TAGGED AS: Film, movies, television, TV
So you’ve already binged the final episodes of The Witcher season 3 and can’t imagine life without Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia? You could restart the series from episode 1, of course, or you could discover some of the other shows and movies Cavill has starred in. Here are five — including The Witcher rewatch — that we recommend.
80%
The Witcher
(Netflix)
After three memorable seasons as Geralt of Rivia on Netflix’s hit show The Witcher, Cavill’s run has come to an end. Liam Hemsworth takes over the role for season 4. The fantasy show that’s based on a popular book series features Cavill as lead character Geralt of Rivia, a mutated monster hunter trying to find his place in the world. Cavill actively campaigned for the role and was ultimately selected from a pool of about 200 actors.
Critics were a little slow to come on board during the ultimately Fresh first season, but The Witcher has settled in nicely with a Certified Fresh second season, and a consensus that says the show remains, “a whole lot of fun” with Cavill bringing “brawny charisma.”
Synopsis: An epic tale of fate and family, the Netflix original series is centered around famed monster hunter, Geralt of Rivia. Set in the world of The Continent, where humans, elves, witchers, gnomes, and monsters battle to survive and thrive, and where good and evil is not easily identified.
Where to Watch: by subscription on Netflix
98%
Mission: Impossible - Fallout
(2018)
(Paramount Pictures)
Our Certified Fresh pick is the sixth installment in the Mission: Impossible film series, with Tom Cruise once again reprising his role as Ethan Hunt. This time Ethan and his team join forces with CIA assassin August Walker, played by Cavill, to try and prevent an epic disaster. Unfortunately, August isn’t who he appears to be.
At 97% Certified Fresh on the Tomatometer, this is the highest-rated film in the franchise. All thanks to Henry? Sure, why not.
Critics say that this movie “lives up to the ‘Impossible’ part of its name by setting yet another high mark for insane set pieces in a franchise full of them.”
Synopsis: Ethan Hunt and the IMF team join forces with CIA assassin August Walker to prevent a disaster of epic proportions. Arms dealer John Lark and a group of terrorists known as the Apostles plan to use three plutonium cores for a simultaneous nuclear attack on the Vatican, Jerusalem, and Mecca, Saudi Arabia. When the weapons go missing, Ethan and his crew find themselves in a desperate race against time to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.
Where to Watch: by subscription on Paramount+ | rent/buy Vudu, Prime Video, Apple TV
68%
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
(2015)
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
Coming in as our under-the-radar pick, this 2015 spy film was directed and co-written by Guy Ritchie and is based on the 1964 TV show of the same name. In it, Cavill plays a CIA agent who teams up with a KGB operative to try and take down a mysterious criminal organization that’s trying to acquire nuclear weapons.
Elizabeth Debicki, Hugh Grant, Armie Hammer, and Alicia Vikander round out the cast for The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which is Fresh on the Tomatometer. Critics say that with “fizzy set pieces and charismatic stars like Cavill and company, the film has just enough style to overcome its lack of substance.”
Synopsis: At the height of the Cold War, a mysterious criminal organization plans to use nuclear weapons and technology to upset the fragile balance of power between the United States and Soviet Union. CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Cavill) and KGB agent Illya Kuryakin (Hammer) are forced to put aside their hostilities and work together to stop the evildoers in their tracks. The duo’s only lead is the daughter of a missing German scientist they must find soon to prevent a global catastrophe.
Where to Watch: by subscription on Max | rent/buy Vudu, Prime Video, Apple TV
71%
Zack Snyder's Justice League
(2021)
(Warner Bros. Pictures, HBO Max)
Our audience pick is Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
Released in 2021 on the service formerly known as HBO Max, this is the director’s cut of the 2017 film justice league as the original director Zack Snyder intended before he left the production after a family tragedy.
The film was brought to fruition thanks to an online petition created by fans and features heroes like Cavill’s Superman, Ben Affleck’s Batman, and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, as they come together to stop the big baddie, Steppenwolf (voiced by Ciarán Hinds).
Despite its four-hour runtime, fans loved the Snyder cut, which has an Audience Score of 93%, citing more action and character development in this version — which was kind of the whole point of the movement.
Critics dug it too, with a Fresh Tomatometer score (compared to a Rotten score for the 2017 theatrical release) and consensus that says it lives up to its title and fits Snyder’s true vision.
Synopsis: Determined to ensure Superman’s ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne/Batman aligns forces with Diana Prince/Wonder Woman with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions. The task proves more difficult than Bruce imagined, as each of the recruits must face the demons of their own pasts to transcend that which has held them back, allowing them to come together, finally forming an unprecedented league of heroes. Now united, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and The Flash (Ezra Miller) may be too late to save the planet from Steppenwolf, DeSaad (voiced by Peter Guinness), and Darkseid (voiced by Ray Porter) and their dreadful intentions.
Where to Watch: by subscription on Max | rent/buy Vudu, Prime Video, Apple TV
69%
The Tudors
(Showtime)
Our throwback pick is Showtime series The Tudors. Featuring Cavill alongside star Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, this historical fiction series chronicles the early years of King Henry VIII’s 40-year reign of England in the 1500s.
As one of the first major roles in his career, Cavill played Charles Brandon, a military leader and Henry VIII’s brother-in-law. Critics described Cavill and the rest of the cast as “gorgeous, able, and handsome” while praising “sturdy acting and the show’s stunning period detail.”
Synopsis: This drama focuses on the early years of King Henry VIII’s (Rhys-Meyers) nearly 40-year reign (1509-1547) of England. The series looks at Henry’s famous female companions like Catherine of Aragon (Maria Doyle Kennedy) and Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer) and delves into his relationships with important figures like Sir Thomas More (Jeremy Northam); Cardinal Wolsey (Sam Neill), head of the Catholic Church of England during its break with Rome; and Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, who was Henry’s best friend and unofficial adviser.
Where to Watch: by subscription on Paramount+, Prime Video | rent/buy Vudu, Apple TV
