Red Sonja Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Red Sonja Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 16, 2025

After the success of 1982’s “Conan the Barbarian,” plans were quickly put into motion to deliver a sequel and help expand the cinematic potential of writer Robert F. Howard’s literary creations with a spin-off. 1985’s “Ren Sonja” was intended to keep the world of Conan going, but it didn’t find an audience, who were offered a visually striking but largely inert fantasy adventure, while Brigitte Nielsen’s performance as the main character left much to be desired. Talk of returning to Red Sonja has been going on for decades, but now there’s another pass at the character and her violent spirit, with actress Matilda Lutz (“Reptile,” “Magpie”) hired to bring the flame-haired warrior to life for director M.J. Bassett (“Rogue,” “Endangered Species”) and screenwriter Tasha Huo. The new “Red Sonja” has a plan for Hyborian Age action and adventure, but not a lot of resources to pull off the adaptation, which often struggles with low-budget visuals and a few critical miscastings.

As a child, Sonja (Matilda Lutz) lived free with her fellow Hyrkanians, enjoying the community and love from her mother, Ashera (Veronica Ferres). Such peace was ruined by the rule of King Anzus, who ordered his army to destroy the land and add to his kingdom. Years later, Sonja remains in pain over these memories, but she sustains in solitude, keeping a connection to nature with her trusty horse companion. However, this balance is disrupted once again, this time by Emperor Dragan (Robert Sheehan), a young man of machines who’s eliminated Anzus, eager to expand his empire while hunting for the other half of a magical book that’s been lost, representing the key to all knowledge, making the leader unstoppable. Sonja is captured by Dragan’s enforcers, including Annisia (Wallis Day), befriending her fellow prisoners, who respond to her fierceness and interest in stopping Dragan before he finds the rest of his special book.

There’s a touch of “Conan the Barbarian” in “Red Sonja,” which also details a backstory involving a deadly raid and tragic loss of guardianship, putting the main character on the run as she looks to hide from harm. The screenplay offers a slight time jump after the opening sequence, catching up with Sonja as she searches for “my people,” keeping to the wonders of the forest for safety, which is populated with creatures and opportunities for oneness, allowing her to live in harmony. Shredding this peace are soldiers looking to poach Sonja’s animal friends, and the screenplay introduces the industrial ways of Dragan, who’s found authority in energy, maintaining a special power source while growing obsessed about the magic book, which would be able to unlock the door to unlimited wisdom, allowing him to rule over all.

“Red Sonja” has a reasonably compelling take on villainous threat in Dragan, who has access to a different kind of sorcery, also building machines of war to maintain his command. The writing establishes a few members of his team, including an “ape-man,” but pays most attention to Annisia, who’s haunted by the ghosts in her head, desperate for any relief. Sonja is eventually captured and imprisoned, forced to battle in Dragan’s gladiatorial arena, helping to bond with others, with Prince Osin (Luca Pasqualino) set-up as a potential love interest. While “Red Sonja” should kick into high gear during these public battles, Bassett only has crude CGI and plenty of greenscreen to bring barbarian physicality to life, leading to some disappointment with the action elements in the production. Sure, there’s a giant cyclops to take down, but the endeavor doesn’t have a sense of the real, often using digital elements to realize this world, and rarely does it look right.

Red Sonja Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The image presentation (2.39:1 aspect ratio) for "Red Sonja" works with the very digital-like appearance of the picture. Detail is good, exploring the textures of the fantasy world, including heavy armor and weapons, along with wear and tear on the characters. Skin particulars are secured, and costuming is fibrous. Locations maintain depth, joined by CGI vistas, and interiors provide dimension as the story moves around caves and dungeons. Color is defined, including the pronounced red hair of the heroine. Creature additions carry appreciable hues, and cooler metallic looks are preserved. The whiteness of Annisia is also distinct. Greenery is alert. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Mild banding is detected.

Red Sonja Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA maintains clear dialogue exchanges throughout the listening event. Performance choices are easily understood, along with quieter, emotional moods. Scoring favors a thinner synth-y sound, which doesn't offer powerful support, but this could possibly be an inherent issue with the film. Dramatic emphasis reaches about as far as possible, and instrumentation is appreciable. Surrounds aren't especially active, but they do handle some musical moods, and occasional separation effects liven things up. Sound effects are distinct, exploring clanging metal and creature attacks. Low- end has moments of activity, favoring galloping horses and harder hits of violence.

Red Sonja Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Behind the Scenes (HD) is broken up into "Chapter 1" (2:38), "Chapter 2" (3:23), "Chapter 3" (2:52), "Chapter 4" (3:38), "Chapter 5" (3:33), and "Chapter 6" (7:01). This is no making-of for "Red Sonja," merely offering B-roll glimpses of the production in motion, watching cast and crew work out shots and prepare for more physical action. It's a fly-on-the-wall presentation that's interesting, providing a look at how imagery was created and performances were executed.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:57, HD) is included.

Red Sonja Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Red Sonja" eventually finds its way into war mode, getting the character to her final form after paying tribute to literary costumes and looks throughout the endeavor. However, the movie doesn't come alive, feeling more labored as it manages supporting characters and the disappointing performances driving them, as many of the actors feel the need to go big to compete with the graphic novel-like look of the feature. Lutz isn't exactly perfect for the role, but she fully commits to the tenderness and warrior ways of Sonja, embracing the origin story provided here. Overall, "Red Sonja" doesn't quite work, unable to find the budget to really dig into a compelling take on gods and monsters, adding another underwhelming adaptation to the character's name 40 years after her last attempt to bring a different kind of fantasy authority to the screen.