For anyone who missed the return of Ridley Scott‘s swords-and-sandals saga, the wait is over. Gladiator II has officially landed on Netflix, giving subscribers a chance to judge the much-debated legacy sequel for themselves.
Legacy sequels can be a hit or miss, and it’s fair to say opinions on this one were divided upon release. For a lot of fans, however, it was everything they could ask for in a follow-up. The cast was truly star-studded, the stakes even higher than before, and the narrative compellingly picked up loose ends. It had edge-of-your-seat action, and there were swords and sandals galore.
The film picks up sixteen years after the first movie. It follows a young man who is sold into slavery and forced to become a gladiator after his home is invaded by the Roman Army. Hanno, a man living with his wife in Numidia, is enslaved by the Roman army led by General Acacius when his home is invaded and his wife is killed.
Upon his arrival in Rome, Hanno is forced into becoming a gladiator. Macrinus, the stable-keeper of the coliseum, promises him the opportunity to kill the Roman general if he wins enough fights. Slight spoiler, but a pretty vital plot point ahead — though it was revealed in the trailer. After making it to Rome, Hanno’s true identity as the exiled grandson of the former emperor Marcus Aurelius is revealed.
With his imperial lineage unveiled, new alliances, threats and conspiracies lie ahead for Hanno, whose real name is Lucius Verus Aurelius. He is soon brought into a plot to overthrow the evil twin emperors Geta and Caracalla.
The film has been and remains available to rent via Prime Video, Sky Store and YouTube for a while, but if you’re a Netflix subscriber you’re in luck because it’s recently been added to the platform.
