Ladyhawke

"No force in Heaven will release them. No power on Earth can save them."

1985 2h 1m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

🍅

68%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

6.9

IMDB

★7.0TMDB · 1,306🍅68%Rotten Tomatoes●64Metacritic★6.9IMDB · 53,487

AdventureComedyFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Captain Etienne Navarre is a man on whose shoulders lies a cruel curse. Punished for loving each other, Navarre must become a wolf by night whilst his lover, Lady Isabeau, takes the form of a hawk by day. Together, with the thief Philippe Gaston, they must try to overthrow the corrupt Bishop and in doing so break the spell.

“No force in Heaven will release them. No power on Earth can save them.”

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Cast

Matthew Broderick
Phillipe Gaston
Rutger Hauer
Captain Etienne Navarre
Michelle Pfeiffer
Isabeau d'Anjou
Alfred Molina
Cezar
John Wood
Bishop of Aquila
Leo McKern
Father Imperius
Ken Hutchison
Marquet
Giancarlo Prete
Fornac

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Richard Donner
Writers: Edward Khmara, Michael Thomas, Tom Mankiewicz
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 92% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

41 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Richard Donner, shot by Vittorio Storaro. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Andrew Powell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Stuart Baird shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Matthew Broderick and Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "No force in Heaven will release them. No power on Earth can save them.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0089457 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Richard Donner directs. Vittorio Storaro behind the camera. Andrew Powell scores. Stuart Baird cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 92% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
241 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Richard Donner, shot by Vittorio Storaro. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Andrew Powell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Stuart Baird shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Matthew Broderick and Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "No force in Heaven will release them. No power on Earth can save them.".
8IMDB entry: tt0089457 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 13 themes, including "moon", "swordplay", "twilight", "monk".
10Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Vittorio Storaro
Original score: Andrew Powell
Editing: Stuart Baird
Production design: Wolf Kroeger
Costume design: Nanà Cecchi
Makeup / hair: Giancarlo Del Brocco
Sound: Les Fresholtz
Stunt coordinator: Richard Graydon
Runtime: 121 min · 2h 1m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $20,000,000
Box office: $18,432,000
Return: 92% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Ladyhawke (1985)
Rotten Tomatoes: 68% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 64/100
IMDB rating: 6.9/10 · 53,487 votes
MPAA: PG-13

Awards

Nominated for 2 Oscars. 5 wins & 7 nominations total

Also by

Richard Donner

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Selected frames

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-04-04
★ 6/10
Matthew Broderick is quite spritely in this mystical adventure. He breaks out from prison, using the sewers ("just like leaving the womb") where he, luckily, encounters "Navarre" (Rutger Hauer) just as he is about to become toast. The man travels with a hawk, and soon we discover that he and the hawk have a distinct synergy - the hawk is "Isabeau" (Michelle Pfieffer) by night; he a terrifying wolf then. How to break the curse? Well, they must face the ruthless bishop (John Wood) in his stronghold of Aquila, and the bishop's men are hunting all of them. It's quite an enjoyable fantasy this. Broderick talks too much (maybe I'd have hanged him too) but there is plenty of swordplay; mischief from Broderick's "Gaston the Mouse"; a little comedy from an on-form Leo McKern and it all looks quite stylish. It is a bit too long, it could probably lose twenty minutes, and there is far too much of the score but the falconry photography is fine and the ending lively. Worth a watch.
specimenb2026-08-10
★ 7/10
Ladyhawke is a pretty decent ’80s fantasy adventure with a genuinely romantic premise and a likable cast. The curse keeping Navarre and Isabeau together but never human at the same time gives the story more emotional weight than expected, and Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer sell that longing well. It can be a little uneven—especially in pacing, and the distinctly ’80s rock score may not work for everyone—but the medieval scenery, swashbuckling tone, and Matthew Broderick’s charming comic relief keep it entertaining. It may not be an all-time fantasy classic, but it’s an enjoyable, memorable movie with enough heart to overcome its rough edges.