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“In battle, you stand ready with a sword or a spear, and you say, I am Katagiri Kanbei, and I challenge you! Thus, you announce your name and you let the skills you’ve mastered decide the victor”

Katagiri Kanbei, The Hidden Blade, 2004

“Apocalypto is a unique thriller with a focus on historical accuracy and set in 1500s Yucatan, Mexico. It follows Jaguar Paw, a young tribesman as he faces a thrilling hero’s journey against a grisly, realistic historical backdrop”

Critical Score : 8

(how well put together is the film)

Historical Accuracy +
If you’re interested in movies that explore historical accuracy as a focus, Apocalypto is a strong watch for you, and especially so if Mayan history is your game. Its commitment to portraying the language, locale and atmosphere of the time period is a large part of its appeal, and it succeeds in that. While its plot may be simple (not a bad thing), the rich world building, costume design and interaction and between characters really sucks you in.

A Thrilling Journey +
Despite the films commitment to a purely Yucatec Maya dialogue, I’ve heard people saying that they’ve seen the movie without subtitles and are able to follow the story, a testament no doubt to strong story structure and on screen performances.

The film is seriously packed with thrills. It stands up as an action movie with great choreography and the historical backdrop serves as a catalyst for many memorable scenes.

Essential Score : 7

(how culturally important is it to see)

Historical Accuracy +
Apocalypto is a rare breed. I struggle to find another film to tell a similar story in that time period. Even rarer, to find a Hollywood budget historical action film in a non-english language. It’s simply a must watch if Mayan history even mildly interests you.

A Thrilling Journey
Often, movies that fail to capture the excitement and desperation of a struggle fail to convey the consequences of losing said struggle. This isn’t the case for Apocalypto. For me personally, Apocalypto joins the likes of Children of Men and Terminator 2 in movies that invest you strongly in the characters, empathising with them, and in so, partaking in their struggle onscreen.

If you’ve already seen Apocalypto…

How was the movie in terms of its historical accuracy?

Would you like to see more movies set in this time period?

How hard do you think it was for the actors to wear a loincloth in the jungle with Mel Gibson?