There’s no world in which it can justifiably be called a classic, but for anyone with a soft spot for incredibly straight-faced medieval fantasies that boast blood, guts, and gore by the bucketload, Solomon Kane will endure as one of the guiltiest guilty pleasures of the 21st Century.
Played entirely seriously by its cast and crew despite being inherently ludicrous on every level, James Purefory slices and dices his way through supernatural opposition in a preposterous origin story for the literary creation hailing from the mind of Conan the Barbarian originator Robert E. Howard.
A defiantly old school swords, sorcery, and supernatural fable caked in dust, sweat, and entrails, Solomon Kane won surprisingly enthusiastic responses from critics despite its niche appeal, although the unexpected acclaim didn’t translate into quantifiable success at the box office, which is a borderline travesty.
In fact, it didn’t even manage to recoup half of its $40 million in budget in ticket sales to go down in the annals of history as a monster-sized bomb, even if stellar word-of-mouth and home video sales eventually saw it gain traction as a delightfully unhinged cult favorite. It was supposed to be the start of a trilogy, though, so never forget what they took from us by not showing up to the theater.
Thankfully, streaming is the perfect place for titles like Solomon Kane to cut through the competition and enjoy an uptick in interest, with now also happening to be the perfect time. Per FlixPatrol, a full 14 years after its release and the forgotten flop has emerged as a Top 10 hit on Prime Video in 16 countries worldwide, opening the doors to a brand new wave of adulation.