The 2000s marked a period of magic, mythical creatures, and fantastical worlds on the big screen. The decade saw some of the most iconic fantasy movies draw in massive crowds and top the box office. Films like Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth and Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, as well as franchises such as Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, remain some of the most celebrated films in the genre and are still well-loved and watched today. Another movie released that same decade isn’t as well-remembered and remains one of the most underrated fantasy films of the 2000s, but it now has the chance to get the attention it deserves after it finally made its way to streaming this month.
Director Robert Zemeckis’s star-studded 2007 animated fantasy action film Beowulf started streaming on Pluto TV, Paramount’s free streaming service, on August 1, 2025. Written by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, the movie is a modern interpretation of the Old English epic poem Beowulf and stars Ray Winstone as the titular character, a mighty warrior who embarks on a dangerous mission to slay the monster Grendel (Crispin Glover), who is terrorizing Denmark, only to incur the wrath of Grendel’s mother (Angelina Jolie). Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Brendan Gleeson, Robin Wright, and Alison Lohman also star.
Why You Should Watch Beowulf
Beowulf released in theaters in the United States on November 16, 2007 amid a golden era for fantasy films, hitting the big screen the same year as films like Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Shrek the Third. However, the film ultimately didn’t stand the test of time that those other movies have, in part due to what some viewed as an “uncanny valley” effect and its departure from its source material. But Beowulf remains a standout in the fantasy genre, and is a movie that any fantasy fan should watch.
For whatever flaws it may have had, there is no denying just how truly groundbreaking Beowulf was. The film pioneered the use of performance capture technology, blending blended elements of both animation and live-action filmmaking in what is now viewed as an “uncanny valley” affect. But Beowulf’s motion capture animation was a massive achievement at the time and ultimately allowed the film to success in creating visually stunning, dark fantasy moments. The film also features an exceptionally talented cast who bring their multi-layered characters to life, with Winstone’s Beowulf proving to be a more complex and flawed adaptation of the source material’s hero. The movie, which pulled in a worldwide gross of $196.4 million, is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with a 71% critics’ score, where it is praised as “pure cinematic entertainment.”
Other New Movies On Pluto TV
Pluto TV’s content catalog has grown significantly this August, with dozens of films freshly streaming on the platform. See some highlights from the streamer’s August 2025 content lineup below.
Airplane!
Airplane II: The Sequel
Basic Instinct
The Craft
Double Jeopardy (1999)
Escape From Alcatraz
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Finding Neverland
Interstellar
The Longest Yard (2005)
The Mask Of Zorro
Planes, Trains And Automobiles
Saving Private Ryan
This Is Spinal Tap
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