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On the first of the month, Netflix added more than 20 movies and shows to its library. Subscribers have gravitated towards the big blockbuster additions, namely the most recent “Jurassic World” movie, which is currently ranked No. 1 on the entire platform.
I’m not exactly surprised to see this, but I am a tad disappointed that one of the newcomers, 2021’s “The Green Knight,” appears to have gotten lost in the shuffle of so many new options. As of writing, it’s not even managed to claim a lowly spot in the big red streaming service’s most-watched list. And that’s an injustice I just won’t stand for, so I’m here to go to bat for this masterful flick.
Directed by visionary filmmaker David Lowery, starring Dev Patel, and based on the classic 14th-century poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” it’s a striking fantasy fable, and it goes to some dark places. However, even when things get bleak and unashamedly surreal, it never looks less than stellar.
So, allow me to pitch you “The Green Knight” now that it’s available to watch on Netflix. If you enjoy warped fantasy, stunning visuals, and a narrative that requires a little bit of brainpower to decipher, you won’t want to miss this highly memorable medieval journey.
What is ‘The Green Knight’ about?
A retelling of the Arthurian legend, “The Green Knight” sees the nephew of King Arthur (Sean Harris), the rash and arrogant Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), set out on a thankless quest to locate the eponymous knight after accepting a bargain with the gigantic emerald-colored specter one year prior.
On his way to find and face the knight, Gawain encounters all manner of obstacles from ghosts, giants and thieves, to Lady Bertilak (Alicia Vikander), who looks to tempt Gawain away from his love back home in Camelot. On this character-tested quest, he hopes to prove his honor and bravery, but as he approaches a showdown with the knight, his resolve begins to falter.
Also starring Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury and Ralph Ineson, “The Green Knight” is a mesmerizing, compelling trip through a dark land that feels both historical and fantastical.
Should you stream ‘The Green Knight’ on Netflix?
My answer to the above question is fairly self-evident. After all, I didn’t label “The Green Knight” as “one of the best dark fantasy movies of all time” on a whim. The movie takes a legendary tale, told and retold for centuries, and not only makes it feel fresh but also brings it to life through truly remarkable cinematography and a multi-layered performance by Dev Patel.
Its narrative is split into various chapters, each noted by a title card, which gives it an almost serialized nature, and adds to the sense that Gawain is embarking on a truly testing journey. The best journeys demand a satisfying ending, and while the ambiguity of “The Green Knight’s” final moments won’t work for everybody, I found it very fitting for the overall mysterious tone.
Though the lavish sets and intricate costumes can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with blockbuster fantasy, “The Green Knight” is definitely more of a mood piece than a grand epic. There are no elaborate battle sequences or heart-pounding duals, and Lowrey is perfectly comfortable with challenging viewers to piece together contextual clues and to draw their own conclusions. But rather than being a weakness, this only adds to the folktale atmosphere.
It almost certainly isn’t a movie for everybody. Lowrey had no interest in crafting a crowd-pleaser. Perhaps this was his “one for me,” as his follow-up feature, 2023’s inconsequential Disney+ original “Peter Pan & Wendy,” certainly feels like “one for them.” But if you can meet “The Green Knight” on its own terms, drinking in its screensaver-worthy vistas and considering its biting deconstruction of masculinity, you’ll find this movie utterly absorbing.
The movie’s divisive nature can be seen in its differing reception from critics and viewers. On review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, the former group scored it a strong 89%, enough for a “Certified Fresh” seal of approval. Whereas its audience score is significantly lower at just 50%, some of the most negative reviews branded it “unsufferable” and a “snooze fest.” That's harsh!
I suspect your mileage will vary with this one, but I encourage you to give it a chance if you think it sounds like a dark fantasy movie that will connect with your personal tastes. But if you’re not convinced by "The Green Knight," here’s a guide to everything new on Netflix in March 2026 with more options.
Watch "The Green Knight" on Netflix now
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