Director M. J. Bassett is no stranger to the world of pulp legend Robert E. Howard. After adapting the excellent Solomon Kane for the big screen, Bassett now turns her lens to another of Howard’s fierce creations – Red Sonja. While this version of Sonja was originally created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, she was inspired by Howard’s Red Sonya of Rogatino. Bassett reintroduces the She-Devil with a Sword in a new cinematic chapter that blends mythic grit with modern relevance.
Matilda Lutz leads with a powerful performance that redefines the iconic warrior, balancing a warrior’s fury with a protector’s grace. Her Sonja is not driven solely by vengeance, despite witnessing her mother’s murder as a child, but by a deep connection to the natural world. Raised among ancient trees rather than royal courts, she becomes a fierce protector of the wild. When Emperor Draygan, played by Robert Sheehan (Misfits, The Umbrella Academy), brings the machinery of empire to her forest home, Sonja finds herself powerless to stop the destruction.
Draygan is a villain both timeless and timely – a destroyer who mistakes devastation for progress, echoing the colonial and corporate forces that continue to ravage ecosystems. Screenwriter Tasha Huo threads environmental consciousness into the genre’s mythic DNA with remarkable finesse. Sonja’s act of liberating arena beasts destined for slaughter becomes a moment of mercy and defiance, a symbolic stand against exploitation.
This iteration of Sonja channels the feminist spirit that Gail Simone infused into the character during her acclaimed run at Dynamite Comics. Her strength is not born of trauma, but of unwavering justice and a sacred duty to protect the land and its forest gods. While the film occasionally reveals its modest budget, its ambition and heart shine through. Bassett keeps the focus on character and meaning over spectacle, and the Belousova-Ostinelli score – evoking the grandeur of Basil Poledouris – adds mythic resonance to the journey.
After years of development hell, Red Sonja emerges as a rollicking sword-and-sorcery adventure. Bassett has crafted a film that feels both nostalgic and contemporary, a rare blend that deserves your attention.
