Adémaï au Moyen-Âge: A weird, dusty slice of French comedy

Is it worth your time?

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 vibe

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.

• The armor looks like it’s made of cardboard and hope.
• Noel-Noel carries the movie on his back, even when the script gives him nothing to do.
• The sound mixing is a disaster, but in a way that’s kind of endearing.

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. 🏰