Red Sonja (2025) is a fantasy-adventure film directed by M.J. Bassett and starring Matilda Lutz in the titular role.¹ It’s an adaptation of the comic book character, though it reinterprets her backstory and motivations.²

Story Explanation

The film follows Red Sonja, a young woman from the land of Hyrkania.³ Her idyllic childhood is shattered when her village is invaded and her family is killed, forcing her to flee into the forest alone.⁴ Years later, we find her as a nomadic barbarian, skilled in survival and archery, who has a strong connection to nature and a goddess named Ashera.⁵

Her life takes a turn when she encounters a group of mercenaries hunting magical creatures for gladiator games.⁶ She attacks them out of a sense of justice for the animals and is captured by the mercenaries, who are serving the tyrannical Emperor Dragan (Robert Sheehan).⁷

Dragan is a powerful but frail ruler who uses an arcane energy source to power his city.⁸ He is also searching for the other half of a magical Hyrkanian book that he believes will grant him even more power.⁹ He learns that Sonja, being from Hyrkania, might know the location of the exiled Hyrkanians who possess the missing half of the book.¹⁰ Instead of torturing her, he forces her to fight in his gladiator arena.¹¹

In the arena, Sonja must not only survive but also win over her fellow slaves. She quickly becomes a leader, convincing them to work together and even turning a giant cyclops against the emperor. She manages to escape the arena, but not before destroying Dragan’s energy source.¹²

Sonja and her new allies, a group of diverse warriors, flee to the mountains. They are relentlessly pursued by Dragan’s forces and his deadly general, Annisia (Wallis Day).¹³ Sonja’s journey becomes one of both vengeance and a quest to protect her new family.

The story culminates in a final battle where Sonja and her allies face Dragan’s army. Sonja is mortally wounded but is healed by the goddess Ashera, who sends her back to the fight.¹⁴ She then confronts Dragan, and in a surprising twist, discovers that he was also a child refugee from Hyrkania. They share a past connection that was lost after the invasion.¹⁵ In the end, both Dragan and Annisia die, and Sonja, having found a sense of peace and justice, leaves the forest to explore the world. The film ends with a hint of future adventures, as one of her allies finds her years later and says her help is needed again.¹⁶

Key Changes from the Source Material

The film’s plot makes some notable changes to Red Sonja’s traditional comic book origin.¹⁷

• No Sexual Assault: The original comic book storyline where Sonja is a survivor of sexual assault and is granted her powers by a goddess to exact revenge is removed.¹⁸ The film focuses instead on her as a warrior seeking justice and redemption.¹⁹

   

• Environmental Themes: The movie adds themes of environmentalism and climate allegory, with Sonja’s connection to nature and her fight against a villain who exploits the land.
• Compassionate Hero: This version of Sonja is portrayed as a more compassionate hero. While she is a formidable fighter, she shows mercy and empathy, particularly towards her enemies and fellow outcasts.²⁰

   

• Villain’s Motivation: The villain, Dragan, is not a one-dimensional evil tyrant. The film provides a backstory that gives him a tragic and complex motivation, linking his dark turn to the same Hyrkanian tragedy that shaped Sonja’s life.