This is because there is a stupid idea in popular culture that the medieval era was a time when everyone lived in absolute poverty, wore clothes that looked like they were sewn by a 6-year-old, and took zero baths in their entire life. The dark filters used in movies and shows that depict the medieval period are meant to symbolically reflect how dreary everyone’s lives were supposed to be.
Some people take the term “dark ages” a little too literally.
Making the Middle Ages (especially in Europe) seem terrible is a favorite pastime of Hollywood, especially when it involves a political bias.
I still have a lot to share with you, but if you want to know more, you can check out the full article on my blog called There Is No Sunshine in Medieval Movies.