The Best Dungeons & Dragons Movie You (Probably) Have Never Seen

A Ranger, a Monk, and an Evil Cult

(Spoilers. You have been warned.)

The 2001 French film Brotherhood of the Wolf is what a D&D movie should be. Like every good adventure, it begins with a quest: investigate reports of a monstrous wolf terrorizing a remote village. Gregoire de Fronsac played by Samuel Le Bihan finds evidence the attacks were not the work of a wolf. Along with his blood brother Mani played by Mark Alan Decascos, an Iroquois warrior who knows martial arts (because he does and it’s cool), they expose a secret cult and a sinister political plot. Brotherhood of the Wolf ends with an epic combat encounter featuring the Big Bad Evil Guy (BBEG) and his 1d10 damage bone whip sword.

The film, particularly its fight scenes, are heavily stylized. Rain, darkness, and gray skies complement the visceral horror, as well as the secret schemes of the local nobility. Though not core to the story’s central plot, the French Revolution adds context and a historical grounding. Brotherhood of the Wolf is inspired by a real-life series of killings that took place in 18^th century France.

Brotherhood of the Wolf, like a game of D&D, features martial player character (PC) heroes. Fronsac is an academic with a background in nature, he investigates the brutal attacks and tracks the monster. As a Ranger, he’s able to double-wield short swords. Mani, a third- or fourth-level monk, uses a staff to defeat a gang of heavily armed goons. He even dodges gun fire.

Good roleplaying is required to resolve an adventure quest. Investigations rely on player skill, not PC skills. Those in power never say what they mean. It’s up to the players to discern true meaning. No insight checks allowed, this is old school D&D. Fronsac meets an NPC ally, the seductive Sylvia (played by Monica Bellucci), an undercover agent of the Church of Rome. She multi-classes as a Thief and Paladin, alignment restrictions be damned.

Monica Bellucci has 18 Charisma

Of course the BBEG monologues in the final encounter. His flesh is scarred, necrotic wounds reflecting the evil inside. We don’t need a backstory justifying his turn to evil or an attempt at a redemption arc. He’s Lawful Evil. Fronsac kill him to earn the XP.

Before the final battle, there is a dungeon crawl, an exploration of dark catacombs, a dungeon lit with flickering torches.

There’s a bit of magic, too. Mani uses a mysterious powder to save a wounded girl. A healing potion! Spirituality and dream prophecy are light touches, deftly delivered. Magic is rare in classic D&D, like it should be. This is not Pathfinder. You can’t go to the local magic shop to buy healing potions and a +3 rapier.

Compared to the theatrical and SyFy Channel D&D movies, Brotherhood of the Wolf scores a crit. No silly sidekicks. Dialogue is smart and layered with meaning, secrets, and lies. No sunshine, just rain. The combat, though overly stylized, feels authentic and deadly. Nothing is cheapened by washed-out CGI images of monsters superimposed on the screen. There is mud, blood, and cultists. Love and vengeance, too. That’s enough.

Most importantly, the film respects itself and by extension the fantasy adventure genre. Comedy is tough. The jokes in D&D Honor among Thieves bombed. Sarcasm and silly jibes are no substitutes for character depth. The self-referential insults felt like an evening bingeing The Golden Girls. If you’re going to take the stage and the mic is on, you better deliver the laughs. Otherwise get off the stage. The writers failed to deliver humor, and they failed to respect fans of the genre.

Hey, Dungeon Masters! If you have not already done so, watch Brotherhood of the Wolf. Adapt it as an adventure to run at your table. I did. My players had a blast.

You can watch Brotherhood of the Wolf free on YouTube.