Beloved Heath Ledger Movie Leaving Netflix in August

Netflix has one of Heath Ledger's most beloved performances in its catalog right now, but it's leaving at the end of August. A Knight's Tale is a 2001 action comedy starring Ledger as William Thatcher, a peasant who realizes his dream of becoming a knight. The movie leaves Netflix on Aug. 31, so be sure to set a night aside to watch it this month before it becomes harder to find.

A Knight's Tale was written and directed by Brian Helgeland, and it draws direct inspiration from The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. In fact, Chaucer appears in the movie played by Paul Bettany, and is one of the most memorable parts of the film. In general, the movie is beloved for fusing medieval chivalric themes with modern sensibilities, portraying William as a kind of rockstar with the aid of a raucous soundtrack.

Ledger expertly captures William's rise from an ambitious peasant to a squire, and finally to a knight when the knight he is serving dies and he puts on his armor to impersonate him. To keep the lie going, William needs Chaucer to forge the paperwork that proclaims him a nobleman, and soon he is winning tourneys against the most celebrated knights in the kingdom. However, eventually, the lies that got him that far come back to haunt him and threaten his newfound success.

Other stars of the movie include Mark Addy, Rufus Sewell, Alan Tudyk, Shannyn Sossamon, Laura Fraser and James Purefoy, among others. The movie used lots of practical stunts to pull off its jousting scenes, making it a favorite for those interested in special effects. The home video release featured commentary tracks and other special features to give fans more insight into these parts of the production.

The movie was not particularly acclaimed at the time of its release with an average rating of 5.9 out of 10 on Rotten Tomatoes, though audiences held it in much higher esteem. Today, many critics and movie buffs look back on it fondly as well, and revisiting it on Netflix may raise their opinions even higher. It was commercially successful as well, coming in second to The Mummy Returns in its opening weekend.

A Knight's Tale is streaming now on Netflix, but it will leave the service on Aug. 31, 2023. At the time of this writing, it is also available on the Starz app, and on digital stores to rent or purchase.