Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

William Tell

Play trailer 2:17 Poster for William Tell R Released Apr 4 2h 13m Action Adventure Drama History Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
55% Tomatometer 55 Reviews 48% 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.
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

William Tell

William Tell

What to Know

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More (55)
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 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More (30)
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 Bob H One of the worst films I've ever seen! Jumps from one poorly scripted scene to the next with no sense of tension or drama while cheesy lines are badly delivered,and the "action" whimpers away without delivering. Whoever wrote this screenplay needs a good slap,and the actors should crawl away and hide! The occasional "thou" and "thy" are flung out randomly,while some of the worst acting ever delivered plays out. I did watch the whole thing just in case it did ever get interesting but even the climactic battle scenes gave the impression they could only find 50 extras that were desperate enough to be on screen they would agree to participate in this drivel. I can honestly say I knew little of the story of William Tell apart from the whole shooting an apple off of his son's head,and after watching this film I'm not sure I know much more than that as I think whoever wrote this script did their research into the facts by reading a children's encyclopedia?? Still,at least it isn't the "new" War of The Worlds!! Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/18/25 Full Review Jesse R Could have had potential, but it’s ass Rated 1 out of 5 stars 08/07/25 Full Review Read all reviews
William Tell

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

William Tell

William Tell: Extended Preview William Tell: Extended Preview 6:35 William Tell: Exclusive Movie Clip - The Apple William Tell: Exclusive Movie Clip - The Apple 2:26 View more videos
Gladiator II 70% 81% Gladiator II Watchlist TRAILER for Gladiator II Gladiator 80% 87% Gladiator Watchlist TRAILER for Gladiator 13 Assassins 95% 88% 13 Assassins Watchlist The Promised Land 97% 95% The Promised Land Watchlist TRAILER for The Promised Land The Northman 90% 64% The Northman Watchlist TRAILER for The Northman Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

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
Most Popular at Home Now