5.2/10
Senior Film Conservator

A definitive 5.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Adémaï au Moyen-Âge remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, you probably shouldn't watch this unless you have a soft spot for pre-war French cinema or just really like movies where guys in chainmail stumble over their own feet. If you’re looking for a serious historical drama, stay far away. You will hate it. If you want something that feels like a forgotten stage play that somebody decided to film on a whim? You might actually have a decent time.
It’s not quite as ambitious as Metropolis, obviously. It’s smaller, dumber, and infinitely more casual.
The whole thing feels like it was shot on a Sunday afternoon. Adémaï is just kind of wandering through this medieval mess, and the movie doesn't bother explaining half of the plot. Lord Pickwickdam—what a name, right?—is holding down this fortress, and he’s basically just there to be grumpy while everyone else runs around. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in A Spy for a Day, just with more swords and less actual espionage.
There is this one scene where a character just stands in the background, clearly waiting for his cue, and he’s just staring at the camera for a solid five seconds. Nobody edited it out. It’s honestly the highlight of the film. It felt so human.
You can tell the budget was basically zero. The fortress walls look like they might collapse if someone sneezed too hard. There’s a specific kind of low-stakes joy in watching people pretend to be knights while they’re clearly just having a laugh behind the scenes.
Is it a masterpiece? Absolutely not. It doesn't even try to be. It’s just a weird, dusty relic that still has a pulse if you’re patient enough to wait for it. Sometimes, that’s enough. 🏰