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Gladiator

Gladiator

What we do in life echoes in eternity.

2000155 minRMidcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Director
Ridley Scott
Starring
Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed

After the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, his devious son takes power and demotes Maximus, one of Rome's most capable generals who Marcus preferred. Eventually, Maximus is forced to become a gladiator and battle to the death against other men for the amusement of paying audiences.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Gladiator?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Gladiator streaming on Netflix, Paramount+, Pluto TV (free) and The Roku Channel (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Gladiator?

Gladiator earns 16 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Best Picture winner.

Show 8 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Gladiator worth watching?

Gladiator's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 4.3M ratings across 6 sources. 93% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of films

99th percentile among Action99th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)98th
Approval (how many liked it)99th

84 /100

98th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Action99th percentile among 2000s

Critics 67 · Audience 85

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

93% liked it

99th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Action99th percentile among 2000s
93% rated it 7–107% rated it 1–6

Critics 80% · Audience 87%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

5 Oscars won · 6 Oscar noms · 35 wins / 60 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Actor in a Leading Role
  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Costume Design

99th percentile

4.3M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Action99th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 40 days to Oct 26Up 1% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$103M
Opening weekend$35M
Domestic gross$188M
Worldwide gross$466M

Returned 4.5× its budget — 96th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Audiences and critics largely agree that Gladiator is a simple, straightforward revenge story elevated by spectacular production values and strong lead performances, but differs on whether that simplicity is a strength or a weakness.

Fans praised

  • Russell Crowe's commanding, emotional performance as Maximus
  • Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard's iconic, emotionally resonant score
  • Visceral, spectacular gladiatorial combat and arena sequences

Detractors panned

  • Thin, formulaic revenge plot with predictable storytelling
  • Glaring historical inaccuracies and liberties with Roman history
  • Underwritten supporting characters and melodramatic dialogue

What stands out

Sound and musicDivisive95

Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard's score universally acclaimed as one of the film's greatest strengths

ActingDivisive90

Crowe's Oscar-winning performance praised as career-defining; Phoenix's Commodus lauded as a chilling, complex villain

CinematographyDivisive85

Stunning visual recreation of ancient Rome; some critics note overuse of shaky-cam and drab color palette

AtmosphereDivisive85

Immersive, gritty world-building that transports viewers to ancient Rome

Emotional impactDivisive80

Maximus's personal tragedy and quest for vengeance deeply moving for fans; detractors call it hollow

Effects and spectacleDivisive75

Grand-scale CGI Colosseum and battle sequences impressive for era; some effects now dated

CharactersDivisive55

Maximus seen as a compelling, honorable archetype; detractors call characters one-dimensional and shallow

Plot and storyDivisive40

Simple revenge narrative described as classic by fans, but formulaic and predictable by detractors

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is Gladiator like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Big and sweeping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be swept up in something big.

It is intense and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Big and sweeping.

Moods
TenseMelancholicCatharticTriumphant
Heaviest: late
Register
Epic · 2% of films: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brutal · 7% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its epic, tragic material completely straight, with no irony or undercutting of its emotional stakes.
The rideMost of the film oscillates between tension and melancholy, with the heaviest emotional weight concentrated in the climax and Maximus' death.
StructureThe film follows a conventional beginning-middle-end structure, beginning with the final battle in Germania, moving through Maximus' enslavement and rise as a gladiator, and concluding with his final duel and death.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetDevastating · 3% of films
Why it leaves you this wayMaximus earns his revenge and restores the Republic, but at the cost of his own life, leaving the viewer with a deep sense of loss tinged with the hope that his sacrifice was meaningful.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).TragedyHubris
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% (this title) · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Hubris: Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).

9% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

Why this archetypeMaximus' story follows the arc of a great man brought low by pride and the abuse of power, a classic tragedy of public and private fall. The film also traces his rebirth from enslaved gladiator to liberator of Rome.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfGriefSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5% (this title)
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% (this title) · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

Grief · 6% of filmsJustice · 13% of filmsFreedom · 5% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film is driven by Maximus' loss of his wife and son and his quest for justice and freedom from tyranny.
StanceThe film mourns the loss of family and an ideal of Rome, while glorifying the hero's self-sacrifice to restore justice.

The world

AncientUrbanWildernessInstitutionalStylized realism
Orchestral modernElectronicForeground music · original score · Hans Zimmer
SettingRoman Empire in the late 2nd century AD, moving from Germania to North Africa to Rome's Colosseum
MusicThe score blends heroic brass and strings with haunting electronic elements, notably the vocal pieces by Lisa Gerrard.

Content guide

Is Gladiator okay for kids?

R

Gladiator is rated R: “Rated R for intense, graphic combat” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (89/100), sexual content at mild (30/100), language at mild (32/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (10/100) and frightening material at severe (83/100). Overall it is heavier than 58% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 30 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland15
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • Argentina+13
  • Belgium18
  • BGC
  • Czechia12+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceK15
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoB-15
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • PhilippinesPG
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO18
  • Russia16+
  • SK15
  • Spain12
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
  • Türkiye16+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 75% of all filmsHeavier than 58% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 83%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 24%
Profanity
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 7%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 3%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 83%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Gladiator have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Gladiator?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor; Russell Crowe won the Oscar for this film.

Russell Crowe
as Maximus
Oscar win: Academy Award — Best Actor in a Leading RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Joaquin Phoenix
as Commodus
Oscar nominee: Academy Award nomination — Best Actor in a Supporting RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Connie Nielsen
as Lucilla
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion PictureTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Oliver Reed
as Proximo
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Richard Harris
as Marcus Aurelius
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Derek Jacobi
as Gracchus
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture
Djimon Hounsou
as Juba
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture
newcomer then · star now
David Schofield
as Falco
John Shrapnel
as Gaius
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Tomas Arana
as Quintus
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Gladiator?

Movies like Gladiator include Gladiator II (2024), King Arthur (2004) and Troy (2004). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films written by David Franzoni, and most are war epics.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Ridley Scott directed 6 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Gladiator?

813 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: war epic. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.