--- title: "The Uprising" year: 2026 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-uprising" fi1m_id: "the-uprising" imdb_id: "tt36983905" tmdb_id: 977942 wikidata_id: "Q135103999" fi1m_score: 62 critics_score: 57 critics_reviews: 17 published: "2026-09-14" updated: "2026-09-30T06:02:26.106558+00:00" region: "US" 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." --- # The Uprising (2026) Directed by Paul Greengrass · 2h 08m · MPA R · Drama, Action, History ## Identity The Uprising - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-uprising - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-uprising - **IMDb ID:** tt36983905 - **TMDB ID:** 977942 - **Wikidata ID:** Q135103999 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36983905/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/977942, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q135103999 **Fi1m score: 62** · Critics 57 from 17 reviews *In a sentence:* Andrew Garfield deserves a rebellion with fewer people jostling the camera > Paul Greengrass’s historical drama has a persuasive lead in Andrew Garfield and a convincing medieval setting. Its relentless action is harder to recommend: the movement does too much of the storytelling. ## Synopsis In medieval England, a reluctant rebel known as Ploughman (Andrew Garfield) becomes involved in the Peasants’ Revolt. The rebellion challenges a society divided by wealth and power, with King Richard II (Woody Norman) on the throne. John Ball (Jamie Bell), Wat Tyler (Cosmo Jarvis) and Alyce (Thomasin McKenzie) are among the figures in a struggle between the people demanding change and those who govern them. Paul Greengrass writes and directs, with Stephen Dillane as Simon Sudbury, Tom Hollander as Sir Robert Hales and Katherine Waterston as Joan of Kent. ## Review *The Uprising* is a decent historical action film with a persuasive lead and a serious problem with pacing. Paul Greengrass approaches the Peasants’ Revolt through physical disorder, putting the pressure of rebellion ahead of an orderly account of it. That is a reasonable choice for a story about people denied power and determined to take it. But across 128 minutes, his insistence on keeping everything urgent makes too much of the film feel much the same. Andrew Garfield gives Ploughman enough reluctance to make his involvement in the revolt feel consequential. His dignity makes it possible to care about the rebellion without requiring everyone involved to be straightforwardly heroic. Garfield supplies much of the emotional continuity that Greengrass’s screenplay struggles to sustain, though the crowded ensemble too often competes with him. Katherine Waterston, as Joan of Kent, is sharply chilly, providing a useful contrast to the agitation around her. Pål Ulvik Rokseth’s handheld photography brings the fighting close, with all the uncertainty that entails. At its most effective, the unstable frame makes a crowd feel difficult to control; elsewhere, it becomes difficult simply to follow. We found the fight scenes wearing, because the shaking made it harder to read the action and kept us at the same pitch of alarm. The aerial views provide welcome distance, and suggest that a clearer view need not make the violence less disturbing. Nikolaj Danielsen’s production design makes medieval England look convincingly difficult to live in, although the emphasis on mud eventually becomes monotonous. The dirt helps establish the rebels’ hardship without requiring the dialogue to explain it. Volker Bertelmann’s score helps sustain the tension, and is effective on its own terms. What the film needs more urgently, however, is a quiet stretch in which its characters have room to become distinct. William Goldenberg’s editing is energetic, yet the film needs more changes of pace than it gets. Sequence after sequence arrives with comparable force, so the sense of events developing begins to fade. Greengrass the writer has not given the action a strong enough dramatic progression, and the contemporary relevance of inequality cannot supply one for him. Too often, another stretch of action takes the place of time spent with the people involved. Historical action films do not owe us a lecture, and Greengrass is right to avoid treating the rebellion as an illustrated lesson. There is moral complexity here, and a welcome sense that violent upheaval will not become tidy merely because its grievances are recognisable. But characters need time to make choices that carry some weight, and the film’s hurry too often works against that. Much of the work of making those choices matter falls to Garfield. This remains a reasonable choice for anyone drawn to historical rebellion, with performances and period detail worth the patience it asks for. The pace is the caveat, and it is a substantial one. Frequent movement does not make this an easy evening. If handheld action already wears you down, even Garfield is unlikely to change that. *Fi1m score 62, published 14 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews split almost evenly, with as many critics recommending The Uprising as dismissing it and several sitting in between. Where they agree is on Andrew Garfield, whose lead turn as the reluctant rebel is praised even by those who dislike the film around him, and on Katherine Waterston’s cold supporting performance. Most also credit the muddy recreation of 1381 England and the parallels Greengrass draws with present-day anger at inequality. The fight is over the handheld camera. Admirers find it visceral and documentary-like; detractors, among them The AV Club and /Film, call it nauseating and a poor fit for a medieval battlefield. Several also object to the film being sold as a Robin Hood origin story, which The New Yorker and Collider say muddles what it is trying to do. The spread is wide, and the reasons vary: The Hollywood Reporter admires the craft but finds the relentlessness exhausting, while The Wrap blames a weak ending. ## Straight answers **Is The Uprising worth watching?** *The Uprising* is worth watching for anyone drawn to historical rebellion who can tolerate two hours of handheld action, and we scored it 62. Andrew Garfield gives it a reluctant, dignified centre and the medieval setting convinces, but Paul Greengrass keeps everything at the same urgent pitch. If shaky fight scenes already wear you down, this will not change your mind. **How long is The Uprising, and what is it rated?** *The Uprising* runs 2h 08m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and action film. **Where can I watch The Uprising in the US?** *The Uprising* is not on any streaming or rental service in the US at the moment. It is available in 2 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How violent or frightening is The Uprising, and is it suitable for children?** *The Uprising* carries a UK 15 certificate, and the violence of the Peasants' Revolt is close, frequent and disturbing, so it is not for children. The handheld camera makes the fighting hard to read and keeps the alarm constant, which we found wearing rather than frightening. Older teenagers used to historical action should manage; the squeamish may not. **How does The Uprising compare to The Battle of Algiers?** *The Uprising* and [*The Battle of Algiers*](https://film.one/film/the-battle-of-algiers) both film street fighting and collective resistance close up, but Pontecorvo's is the clearer and the better film. Its documentary style makes the violence lucid as well as near, where Greengrass's shaking camera often makes his hard simply to follow. Choose *The Uprising* for Garfield and a medieval setting; choose the earlier film for pressure you can actually see building. **What should I watch after The Uprising?** After *The Uprising*, try [*The Battle of Algiers*](https://film.one/film/the-battle-of-algiers) (1966, Fi1m 93): Street fighting and collective resistance, filmed with unnerving clarity and mounting pressure. Then [*Seven Samurai*](https://film.one/film/seven-samurai) (1954, Fi1m 95): Farmers organise against violence, and the action never forgets who needs protecting. ### Reviews we read (17) - **Vulture** (85/100, inferred): Greengrass delivers a dumb, relentless, visceral and cathartic eat-the-rich epic full of bloody spectacle and handheld fury, evoking Fury Road more than straight history. It boils the blood effectively despite some oversimplification. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/the-uprising-review-andrew-garfields-fury-is-hot-bloody.html) - **Los Angeles Times**, Katie Walsh (80/100, inferred): Greengrass successfully transplants his signature shaky-cam style to a medieval setting, delivering a visceral, documentary-like take on the Peasants’ Revolt that highlights contemporary parallels. Strong performances, especially from Andrew Garfield, anchor the messy but thrilling narrative of inevitable revolution. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-09-11/uprising-review-andrew-garfield-medieval-paul-greengrass-thomasin-mckenzie) - **IndieWire**, Christian Zilko (75/100, inferred): Greengrass turns the Peasants' Revolt into a bold 21st-century populist statement that doubles as a fictional character's origin story. The review highlights its unapologetic approach to class themes. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-uprising-review-1235214967/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Lacy Baugher (75/100, inferred): The film is a watchable historical epic that effectively links 14th-century peasant struggles to contemporary issues of pandemic aftermath, inequality, and distrust in leadership. It benefits from strong performances by Andrew Garfield and Woody Norman, though the shaky-cam style is distracting outside action scenes and the coda feels like a lazy attempt at uplift. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-uprising-andrew-garfield-paul-greengrass-movie-review-2026) - **The New York Times**, Jeannette Catsoulis (NYT Critic’s Pick): The critic praises the film as a rough-and-tumble chronicle of the Peasants’ Revolt with bracing moral complexity and energetic action sequences. Greengrass prioritizes visceral battles and historical upheaval over extensive dialogue. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/10/movies/the-uprising-review-andrew-garfield.html) - **The New Yorker**, Justin Chang (55/100, inferred): The critic finds Greengrass’s dramatization of the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt a mixed achievement that holds interest intermittently through its focus on the logistics of revolt and its echoes of contemporary anger at inequality. He praises the performances and the film’s grim tone but faults the director’s signature style for feeling scattershot and applied rather than organic, along with conceptual confusion over the story’s relation to Robin Hood legend. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-current-cinema/the-uprising-is-a-grim-but-scattershot-history-lesson) - **Variety**, Michael Phillips (55/100, inferred): The film applies Greengrass's shaky-cam style to the 1381 Peasants' Revolt with mixed success, offering a panoramic but uneven mosaic. Strong supporting turns, especially from Katherine Waterston, stand out amid criticisms of the approach and marketing. [Read](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/the-uprising-review-andrew-garfield-1236855448/) - **Slant Magazine**, Marshall Shaffer (2/4): Shaffer finds the film’s political allegory heavy-handed and its conclusion misguided. He praises the thrilling, coherent action sequences, while criticizing the handheld style when it disrupts the medieval setting. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-uprising-review-andrew-garfield-paul-greengrass/) - **The AV Club**, Jacob Oller (C-): The shaky-cam and mockumentary style create nauseating chaos in this grim retelling of the revolt, diluting characters and themes into broad, simpleminded versions. It drowns in its own mud rather than immersing viewers. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-uprising-review) - **Screen Daily** (30/100, inferred): The critic finds Paul Greengrass’s dramatisation of the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt frustratingly listless overall, despite summoning some controlled chaos and widescreen spectacle. Andrew Garfield gives a stirring lead performance as the reluctant rebel Ploughman, but the film lacks dramatic arc and inspired filmmaking. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-uprising-review-a-stirring-andrew-garfield-is-unable-to-energise-paul-greengrasss-listless-period-drama/5220241.article) - **The Guardian** (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a disjointed slog through the mud with the emotional depth of a History Channel rerun and stale handheld camerawork that induces seasickness in fight scenes. Some aerial shots and supporting performances (such as Katherine Waterston’s icy turn) are noted positively, but the overall verdict is that Andrew Garfield’s charisma cannot save the grim and depressingly generic period piece. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/sep/09/the-uprising-movie-review) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Frank Scheck (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film skillfully made and acted but ultimately exhausting due to its relentless intensity and lack of modulation. The cast, including a terrific Andrew Garfield, and the vivid technical recreation of medieval England are singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-uprising-review-andrew-garfield-paul-greengrass-1236694209/) - **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's rip-roaring action, urgent pacing, and timely political relevance to inequality and corrupt power. They highlight Andrew Garfield's dignified lead performance and the well-chosen ensemble as reasons viewers root for the rebels. [Read](https://deadline.com/2026/09/the-uprising-review-andrew-garfield-paul-greengrass-epic-1237071435/) - **Collider**, Meredith Loftus (6/10): The critic finds it a well-made historical drama with timely themes of revolution and inequality, praising the gritty realism of the setting and the score. However, the marketing push framing it as a Robin Hood origin story hinders it, and Garfield's lead performance gets lost among a crowded supporting cast. [Read](https://collider.com/the-uprising-review-andrew-garfield/) - **HeyUGuys** (60/100, inferred): The critic finds the film gripping and thoughtful for most of its runtime, but says its ending undermines what came before. The performances and the film’s exploration of the revolt’s anger earn praise, while the Robin Hood turn draws sharp criticism. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-uprisng-review/) - **The Wrap** (50/100, inferred): The critic notes the film begins with propulsive, inspiring rebellion and strong performances but ultimately disappoints due to a weak, unconvincing ending that sours the narrative. They single out the loss of conviction in the climax as the key flaw. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/the-uprising-review-andrew-garfield-paul-greengrass/) - **/Film**, Jeremy Mathai (4/10): The critic finds the film a dull and dreary disappointment that fails as both a Robin Hood origin story and a historical epic. Greengrass's signature shaky-cam style is singled out as a poor fit for the material, resulting in unfocused action and a lack of scale or substance. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/2252719/the-uprising-review-andrew-garfield-2026-movie/) ## Details - **Director:** Paul Greengrass - **Director:** Paul Greengrass - **Writer:** Paul Greengrass - **Cinematography:** Pål Ulvik Rokseth - **Editor:** William Goldenberg - **Music:** Hauschka - **Production design:** Nikolaj Danielsen - **Costume design:** András Dániel Tóth, Attila Godena-Juhász - **Producer:** Jason Blum, Paul Greengrass, Gregory Goodman - **Cast:** Andrew Garfield as Ploughman; Jamie Bell as John Ball; Stephen Dillane as Simon Sudbury; Tom Hollander as Sir Robert Hales; Cosmo Jarvis as Wat Tyler; Thomasin McKenzie as Alyce; Jonny Lee Miller as William Walworth; Woody Norman as King Richard II of England - **Runtime:** 2h 08m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 10 September 2026 - **Genres:** Drama, Action, History - **Box office:** $3 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVkrhHebz1Q ## Where to watch in the US Not streaming, renting or buying in the US at the last check. Also available in: AT, IT. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Peterloo* (2018): Political anger gathers among ordinary people, with more room to hear them. - *The Battle of Algiers* (1966), Fi1m 93: Street fighting and collective resistance, filmed with unnerving clarity and mounting pressure. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-battle-of-algiers.md) - *Army of Shadows* (1969): Resistance becomes a series of difficult decisions, with little comfort in heroism. - *The Wind That Shakes the Barley* (2006): Political convictions strain personal loyalties in a rebellion given time to develop. - *Seven Samurai* (1954), Fi1m 95: Farmers organise against violence, and the action never forgets who needs protecting. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/seven-samurai.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-uprising