The Uprising Review
The Uprising (2026) Film Review, a movie written and directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Andrew Garfield, Jamie Bell, Stephen Dillane, Woody Norman, Katherine Waterston, Tom Hollander, Stanley Townsend, Thomasin McKenzie, Dónal Finn, Sam Chapman, Anthony Webster, Sky Yang, Gerald Tyler, Cosmo Jarvis, Luke Booys and Simon Kunz.
Filmmaker Paul Greengrass (United 93)’s new epic film set in 1381, The Uprising, is about the Peasants’ Revolt of that year and from a technical standpoint, it’s exquisitely made. There’s a loud, triumphant score from Volker Bertelmann that puts him in the running for another potential Oscar nomination, following the fine score that was recently done for the Brendan Fraser film, Pressure. Greengrass directs The Uprising with a flair for sweeping visuals, and the actors are all earnest and hard-working. If the new film comes up short in some of its characterizations, blame it on the effort that was put into everything else, from the crowd scenes to the tense action sequences, The Uprising is consistently intriguing, even when it misses the mark for excellence.
Andrew Garfield stars in the picture as the Ploughman, who is really the embodiment of the historical character, Robin Hood, who supposedly robbed from the rich to give to the poor in classic spins on the tale. This film isn’t that simplistic and has plenty of intense scenes of violent situations that are occasionally emotionally challenging to watch. This film opens with the Ploughman defending a young girl who is thought to be older than she is by those in power. You see, the men in power want to put their financial misfortunes on commonfolk, which causes an uproar that kicks off the movie’s very powerful storyline. As the authoritative people in the movie go after taxes from those less fortunate, the movie unveils its raw edge and distinctly explosive scenarios that drive the plot.
The Ploughman is suffering the loss of his family after a plague and finds it his job to protect people who cannot speak for themselves. He takes a rather fearless approach to helping others, which puts him in volatile situations that ultimately place him in a very specific position in society.
Thomasin McKenzie co-stars in the film in its most challenging role. McKenzie portrays Alyce, who closely follows the rebellious priest, John Ball (Jamie Bell). There are some fine scenes with McKenzie, who is definitely cast against type, in a very unique role for the performer. Alyce has a lot more depth than supporting characters you would typically find in a movie like this. McKenzie does a great job embodying what is, perhaps, the most challenging role of her career thus far.
Cosmo Jarvis serves as Wat Tyler, who joins John Ball and the Ploughman on a quest that will have consequences that could lead to some very confrontational situations as the picture moves forward. Those scenarios surround the unjust teenage King Richard II (Woody Norman of C’mon C’mon, the excellent 2021 film with Joaquin Phoenix). Norman portrays the King in such a way that one can dislike him immensely and it’s a testament to Norman’s abilities that the audience responds to the characterization appropriately.
Andrew Garfield is perfect in the role, playing the Ploughman as man with nothing left to lose, who goes to extremes for the good of those who can’t necessarily fight back. Garfield has heroic qualities that drive the movie, and it’s an impressive embodiment of a role that could have simply been a swashbuckler in a less ambitious movie.
There are other supporting performers here who fare extremely well, too. Katherine Waterston is visually astonishing in the pivotal role of the Countess (Joan of Kent) while Stephen Dillane has the mannerisms of his Archbishop Sudbury down pat.
What makes The Uprising a good film is its excellent production values. There isn’t a bad technical aspect of the movie anywhere to be found within the film. There could have been a bit more to drive the action of the film in terms of specific characters’ trials and tribulations coming into light, but Greengrass has still made a movie that takes big risks and is compelling to watch on the big screen.
The Uprising could work as a Robin Hood origin movie, but putting it in that context only detracts from the quality of the film as a whole. Those going in expecting a “traditional” Robin Hood may be disappointed because Garfield’s portrayal of the role is often heroic in ways that differ from many of the famous stories featuring the legendary Robin Hood.
In any event, The Uprising is well-made and deserves attention as one of the more prestigious non-event movies of the year. In a curious scenario, it’s a perfectly fine film deserving of technical Oscar nominations even though the rest of the movie is merely good without being on a level that would suggest potential awards. Hollywood is constantly trying to reinvent Robin Hood these days and with this one, they’re one step closer to doing so.
Rating: 7/10
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