Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Britain, A.D. 117. Quintus Dias, the sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman frontier fort, marches north with General Virilus' legendary Ninth Legion, under orders to wipe the Picts from the face of the Earth and destroy their leader, Gorlacon.
Centurion is a competent but unremarkable Roman-era action film. The plot follows a fairly standard 'hunted soldiers behind enemy lines' template with some historical dressing, offering little narrative surprise. Acting is serviceable from a capable cast including Michael Fassbender and Dominic West, but character depth is thin. The Scottish Highland cinematography provides some visual sweep, though the direction is workmanlike rather than distinctive. Novelty is low — the film treads well-worn survival thriller ground with Roman costuming, and the Ninth Legion premise had been explored more ambitiously elsewhere (The Eagle). The ending is flat and unsatisfying, providing a perfunctory resolution that undercuts whatever tension was built. Overall a mid-tier genre entry that delivers basic action thrills without distinguishing itself.