Critics’ reviews

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

11 reviews from 11 publications. We need six from publications we count before we show a critics’ score; there are 5 so far.

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Positive
5
Mixed
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Time Out
12 October 2015 · ★★★★★ · Tom Huddleston
100

One of the most original, hilarious and visually striking comedies ever made. Its unnecessary gorgeousness and goofy, slapstick laughs stand out.

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Empire
1 January 2000 · Rob Fraser
85*

Feature films bring out the best in the Pythons, resulting in a focused comedy packed with killer lines, sight gags and absurdity that qualifies as a medieval-on-your-ass laff-riot. Highlights singled out include the homicidal bunny, the wedding guest massacre and the use of coconut shells for horses.

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The Guardian
15 October 2015 · Peter Bradshaw
85*

The critic praises the film's anarchic daring and subversive elements of anticlimax, noting its bridgehead into international stardom. Gilliam’s animations are singled out as timelessly brilliant.

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Radio Times
★★★★ · David Parkinson
80

A wonderfully inventive comedy that brilliantly debunks the Dark Ages and legends of chivalry. Highlights include the witch trial and Holy Hand Grenade sequence, though the ending disappoints.

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Los Angeles Times
15 June 2001 · Kevin Thomas

The inspired lunacy of the Pythons' take on King Arthur is more often amusing than hilarious, with dry and talky passages. Its glorious Scottish locales and the troupe's erudition in medieval history stand out, though 'Life of Brian' remains funnier.

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Slant Magazine
1 December 2006 · Arthur Ryel-Lindsey

The critic praises the film's brilliant satire of medieval legends and lifestyles combined with strong comic timing and irreverent humor. They highlight its youthful charm, energy, and the troupe's freedom in creating an accessible, singular work despite its amateurish production qualities.

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The New York Times
28 April 1975 · Vincent Canby

The film is a marvelously lunatic endeavor that sends up the King Arthur legend, courtly love, bravery, costume movies and movie violence. It features nonstop gags, some inspired, with Graham Chapman as an earnest but doomed Arthur.

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The Times
2 May 2025 · ★★★★☆ · Kevin Maher

The film offers moments of brilliance in its loosely related set pieces and early religious irreverence, though the Pythons later peaked with Life of Brian. The Knights Who Say “Ni!” and Trojan Rabbit gags are highlighted as highlights.

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Variety
31 December 1974 · Variety Staff

The British comedy group sends up Arthurian legend in whimsical fashion, with Graham Chapman effective as King Arthur. The story is an excuse for set pieces, some amusing and others overdone, including gruesome fight scenes that will get laughs from some and make others squirm.

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Eye for Film
14 March 2002 · Amber Wilkinson
75*

The critic finds the film a funny and surprisingly fresh silly romp through medieval legends, praising its loose sketch structure, standout hilarious scenes like the French knights and Knights who say 'Ni', and Gilliam's fabulously surreal animation.

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Digital Spy
17 October 2015 · Stella Papamichael

The film is a triumph of silliness over British pomposity and a comedy masterpiece. The critic singles out the coconut shells used in place of horses and the irreverent satire of religious fanaticism for praise.

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Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate