Highlander at 40: Examining the Cult Classic’s Hollywood Legacy

Initial reception of the 1986 fantasy film Highlander was overwhelmingly negative. The film struggled at the box office, grossing only $12.8 million against a $19 million budget. Critics shared that assessment. Roger Ebert described Highlander as “a completely silly and very boring movie,” while Gene Siskel called it “one of the lousiest films I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Despite that rocky debut, the movie found a second life on VHS, eventually growing into a franchise with multiple sequels, television series, and an upcoming reboot starring Henry Cavill. Even so, the original remains an overly self-serious film rather than an overlooked masterpiece, which raises questions about the tone of the upcoming remake.

Screenwriter Gregory Widen conceived the original story, which director Russell Mulcahy brought to theaters. Christopher Lambert stars as Connor MacLeod, a sixteenth-century Scottish warrior who survives a mortal battlefield wound. Accused of witchcraft, MacLeod faces banishment from his clan. An eccentric swordsman named Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez, played by Sean Connery, soon reveals that MacLeod belongs to a rare group of immortals who can die only by decapitation.

Ramírez explains that the surviving immortals must eventually gather in a distant land to duel until a single victor remains, introducing the famous phrase, “There can be only one.” Most of the story unfolds in 1980s New York City, where MacLeod lives as an antique dealer before fighting the last remaining immortals to absorb their power and gain a normal mortal life.

The sword duels offer plenty of screen time and decent choreography. Still, energetic action cannot fully carry flat characters. The collision between ancient swordsmanship and gritty 1980s Manhattan holds promise, yet Mulcahy directs the material with an unrelenting gravity that strips out any sense of fun.

Fans frequently praise the movie for its mythology and supposed campiness. While the premise carries intriguing lore, the production lacks genuine camp appeal. Traditional camp relies on either modest production values or self-aware humor, neither of which appears here. Backed by a substantial $19 million budget for its era, the film showcased sweeping Scottish vistas and gritty urban backdrops, yet devoted those resources to grimly staged life-or-death conflicts.

Only Connery seems to understand the inherent absurdity of the material. Clad in a peacock-feather cape, his flamboyant conquistador brings warmth and humor that recall films like The Princess Bride. Without that playful touch across the rest of the cast, the narrative drags under its own weight.

Early glimpses of the reboot suggest a similarly bleak tone. Two images shared on Cavill’s Instagram account depict dark, brooding environments. One image shows Cavill walking beneath glowing paper lanterns, and another captures him holding a sword inside a church. Chad Stahelski, who directed the John Wick franchise, is directing the project. While Stahelski ensures intense stunt choreography, his signature style suggests little room for Connery-style levity.

The new production might surprise viewers by giving its central characters genuine depth alongside elaborate swordplay. Given the track record of the franchise, however, optimism remains cautious.

Highlander is currently available to stream with ads on Tubi, Pluto TV, Fandango, Philo, PLEX, and Prime Video, as well as on Peacock.

Source: Polygon