this post was submitted on 29 Dec 2025
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Any recs for good, interesting, and/or accurate Rome movies?
I avoid them myself on principal but I think "King Arthur" (2004) was interesting in that it showed the Romans incorporating conquered people into the roman ranks and using them appropriately. I also liked the implications of the Legendary King Arthur as a semi rebelious roman auxiliary.
But other than that its a back sword and fantasy leather jacket mess. However, I won't complain about Keira Knightly in fantasy war bikinis.
Plot I remembered being good but I was too much of a nerd to focus on it.
HBO's Rome, especially Season 1, is a fantastic show.
I, Claudius, is a bit dated but a must-see for Romaboos, both for its quality and its relative accuracy - some of the details of Claudius's life are fiddled with, as with the novel, or filled in where gaps are in the sources, but on the whole it's very loving towards the actual history of the subject. It excessively condemns Livia, but it gives Claudius much-deserved time in the limelight in the latter half.
The first season of Barbarians is excellent; the second season is utter dogshit. The Romans speak Latin though, and it's badass
Ben Hur - the 1959 version - is excellent if you can stand a little Christian apologia and some inaccuracies. The tension - and integration - of provincials, freedmen, citizens, and officials is excellently portrayed.
Spartacus - the movie, not the tv show - is excellent, but not accurate in the least. I... lack interest in seeing the tv show, and so could not offer any further opinion.
Centurion is fun, but neither accurate nor particularly Roman.
... Monty Python's Life of Brian is far more accurate than it has any right to be, considering... everything about it.
Quo Vadis is insufferable in all ways, avoid at all costs. Unless you can find a supercut of just Peter Ustinov as Emperor Nero, who gives a fantastic performance.
I watched it bc I wanted something kinda relevant in the background while I played Total War Rome. If you're in the mood for the sex/nudity of Game of Thrones mixed with the action sequences of 300, it's your thing. Dunno about accuracy, tho it didn't seem too bad to my uneducated eye. fwiw I never finished the last half-season bc it wasn't that compelling towards the end, tho the story was pretty good in the middle of the run.