Bringemovies
← Browse Movies
Michael Wood on Beowulf
TITLE DETAILS

Michael Wood on Beowulf

· 59 min · Not rated

Documentary · History · Fantasy

Historian Michael Wood returns to his first great love, the Anglo-Saxon world, to reveal the origins of our literary heritage. Focusing on Beowulf and drawing on other Anglo-Saxon classics, he traces the birth of English poetry back to the Dark Ages. Travelling across the British Isles from East Anglia to Scotland and with the help of Nobel prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney, actor Julian Glover, local historians and enthusiasts, he brings the story and language of this iconic poem to life.

Open detail page

Trailers are previews, not full movies.

No authorized playback source configured. Use the legal watch options below.

Production details

Directors
Arif Nurmohamed, Anna Thompson
Production companies
BBC
Countries
United Kingdom
Status
Released

Top Cast

Michael WoodMichael WoodPresenter
Julian GloverJulian GloverSelf - Storyteller

Title information and images are supplied by TMDb. Explore our discovery guide for advice on comparing metadata and legal viewing options.

Where to watch

Availability provided by JustWatch via TMDb. Offers can change. Provider links are listed on TMDb; full playback requires a separately authorized source.

Availability not listed for this country.

Recommendations

Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe
★ 6.9
Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe2014Documentary · Fantasy

A look at the story behind Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, featuring interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from all of the Marvel films, the Marvel One-Shots and "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."!

Titanic: 20 Years Later with James Cameron
★ 6.6
Titanic: 20 Years Later with James Cameron2017Documentary · History

For the 20th anniversary of "Titanic," James Cameron reopens the file on the disaster.

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
★ 6.9
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound2019Documentary · History

The history of cinematic sound, told by legendary sound designers and visionary filmmakers.

The Soviet Story
★ 7.3
The Soviet Story2008Documentary · History

“The Soviet Story” is a story of an Allied power, which helped the Nazis to fight Jews and which slaughtered its own people on an industrial scale. Assisted by the West, this power triumphed on May 9th, 1945. Its crimes were made taboo, and the complete story of Europe’s most murderous regime has never been told. Until now...

Ronaldo
★ 7.0
Ronaldo2015Documentary · History

Filmed over 14 months with unprecedented access into the inner circle of the man and the sport, this is the first official and fully authorised film of one of the most celebrated figures in football. For the first time ever, the world gets vividly candid and un-paralleled, behind-closed-doors access to the footballer, father, family-man and friend in this moving & fascinating documentary. Through in-depth conversations, state of the art football footage and never before seen archival footage, the film gives an astonishing insight into the sporting and personal life of triple Ballon D'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo at the peak of his career. From the makers of ‘Senna’ and ‘Amy’, Ronaldo takes audiences on an intimate and revealing journey of what it’s like to live as an iconic athlete in the eye of the storm.

The Green Book: Guide to Freedom
★ 7.8
The Green Book: Guide to Freedom2019Documentary · History

In 1936, Victor H. Green (1892-1960) published The Negro Motorist Green Book, a book that was both a travel guide and a survival manual, to help African-Americans navigate safe those regions of the United States where segregation and Jim Crow laws were disgracefully applied.

Audrey
★ 7.1
Audrey2020Documentary · History

An unprecedented and intimate look at the life, work and enduring legacy of British actress Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993).

Red Army
★ 7.4
Red Army2015Documentary · History

A documentary highlighting the Soviet Union's legendary and enigmatic hockey training culture and world-dominating team through the eyes of the team's Captain Slava Fetisov, following his shift from hockey star and celebrated national hero to political enemy.

Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
★ 7.0
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple2006Documentary · History

Featuring never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch.

Supersonic
★ 7.4
Supersonic2016Documentary · History

Supersonic charts the meteoric rise of Oasis from the council estates of Manchester to some of the biggest concerts of all time in just three short years. This palpable, raw and moving film shines a light on one of the most genre and generation-defining British bands that has ever existed and features candid new interviews with Noel and Liam Gallagher, their mother, and members of the band and road crew.

9/11: Inside the President's War Room
★ 6.9
9/11: Inside the President's War Room2021Documentary · History

Experience the events of September 11, 2001 through the eyes of President Bush and his closest advisors as they personally detail the crucial hours and key decisions from that historic day.

The Bloody Hundredth
★ 7.2
The Bloody Hundredth2024Documentary · History

Meet the real-life airmen who inspired Masters of the Air as they share the harrowing and transformative events of the 100th Bomb Group.

The Princess
★ 6.5
The Princess2022Documentary · History

Decades after her untimely death, Princess Diana continues to evoke mystery, glamour, and the quintessential modern fairy tale gone wrong. As a symbol of both the widening fissures weakening the British monarchy and the destructive machinery of the press, the Princess of Wales navigated an unparalleled rise to fame and the corrosive challenges that came alongside it. Crafted entirely from immersive archival footage and free from the distraction of retrospective voices, this hypnotic and audaciously revealing documentary takes a distinctive formal approach, allowing the story of the People’s Princess to unfold before us like never before.

Muscle Shoals
★ 7.2
Muscle Shoals2013Documentary · History

In a tiny Alabama town with the curious name of Muscle Shoals, something miraculous sprang from the mud of the Tennessee River. A group of unassuming, yet incredibly talented, locals came together and spawned some of the greatest music of all time: “Mustang Sally,” “I Never Loved a Man,” “Wild Horses,” and many more. During the most incendiary periods of racial hostility, white folks and black folks came together to create music that would last for generations and gave birth to the incomparable “Muscle Shoals sound.”

Inside Deep Throat
★ 6.4
Inside Deep Throat2005Documentary · History

In 1972, a seemingly typical shoestring budget pornographic film was made in a Florida hotel: "Deep Throat," starring Linda Lovelace. This film would surpass the wildest expectation of everyone involved to become one of the most successful independent films of all time. It caught the public imagination which met the spirit of the times, even as the self-appointed guardians of public morality struggled to suppress it, and created, for a brief moment, a possible future where sexuality in film had a bold artistic potential. This film covers the story of the making of this controversial film, its stunning success, its hysterical opposition along with its dark side of mob influence and allegations of the on set mistreatment of the film's star.

The Accountant of Auschwitz
★ 6.9
The Accountant of Auschwitz2018Documentary · History

Oskar Gröning, known as the "Accountant of Auschwitz," was charged with the murder of 300,000 Jews. When he took the stand in 2015, at the age of 94, his trial made headlines worldwide.

Django & Django: Sergio Corbucci Unchained
★ 6.9
Django & Django: Sergio Corbucci Unchained2021Documentary · History

A tribute to Italian filmmaker Sergio Corbucci (1926-90), presented by American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino.

They Shall Not Grow Old
★ 7.8
They Shall Not Grow Old2018Documentary · History

A documentary about World War I with never-before-seen footage to commemorate the centennial of Armistice Day, and the end of the war.

The Age of Stupid
★ 6.6
The Age of Stupid2009Documentary · History

Pete Postlethwaite stars as a man living alone in the devastated future world of 2055, looking at old footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?

The Mystery of D.B. Cooper
★ 6.3
The Mystery of D.B. Cooper2020Documentary · History

This documentary brings to life the stories of four people believed by their family and friends to be “DB Cooper,” a man who hijacked a 727 flying out of Seattle and jumped from the plane over the wilds of Washington State with a parachute and $200,000, never to be heard from again.

Similar titles

Grendel
Not rated
GrendelFantasy

The tale of the legendary monster at the heart of the Beowulf epic poem who steps forth to tell his side of the riveting story.

Beowulf and the Anglo Saxons
★ 2.0
Beowulf and the Anglo Saxons2007Documentary

This documentary goes beyond the text of the epic poem and examines the history behind its writing. With interviews and travels in Europe, BEOWULF AND THE ANGLO-SAXONS dives into the culture of the people who created the classic myth. This title also explores the warrior society of the ancient people. Miraculously preserved over the centuries, its artistic importance was unrecognized until an essay by J. R. R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings) revealed its unity and multi-dimensional structure. Beowulf is now regarded as the most important manuscript the Anglo-Saxons have handed down to us, of immense linguistic as well as poetic value. This program sets out to trace the origins of the tribes that brought this epic into being, the war-like Norsemen from Sweden, Denmark and Germany who were to conquer and settle regions of a more clement and fertile island that would become known as England, named after the tribe of the Angles.

Beowulf
★ 4.4
Beowulf1999Fantasy

Beowulf is a wanderer who learns about a man-eating creature called Grendel, which comes in the night to devour warriors trapped at the Outpost. The Outpost is ruled by Hrothgar. He has a daughter, whose husband may have been murdered by the Outpost's master of arms.

Beowulf & Grendel
★ 5.6
Beowulf & Grendel2005Fantasy

The blood-soaked tale of a Norse warrior's battle against the great and murderous troll, Grendel. Heads will roll. Out of allegiance to the King Hrothgar, the much respected Lord of the Danes, Beowulf leads a troop of warriors across the sea to rid a village of the marauding monster.

Grendel
★ 3.6
Grendel2007Fantasy

King Higlack of the Gauths entrusts prince Finn and a fire ball weapon to his champion, slayer Beowulf. They lead twelve men on a mission to help king Hrothgar of the Danes, whose once glorious realm is terrorized by the undefeated monster Grendel. The task is made more difficult as Hrothgar kept gruesome secrets.

The Comb
Not rated
The Comb2026History

England, 1002AD. Mere moments after massacring a host of Vikings, a Saxon tries to justify his blood lust, with chilling consequences.

Grendel Grendel Grendel
★ 4.8
Grendel Grendel Grendel1981Fantasy

This is an animated story covering the ancient legend of Beowulf, as narrated by Grendel himself, the "monster" in the legend. Aimed more at adults than children, this version holds some interesting twists on the traditional tale, and is based on a novel by American critic and academic John Gardner.

Beowulf
★ 5.9
Beowulf2007

A 6th-century Scandinavian warrior named Beowulf embarks on a mission to slay the man-like ogre, Grendel.

Poster unavailable
★ 10.0
Beowulf1976

Film adaptation of the earliest known poem in the English language (written in the 8th century) which examines the ancient and heroic tradition from which the feudal system started to grow. The film, as in the poem, is an elegy lamenting the not only the reality of a lost heroic tradition, but also the loss of innocence which made possible its unquestioning acceptance.

Animated Epics: Beowulf
★ 6.2
Animated Epics: Beowulf1998

Swords fly as Beowulf battles the evil Grendel in this exciting animated adaptation of the epic poem. Incorporating fascinating sketch art and featuring the voice of Joseph Fiennes as Beowulf. found.

Beowulf: A Thousand Years of Baggage
★ 9.5
Beowulf: A Thousand Years of Baggage2020

Flawed heroes, sympathetic monsters and haughty professors collide as this hefty poem is rescued from the grasp of 1,000 years of highbrow analysis and transformed into a defiantly raucous musical. Presented by San Francisco's infamous Shotgun Players and New York's infectious Banana Bag & Bodice, this SongPlay is an irreverent dissertation on art versus criticism in blood-soaked Scandinavia.

Poster unavailable
Not rated
Della2022

Two interconnected individuals react differently following the expulsion of a mischievous student in this interpretation of Beowulf.

Grendel
★ 10.0
Grendel2018

Grendel is a spoof based off of the Beowulf legend (in which the hero Beowulf originally defeats the dangerous monster, Grendel). However, in our version of the story, Grendel is actually a kind and gentle monster who wants to befriend his viking neighbors.

Jane Addams: Together We Rise
Not rated
Jane Addams: Together We Rise2023Documentary · History

Jane Addams, born into wealth and privilege, had been intrigued by social reform since a visit to a settlement house in London’s impoverished East End. An inheritance made it possible for her to bring that concept to Chicago with the creation of Hull House. Audio-narrated descriptions are available.

The River Remembers
Not rated
The River RemembersDocumentary

“The River Remembers” is a character-driven documentary that follows Tribal members of the Elwha and lower Klamath Rivers as they lead the largest dam removals in U.S. history, restoring salmon and renewing culture after a century of struggle. The film is a story of resilience and hope, showing that when rivers heal people heal too.

Poster unavailable
Not rated
The Dark Side of the White Lady2007Documentary

In this feature-length documentary, filmmaker Patricio Henriquez seeks to untangle the web of lies surrounding the Chilean navy's training vessel, the Esmeralda. Heralded as a symbol of national pride, a dark secret lies behind the facade of the ship the Chileans call The White Lady: Following the 1973 coup d'état, it was used as a floating prison. Thirty years later, the victims of the dictatorship are demanding justice. The Dark Side of the White Lady is a fascinating journey to uncover the truth.

Last Days of the Gaeltacht
Not rated
Last Days of the Gaeltacht1980Documentary

Bob Quinn's 1981 film on the decline of the Gaeltacht, written and presented by Desmond Fennell.

Poster unavailable
Not rated
Notre Père2006Documentary

Long Balconies
Not rated
Long Balconies2025Documentary

A short documentary about women's football in Ireland.

Sean-nós seminar An Spidéal
Not rated
Sean-nós seminar An Spidéal1981Documentary

A documentary on a sean-nós singing seminar that took place in An Spidéal in Conamara. Filmed in 1981 by Bob Quinn for RTÉ's Aisling Gheal series.

Your favorites

Recently viewed

Watch

Choose an authorized server.

Full video from an operator-configured authorized source. Official trailers use a separate player. If a server fails, retry or select another authorized server.

Legal watch options

Official trailer

Trailer preview only. Press Play to start.

Privacy choices

Favorites stay in your browser. Movie images load from TMDb. YouTube trailers contact YouTube only after you allow external media and choose a trailer. Advertising consent, if ads are enabled, is managed separately by the operator’s certified CMP.

Privacy policy

After allowing external media, choose the trailer button to load its player.