One of the Most Underrated Romantic Fantasies of All Time Is Finally Streaming For Free

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Long before the “romantasy” genre blossomed into the money-printing industry it’s become, and before fantasy cinema went mainstream, the cinema of the ’80s still produced a number of classic fantasy films that still hold up today.

John Boorman‘s brooding Arthurian film, Excalibur, hit theaters in 1981. A year later, Arnold Schwarzenegger took up the sword of Conan the Barbarian. Ridley Scott, having already directed Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1982), took a break from sci-fi and tried his hand at fantasy with Legend (1985), though Tom Cruise wouldn’t truly become a breakout star until a year later with Top Gun. Jim Henson released the somewhat terrifying film, The Dark Crystal, in 1982 — a darker and more fantastical movie from the creator of The Muppets (it’s truly the stuff of nightmares) and teamed up with Lucasfilm four years later on the David Bowie musical, Labyrinth.

This was before fantasy became mainstream with the success of HBO’s Game of Thrones, and few of these movies were commercial successes. One of the best fantasy films ever made released in 1988, when Ron Howard‘s Willow landed in theaters, introducing fantasy fans to some of the most-beloved heroes of the decade in Willow Offgood (Warwick Davis) and Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) and their companions. It wasn’t a Star Wars-sized hit for Lucasfilm, and critics were harsh at the time, but Willow has become a cult classic in the decades since.

Lost among all these is another forgotten ’80s classic and box office failure — one with a doomed romance at the heart of its tale: Richard Donner‘s Ladyhawke.

‘Ladyhawke’ Is a Romantic Fantasy From the Director of ‘The Goonies’

Ladyhawke is a unique entry in Donner’s ouvré, though the director certainly didn’t let any one genre define his work. Donner directed the landmark 1978 smash hit, Superman, which remains one of the best and most important superhero films ever made, with Christopher Reeve forever the standard by which all other Men of Steel will be judged. Donner also directed the classic family adventure film, The Goonies, which came out the same year as Ladyhawke, before moving on to action movies like the Lethal Weapon series starring Mel Gibson and Dannie Glover.

Ladyhawke never made as big of an impression as these other films, but it’s still worth watching even 40 years later. The story takes place in a fictional Italy (and was filmed mostly on location) and follows Phillipe “The Mouse” Gaston (Matthew Broderick) who escapes the dungeons of the treacherous Bishop of Aquila (John Wood). Phillipe is captured at a nearby inn by the bishop’s guards, but is rescued by a man named Etienne (Rutger Hauer), a former captain of Navarre.

Without spoiling the plot, what follows is a story of betrayal and doomed romance. The wicked Bishop of Aquila has cursed Etienne and the woman he loves, Isabeau of Anjou (Michelle Pfeiffer). Phillipe finds himself on a quest to lift the curse and defeat the wicked bishop.

Where to Stream ‘Ladyhawke’ For Free

While Ladyhawke didn’t receive the same level of critical praise other Donner films have enjoyed over the years, and while it is certainly not the best fantasy film of the ’80s, it’s one that any fan of the genre should watch. The movie’s romance is nothing like the recent spate of romantasy novels that have taken the publishing world by storm.

The film’s somewhat uneven pacing and writing hold it back from greatness, but the gorgeous cinematography and solid performances are well worth your time. Interestingly, Rutger Hauer was not Donner’s first choice for the role of Etienne, replacing Kurt Russell after Russell quit the film because he didn’t want to wear tights. Ladyhakwe earned $18.4 million at the domestic box office on a budget of about $20 million, making it a commercial disappointment, but it’s gained a following over the years, though not as passionate a following as that other ’80s flop starring Rutger Hauer, Blade Runner.

The film’s most divisive element was arguably the original score by composer Andrew Powell. Powell took a different approach to than his contemporaries like James Horner and John Williams, blending orchestral music, Gregorian chant and ’80s prog-rock brimming with synthesizers — a somewhat incongruous choice for a Medieval fantasy, and a controversial one to this day.

You can see — and hear — for yourself on Tubi, where Ladyhawke is now streaming for free.