Red Sonja

Red Sonja's return to the big screen after four decades of absence is in itself a cinematic curiosity, reminding us how some pulp icons resist oblivion, even after years of neglect, mismanagement, and uncertainty about their future. This character, first imagined by Robert E. Howard in the 1930s before being reinvented for comics by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith in the 1970s, occupies a special place in the fantasy universe: she may not be as deeply rooted in culture as Conan the Barbarian, but she remains just as fascinating as a fierce warrior who embodies both the appeal and contradictions of the world of sword and sorcery. The 1985 film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Brigitte Nielsen has long been considered a failure, known more for its kitschy excesses and for capitalizing on Arnold Schwarzenegger's rising popularity than for doing justice to the character. 

This adaptation left behind a legacy that was both cult and edifying, reducing Sonja to a caricature in a bikini instead of allowing her to evolve into a strong and complex figure. For years, Hollywood flirted with the idea of resurrecting her—Robert Rodriguez, Simon West, and even Bryan Singer were interested in the project—but each project collapsed under the weight of unattainable ambition. Now, in 2025, M.J. Bassett has finally brought the flaming-haired warrior back to life, with a modest budget and a screenplay by Tasha Huo that attempts to redefine Red Sonja for modern audiences. The result is a film that is imperfect but fascinating: both a feminist statement and an ecological fable. It is messy and uneven, but it is also sincere, energetic, and strangely moving in its desire to rescue the character from her exploitative cinematic past.

From the outset, the film establishes itself as closer in spirit to cult fantasy classics than to flashy contemporary franchises. M.J. Bassett anchors the story in the forested landscapes of the Hyrkanian wilderness, presenting Red Sonja not as a sex symbol, but as a woman forged by loss and survival. Matilda Lutz, best known for her fierce role in Coralie Fargeat's Revenge, proves to be the film's greatest strength. Where Brigitte Nielsen seemed statuesque but disconnected in the 1985 film, Matilda Lutz radiates a visceral physicality, embodying Red Sonja as a warrior whose emotional and physical scars are etched into her every movement. She is not portrayed as invincible, but as someone who is constantly beaten, enslaved, and humiliated, only to rise again with even greater determination. The early scenes in which she appears in nature, bonded to her horse and protecting animals from marauders, portray her as a figure of natural balance, contrasting with the exploitative empire that seeks to dominate the world through machinery and conquest. Sonja's position as an ecological warrior is one of the film's most striking changes, replacing the outdated and problematic “revenge rape” storyline with a more universal and contemporary call to protect the natural order against the forces of domination and greed.

When Red Sonja is captured by the forces of Emperor Dragan, played with theatrical madness by Robert Sheehan, the film shifts into its central arc devoted to slavery, gladiatorial combat, and final rebellion. This is where M.J. Bassett and his screenwriter Tasha Huo most directly address the character's problematic cinematic legacy. Red Sonja is forced into the arena, clad in the famous chainmail bikini, a moment that could easily have repeated the mistakes of the past. Instead, M.J. Bassett presents it as humiliation, stripping the image of any erotic glamour. The chainmail becomes an emblem of objectification, a prison of the male gaze, until Sonja seizes it and transforms this weapon of mockery into a banner of resistance. This choice reflects the film's dual consciousness: it acknowledges the iconography expected by fans while refusing to indulge in the lewd exploitation that made the 1985 version so infamous. Matilda Lutz brilliantly embodies this transformation, her defiance radiating through her performance. She doesn't need jokes or speeches to regain her dignity: the spark in her eyes and the tense ferocity of her body language make this reconquest credible and cathartic.

The villains, though unevenly drawn, provide some of the film's most memorable moments. Dragan, played by Robert Sheehan, is both a tyrant and a mad scientist, a technocrat who worships the power of knowledge but uses it as a means of control rather than to enlighten minds. Sheehan goes over the top, his voice oscillating between whispers and screams, reminiscent of the deranged emperor played by Eddie Redmayne in Jupiter Ascending. At times, this exaggerated performance weakens the threat, reducing it to parody; at other times, it imbues the film with a kitsch vitality that matches its pulp roots. More convincing is Annisia, played by Wallis Day, a haunted warrior who serves Dragan out of guilt and madness, tormented by the voices of those she has killed. Her ghostly white armor and tormented presence create a powerful counterpoint to Sonja. Their duels crackle with both hatred and a strange intimacy, hinting at deeper emotional and perhaps romantic undertones that the film suggests but never fully explores. This refusal to fully embrace the singularity present in Gail Simone's beloved comic book series feels like a missed opportunity, especially in a film so consciously devoted to updating Sonja's identity. Nevertheless, Day and Lutz create enough electricity between them to elevate their encounters above simple hero-villain dynamics.

Technically, the film can't hide its financial limitations. Despite M.J. Bassett's ingenuity, the production is marred by uneven visual effects, digital sets that look unfinished, and action sequences that struggle to convey epic scale with too few extras. A climactic battle that should evoke the grandeur of The Lord of the Rings is instead reduced to a handful of skirmishes staged in confined spaces, with CGI armies barely visible in the background. Yet Bassett, who is accustomed to making the most of small budgets in films such as Solomon Kane and on television, compensates with clever staging. She uses fire, smoke, and tight framing to create an illusion of scale, and when the film shifts to practical combat, it comes alive. A brutal ambush in a burning forest is staged with remarkable intensity, while Sonja's one-on-one duels have a kinetic quality and immediacy that makes your bones crack. There are moments when the roughness becomes almost an asset, evoking the handmade charm of Ray Harryhausen's monsters or the hand-painted landscapes of 1980s fantasy films. Rather than aspiring to the refinement of big-budget franchises, Red Sonja often feels like a return to the pulp cinema of the VHS era: rough, imperfect, but overflowing with sincerity.

Thematically, the film's ambition sometimes outstrips its execution, but its intention is clear. By positioning Dragan as the embodiment of industrial exploitation and Sonja as the guardian of natural balance, Tasha Huo's screenplay connects the tradition of sword and sorcery to contemporary concerns about environmental collapse and authoritarianism. This ecological dimension, combined with Sonja's rejection of objectification, gives the film a deeper resonance than one might expect from a work often dismissed as pulp cheesecake. Nevertheless, the narrative is weighed down by an overloaded second act, which introduces rebel gladiators, secondary characters, and subplots that lack space to develop. Actors like Rhona Mitra and Luca Pasqualino bring flashes of charisma, but their narrative arcs are rushed, which disperses the focus. The film could have been stronger with a tighter narrative, focused more directly on the conflict between Red Sonja and Annisia, which carries the richest thematic and emotional weight.

Despite these flaws, Red Sonja has a charm that lingers after the credits roll. Its imperfections make it human, its roughness makes it honest, and its refusal to treat Sonja as a mere pin-up gives it meaning. Matilda Lutz establishes herself not only as the film's greatest asset, but also as an actress capable of carrying this franchise into new installments, should they come to fruition. Her Red Sonja is fierce without being invulnerable, rebellious without being monotonous, and endowed with a complexity that no previous adaptation has attempted to explore. The tragedy may not lie in the film's flaws, but in its release: having enjoyed only a brief theatrical run before being relegated to streaming, it risks being ignored by the very audience that might embrace its fierce conviction. Had it been released as a cult midnight movie or on the festival circuit, it might already have the makings of a rediscovered gem.

Red Sonja is not the definitive adaptation that fans have long hoped for, but it is the first to treat the character with genuine respect. It rescues her from her sexist past, gives her thematic relevance rooted in ecology and resistance, and embraces pulp fantasy with enough conviction to forgive its imperfections. It's not great cinema in the traditional sense, but it's honest, imperfect, bloody cinema overflowing with love for a genre that has always thrived on the fringes. If the definitive Red Sonja is still waiting to be made, this film at least sets the stage for her rebirth, proving that beneath the chainmail clichés and decades of failed attempts, the character still matters, still inspires, and still has the power to ignite the imagination.

Red Sonja
Directed by M. J. Bassett
Written by Tasha Huo
Based on Characters by Robert E. Howard as adapted by Roy Thomas
Produced by Avi Lerner, Joe Gatta, Yariv Lerner, Mark Canton, Courtney Solomon, Joey Soloway, Luke Lieberman
Starring Matilda Lutz, Wallis Day, Robert Sheehan, Michael Bisping, Martyn Ford, Eliza Matengu, Rhona Mitra, Veronica Ferres
Cinematography: Lorenzo Senatore
Edited by Andrew MacRitchie
Music by Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli
Production companies: Millennium Media, Cinelou Films, Mark Canton Productions, Nu Boyana Film Studios, Dynamite Entertainment
Distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films (United States)
Release dates: August 13, 2025 (United States)
Running time: 110 minutes

Seen on August 30, 2025 (VOD)

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