Skip to content
MovieCove
Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

And now! At Last! Another film completely different from some of the other films which aren't quite the same as this one is.

197591 minPGMidcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Directors
Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam
Starring
Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam

King Arthur, accompanied by his squire, recruits his Knights of the Round Table, including Sir Bedevere the Wise, Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot and Sir Galahad the Pure. On the way, Arthur battles the Black Knight who, despite having had all his limbs chopped off, insists he can still fight. They reach Camelot, but Arthur decides not to enter, as "it is a silly place".

Where to watch

Where can I watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Monty Python and the Holy Grail streaming on Peacock, Pluto TV (free), Prime Video, Shout! TV via Prime Video and The Roku Channel (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Monty Python and the Holy Grail?

Monty Python and the Holy Grail earns 9 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Stood the test of time.

Show 1 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Monty Python and the Holy Grail worth watching?

Monty Python and the Holy Grail's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 1.4M ratings across 6 sources. 88% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of films

99th percentile among Adventure99th percentile among 1970s
Acclaim (how much people like it)98th
Approval (how many liked it)97th

82 /100

98th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Adventure99th percentile among 1970s

Critics 91 · Audience 82

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

88% liked it

97th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Adventure98th percentile among 1970s
88% rated it 7–1012% rated it 1–6

Critics 92% · Audience 95%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 2 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

98th percentile

1.4M ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Adventure99th percentile among 1970s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 5% in 30 days

Box office

Budget£230K

In British pound, not converted to dollars.

Opening weekend$45K
Domestic gross$2.6M
Worldwide gross$2.9M

45th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a loose, sketch-like chain of absurdist medieval gags anchored by the Python troupe's performances.

Fans praised

  • relentless gag density and quotable set pieces
  • ensemble cast's multi-role performances and chemistry
  • originality and lacing of highbrow wit with absurd slapstick

Detractors panned

  • episodic plot that meanders into random sketches
  • gags stretch thin or repetitive on rewatch
  • not every joke lands for every taste, humor an acquired taste

What stands out

DialogueDivisive90

rapid-fire, quotable wit blending highbrow parody with silly one-liners

Originality90

groundbreaking blend of surreal humor and medieval satire

HumorDivisive85

same gags delight fans but leave detractors cold

Acting85

cast effortlessly juggles multiple roles with distinct voices and physicality

AtmosphereDivisive80

mock-medieval tone and Scottish locations build an absurdist world

Characters75

over-the-top archetypes like Black Knight and Knights Who Say Ni are memorable, though thin

PacingDivisive60

brisk but episodic, with comedic momentum often overriding narrative flow

Plot and storyDivisive35

a threadbare quest that acts as a clothesline for sketches

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 4 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Monty Python and the Holy Grail like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Easy laugh: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something light that makes you laugh and does not take itself seriously.

It is gentle, takes its time and leaves you entertained. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Easy laugh.

Moods
AbsurdJoyfulContemplative
Heaviest: middle
Absurdist humor: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Register
Absurdist · 7% of films: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.Irreverent · 1% of films
Told as
Episodic · 13% of films: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film holds its Arthurian epic material at a knowing distance, undercutting the genre at every turn with anachronisms, logic-flouting arguments and surreal non-sequiturs.
The rideThe film is an escalating series of comic sketches with no sustained emotional weight; the most memorable gags cluster in the middle third.
StructureThe film is a loose string of near-self-contained comic sketches threaded together by Arthur's Grail quest, moving from recruiting the knights through episodic obstacles to the final siege.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

FunFeel-good
Why it leaves you this wayYou leave grinning at the absurdity, simply delighted by the ride with no heavier residue to carry away.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestMission
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% (this title) · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Mission: Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).

10% of films fit this archetype

with Comedy underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeArthur is sent by God to find the Holy Grail, so a quest spine runs through the film, but the quest is really a vehicle for a string of absurd comic encounters rather than a consequential adventure.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfTruthIdeas
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% (this title) · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5% (this title): Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% (this title) · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Ideas

Truth · 4% of filmsPower · 2% of films
Satirizes its theme: Attacks its theme through ridicule.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film interrogates the nature of authority, logic, and narrative truth through a series of absurd non-sequiturs and bureaucratic parodies.
StanceThe film treats its quest as absurd and mocks the very idea of noble purpose; the stakes are never serious.

The world

MedievalRuralInstitutionalStylized realism
Orchestral classicalFolkSupportive music · original score · neil_innes
SettingA cartoonishly anachronistic 10th-century Britain with coconuts and modern police.
MusicThe score includes a parody medieval fanfare and the famous Camelot musical number, all in a deliberately cheap, amateurish style.

Content guide

Is Monty Python and the Holy Grail okay for kids?

PG

Monty Python and the Holy Grail is rated PG. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (60/100), sexual content at moderate (38/100), language at moderate (46/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (7/100) and frightening material at mild (30/100). Overall it is heavier than 80% of PG-rated films.

Ratings in 24 other countries
  • UK15
  • CanadaPG
  • AustraliaPG
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland15
  • JapanR15+
  • South Korea12
  • BrazilL
  • ArgentinaATP
  • CzechiaU
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Greece15
  • Hong KongIIA
  • Hungary12
  • IndiaU
  • ItalyT
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway15
  • PortugalM/12
  • SpainAPTA
  • Sweden15
  • TH15
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 31% of all filmsHeavier than 80% of PG-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
heavy for a PG-rated film
heavier than 91%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
heavy for a PG-rated film
heavier than 81%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a PG-rated film
heavier than 87%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 12%
Frightening / Intense
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 33%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Monty Python and the Holy Grail have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Monty Python and the Holy Grail?

Cast

Graham Chapman
as King Arthur
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
John Cleese
as Second Swallow-Savvy Guard
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Eric Idle
as Dead Collector
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Terry Gilliam
as Patsy
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Terry Jones
as Dennis's Mother
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Michael Palin
as First Swallow-Savvy Guard
Connie Booth
as The Witch
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Carol Cleveland
as Zoot
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Neil Innes
as First Monk
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Bee Duffell
as Old Crone
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Monty Python and the Holy Grail?

Movies like Monty Python and the Holy Grail include Monty Python's and Now for Something Completely Different (1971), Erik the Viking (1989) and Jabberwocky (1977). Of the 8 closest matches, half are films written or directed by Terry Jones, and half are films about royalty and aristocracy.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

5 of these 8 share its world: medieval. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Monty Python and the Holy Grail?

753 other films share the rarest tag below, follows: royalty. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.