William Tell

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2:17

William Tell

R

Released Apr 4

2h 13m

Action

Adventure

Drama

History

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

55%

Tomatometer

55 Reviews

47%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

1307, the Holy Roman Empire is in turmoil. As its grip on Europe loosens, new dynasties such as the Austrian Habsburg Family encroach on new lands, desperate for power. Switzerland, the once peaceful country, is overwhelmed and bows under the Austrian might. When the local huntsman William Tell sees a farmer begging for help after murdering a cruel Austrian governor, he reluctantly agrees to guide him to a safe location. But as he meets with more comrades along the way, Tell realizes that this act of violence is a larger sign of what's to come with the growing Swiss resistance. Tell is drawn into the madness when the cruel Austrian Viceroy Gessler orders him to shoot an apple from his son's head for refusing to bend the knee to Austrian authority. Once Tell's family has been threatened, there is no turning back. Tell not only commits to joining the resistance but ends up leading the fight against the Austrian forces. Scarred by his own experience in the depravity and destitution of war during the Crusades, he comes to realize what matters most: his family and preserving his country's independence for future generations.

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Critics Consensus

William Tell finds a worthy embodiment of the folk hero in the capable Claes Bang, but this historical epic repeats too many familiar beats to stir up its own distinctive legend.

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

Very interesting movie that tells a cool history.

Apr 9, 2025

Full Review

Matt Zoller Seitz

RogerEbert.com

It seems a bit of a stretch to think that this is going to end up as the first installment in a long-running MCU-style series of hard-edged escapist adventures loosely based on history. But stranger things have happened.

Rated: 2/4

Apr 4, 2025

Full Review

Helen O'Hara

Empire Magazine

This old-fashioned tale of folk heroism and hardy underdogs benefits from solid performances and spectacular vistas, but it loses points for a sequel-baiting ending. 

Rated: 3/5

Feb 4, 2025

Full Review

John Serba

Decider

The apples of this story might be getting soft, but Hamm made a pretty good baked crisp out of them.

Aug 12, 2025

Full Review

Alfred Castaneda

Shade Studios

There’s enough material here that could fill a mini-series, but as an overly long movie, the narrative still feels rushed. As if Hamm knew there was enough concept for a multi-episodic work but was forced to cut this down to size.

Jul 30, 2025

Full Review

Clotilde Chinnici

Movie Marker

Overall, William Tell is a perfectly decent film. With its compelling story and well-built tension, it is bound to catch the audience’s interest and never let it go until its very last frame, despite its rather lengthy runtime.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 27, 2025

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Torin F

WILLIAM TELL assembles a talented cast to recount the tale of Switzerland's legendary folk hero. This epic historical action film is visually impressive, with immersive landscapes and a well-crafted medieval setting. The plot lumbers along, however, wisely avoiding overt Braveheart bravado but failing to establish a thematically or emotionally coherent narrative arc. Further hampered by Claes Bang's convincing but too-stoic William Tell, along with the somewhat confusing political drama, there's ultimately little for viewers to remain invested in, and the unresolved ending is pretty unsatisfying too.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

09/14/25

Full Review

Daniel N

B-grade Netflix movie. Felt very low budget and low quality from the start. Struggled to watch 15 mins before turning it off.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

09/03/25

Full Review

KaidanR R

I might have had expectations which were too high. The movie has all you could expect : understandable storyline, good-and-bad-Guy, nice decors, action and some (disfunctional) boobs The sound however was too loud and two hours plus was too much. KaidanR

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/30/25

Full Review

Flyoverland C

The beautiful scenery is thoroughly chewed.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/25/25

Full Review

MQ s

Oh, give me a break. West Asians in Switzerland back in the days?

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

08/23/25

Full Review

Woodsy W

Thought this film was very well made. The scenery is amazing and the armor and dress is done extremely well. A Swiss folklore hero similar to robin hood taking up arms against oppression. An evil king with a tax men that deprive the locals of their wealth and resources. I love the time era the film is set in early 14th century. I'm very keen for a sequel

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/23/25

Full Review

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Nick Hamm

Director

Solly McLeod

Actor

Sam Keeley

Actor

Jake Dunn

Actor

Tobias Jowett

Actor

Claes Bang

Actor

William Tell: Extended Preview

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William Tell: Exclusive Movie Clip - The Apple

2:26

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William Tell: Trailer 1

2:17

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Synopsis

1307, the Holy Roman Empire is in turmoil. As its grip on Europe loosens, new dynasties such as the Austrian Habsburg Family encroach on new lands, desperate for power. Switzerland, the once peaceful country, is overwhelmed and bows under the Austrian might. When the local huntsman William Tell sees a farmer begging for help after murdering a cruel Austrian governor, he reluctantly agrees to guide him to a safe location. But as he meets with more comrades along the way, Tell realizes that this act of violence is a larger sign of what's to come with the growing Swiss resistance. Tell is drawn into the madness when the cruel Austrian Viceroy Gessler orders him to shoot an apple from his son's head for refusing to bend the knee to Austrian authority. Once Tell's family has been threatened, there is no turning back. Tell not only commits to joining the resistance but ends up leading the fight against the Austrian forces. Scarred by his own experience in the depravity and destitution of war during the Crusades, he comes to realize what matters most: his family and preserving his country's independence for future generations.

Director: Nick Hamm
Producer: Piers Tempest, Marie-Christine Jaeger-Firmenich
Screenwriter: Nick Hamm
Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Production Co: Tempo Productions Limited, Free Turn, Beta Cinema
Rating: R (Strong/Bloody Violence|Brief Nudity)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 4, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 25, 2025
Runtime: 2h 13m

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