The world may be bleak, but there is still some joy: the 2023 DND movie, aka Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, is now streaming on Netflix. And whether or not you’ve ever played the nerdy tabletop role-playing game that is Dungeons and Dragons, this movie is an absolute delight.
Directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, aka the guys who directed Game Night, and co-written by Goldstein, Daley, and Michael Gilio, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves perfectly captures the campy spirit of DND, without alienating anyone who’s not familiar with the game. Chris Pine stars as Edgin, a lowly bard on a quest to find a better life for himself and his daughter, following the death of his wife. Like any good DND adventure, Edgin has a team of companions, including a barbarian named Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), a paladin named Xenk (Rege-Jean Page), and a half-elf sorcerer named Simon (Justice Smith). Together, the team embarks on a quest to best the con-man rogue known as Forge (Hugh Grant).
It’s the perfect adventure film, packed with creative action sequences, laugh-out-loud jokes, and Chris Pine’s irresistible charm. There’s even a hilarious celebrity cameo: Nine-time Oscar-nominated actor and People Magazine’s 2011 Sexiest Man Alive recipient, Bradley Cooper, who plays Olga’s tiny, hafling ex-husband. He’s practically pocket-sized, and absolutely adorable.
This is a movie made by people who love DND, and it shows. (After all, Daley famous played the game often with his on-screen friends in Freaks and Geeks.) It captures the spirit of everything that makes DND fun: inventing silly names like “Jarnathan,” attempting a preposterous attack with a potato and rolling a nat 20, abandoning a complicated plan in favor of brute force, just to name a few. For the hardcore nerds with character sheets at home, Goldstein and Daley included plenty of references, Easter Eggs, and wink-wink moments. Sure, not all the rules are followed, but when are they ever? This is DND! We’re making stuff up!
Even though the movie was a critical hit among critics and DND players, it wasn’t a smash at the box office. This isn’t to say it was a total flop—it still made over $207.8 worldwide, off of an estimated $150 million production budget. But it wasn’t enough money to entice the studio, Paramount Pictures, to order up a sequel.
At least, not yet. Perhaps if Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves finds a second life on Netflix, the streamer might be convinced to return to this world. (And if they do, I agree with what one fan said on Twitter: All of the actors should switch roles.) Even if that doesn’t happen, do yourself a favor and stream Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves on Netflix. It’s two hours of pure joy.