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A Knight's War -- A Review

High fantasy films are becoming more numerous, thanks to vast improvements in special effect technology over the last twenty years. Aside from the big budget monsters, like The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, more lower budgeted fantasy movies are being released than ever before. A recent release, A Knight's War, is one of the better of the lower budget titles. A Knight's War concerns itself with Bhodie (Jeremy Ninaber), a knight in the service of an ancient prophecy that heralds the arrival of the Chosen One (Kristen Kaster)--a sacred, red-haired woman who will lead the charge to rid the world of all evil. Yet when the Chosen One is captured by a cult that plans to sacrifice her, Bhodie and his brother William (Matthew Ninaber) assault their lair to rescue her.

But viewers' expectations are upended for the first time in this smartly written film when the Chosen One is abruptly killed and physically sent to another mystical realm. Bhodie follows her, hell-bent to protect the Chosen One wherever she goes. A Knight's War has the trappings of high fantasy, but with a twist. Instead of following the comforting and well-trotted Dungeons & Dragons aesthetic, director Matthew Ninaber creates a far more gritty and grimmer backdrop that feels more like the middle ages that's haunted by real, dark magic. The result is an enthralling fantasy tale that's just as gripping as its higher budgeted brothers in the same genre. A Knight's War was shot in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. And the production made great use of that area's wintry locations, which only add to the harsh atmosphere and storyline of the film.

Kristen Kaster is superb as Avalon, the Chosen One. With her single-minded intensity, she comes off as being more of a force of nature, rather than a typical damsel in need of rescuing. And Jeremy Ninaber is sturdy as Bhodie, a knight who actually wears his helmet in the many battle scenes that he has--ignoring the trope where the actor's face must be seen at all times. The fight scenes have a strong drive and force to them, and the magic is portrayed as almost being insurmountable--until the heroes figure out an ingenious way to defeat it. The violence is graphic (this isn't a film for the kiddies) and despite having a few "overly chatty" moments here and there, A Knight's War stays on target with its storyline like a well-aimed arrow.

If you've noticed the actors who play Bhodie and William share the same last name as the director, it's because they're all related. A Knight's War is a family affair, with Ralph Ninaber serving as the production designer, and Jacqueline Ninaber as the production manager. I love finding small, independent films like this that are genuinely entertaining. And I sincerely hope that the hint of a sequel at the end of this film comes true. If nothing else, I'll look forward to the Ninaber family's next project, whatever that turns out to be. --SF

A Knight's Tale is available on physical media, and streaming. I saw it on Amazon Prime.

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