--- title: "Brexit: The Uncivil War: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/brexit-the-uncivil-war/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/brexit-the-uncivil-war" critics_score: 60 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Brexit: The Uncivil War (2019): what the critics said Critics' score 60 from 8 reviews: 5 positive, 1 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics find Brexit: The Uncivil War an engaging, brisk political drama, with praise clustering around Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance as Dominic Cummings. The campaign strategist emerges as a compelling, sometimes ambiguous figure, and several reviews admire how the film makes campaign tactics absorbing. James Graham’s clear, fast-moving writing earns approval, while the attention to data manipulation, misinformation and social media targeting gives the drama much of its force. The spread is wide, however, and the reservations concern how much the film explains beneath that busy surface. Even favourable reviews note limited scope and cheap dramatic touches. Variety praises Cumberbatch but finds too many explanations competing for attention; Consequence values the data-mining material while questioning the treatment of racism and xenophobia. The Guardian offers the sharpest dissent, arguing that the film is irresponsible in its handling of misinformation and gives Cummings prominence at the expense of other characters and important issues. ## The i Paper — Gerard Gilbert Rating ★★★★. 7 January 2019. The critic finds the drama hugely engaging but says it is unlikely to change anyone’s mind about Brexit. They single out its compelling portrayal of Dominic Cummings’s outsider campaign and the way it draws viewers’ sympathies toward Vote Leave. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/brexit-movie-uncivil-war-review-channel-4-hbo-benedict-cumberbatch-dominic-cummings-240045) ## Evening Standard — Susannah Butter Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 8 January 2019. Butter finds the drama pacy, thought-provoking and absorbing, with something to enjoy regardless of how viewers voted. She particularly praises its nuanced portrayal of Dominic Cummings and the performances that bring the campaign’s characters to life. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/brexit-the-uncivil-war-review-pacy-drama-on-voting-leave-starring-a-career-psychopath-and-two-panto-villains-a4033176.html) ## Empire — James Dyer Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 January 2019. Dyer finds the drama a chilling and compelling account of the data-driven Brexit campaign. He singles out its focus on data manipulation and misinformation as an alarming indictment of modern politics. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/brexit-uncivil-war-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Tim Goodman Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 January 2019. The critic finds the film briskly entertaining and relevant, despite its limited scope and the referendum’s ongoing complexity. He praises Benedict Cumberbatch’s lead performance and James Graham’s clear, fast-moving writing. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/brexit-review-1176138/) ## The New Yorker — Troy Patterson Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 January 2019. Patterson finds the film a crisp political procedural and praises its portrayal of Dominic Cummings as an ambiguous, destructive strategist. He singles out Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance, while noting the film’s weakness for cheap dramatic touches. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/on-television/in-brexit-benedict-cumberbatch-is-a-peculiar-man-who-wants-to-upend-the-order-of-the-world) ## Variety — Daniel D'Addario Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 16 January 2019. The critic says the film falls short of its promise and lacks focus. He praises Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Dominic Cummings but faults the film for treating too many explanations of Brexit as equally important. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2019/tv/reviews/brexit-review-hbo-benedict-cumberbatch-1203101319/) ## The Guardian — Lucy Mangan Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 7 January 2019. Mangan judges the drama superficial and irresponsible, saying it failed its duty not to add to misinformation. She objects that it elevates Cummings while reducing others to ciphers and skims over important issues. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/jan/07/brexit-the-uncivil-war-review-superficial-irresponsible-tv-cumberbatch) ## Consequence — Caroline Siede Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 17 January 2019. The critic finds the film engaging but ultimately glossy and shallow, with a breadth-over-depth approach that leaves it hollow. She praises its exploration of data-mining and social media micro-targeting, while faulting its smug tone and treatment of racism and xenophobia. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2019/01/film-review-brexit/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/brexit-the-uncivil-war.md