-ness of it all. He’s, of course, incredible in everything, so this should come as no surprise, really. But to see him show up here was a great treat, and the respect he gives to the piece is truly commendable.

This is prevalent in every performance; however, with the cast seeming to really care about and enjoy what they are doing, despite the inherent silliness of it all. Never once does it feel like they are mocking the script, the characters, or the premise; but, instead, they are clearly having a ruddy good time with it all, and that comes across in every shot – the love. I’ve said it before, but this is how comic book movies should be. A film adaptation of Red Sonja is not going to change the world, but this movie doesn’t set about to. It sticks to what it is, and it does what it does incredibly, incredibly well. The cinematic world would be a much better place if more comic book movies stuck to doing this, and they would sure as hell be a lot more fun if they did, if nothing else.

In conclusion, to say that Red Sonja lived up to my expectations would be an understatement. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that the film’s delayed release hadn’t filled me with dread, that its apparent struggle to find a distributor and refusal to release the 2023 SDCC trailer to the general public wasn’t a warning flag. I need not have been worried, and indeed, feel the need to apologise somewhat for ever doubting the capabilities of all involved. I adore this film; it is all I ever wanted from a Red Sonja movie, and more. As a fan of the character, this is, finally, the film which she deserves, and proves, once and for all, that she has legs to stand on, and is a well-defined, unique character with her own merit. That she is, truly, more than just Conan in a metal bikini. And for that, I couldn’t be happier.

Here's to Hyboria!

-              R.A. Daunton