The Uprising
Verdict: The Uprising delivers raw, intense action and a committed performance from Andrew Garfield, but shaky camerawork and uneven pacing keep it from being a complete success. It’s a film that seems to split viewers right down the middle.
Pros:
- Andrew Garfield’s performance is widely praised as powerful and restrained
- Paul Greengrass brings real intensity and urgency to the battle scenes
- The historical subject (the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt) feels timely and relevant
Cons:
- The shaky, handheld camera style is called distracting and even nauseating by several viewers
- Script and pacing issues make the story feel unfocused in its quieter moments
About The Uprising (2026)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Title | The Uprising |
| Directed by | Paul Greengrass |
| Written by | Paul Greengrass |
| Produced by | Jason Blum, Paul Greengrass, Gregory Goodman, Joanna Kaye, Joe Neurauter, Lars Sylvest |
| Cast | Andrew Garfield, Jamie Bell, Stephen Dillane, Tom Hollander, Cosmo Jarvis, Thomasin McKenzie, Jonny Lee Miller, Woody Norman, Katherine Waterston |
| Cinematography | Pål Ulvik Rokseth |
| Music by | Volker Bertelmann |
| Production Companies | Thank You Pictures, Supernix, Blumhouse Productions |
| Release Date | 10 September 2026 (US) |
| Country | United Kingdom, Germany, United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Action, Period Drama, History |
| Censor Rating | R |
The Uprising hit theaters on 10 September 2026, bringing together director Paul Greengrass and lead actor Andrew Garfield for a gritty retelling of England’s 1381 Peasants’ Revolt. The film was briefly marketed under a different title tying it to the Robin Hood legend before the studio settled on its final name.
Given Greengrass’s reputation for handheld, documentary style filmmaking, expectations were high going in. Early screenings and social media chatter show a genuinely split response, with some calling it one of the year’s most powerful historical dramas and others finding it messy and hard to sit through.
The story follows a humble ploughman, played by Garfield, who becomes the face of a peasant uprising against the crushing taxes and cruelty of King Richard II’s court. Set in the grim aftermath of the Black Death, ordinary villagers band together and march on those in power, demanding justice.
It’s a simple, classic underdog story on paper, even if the film’s execution has proven divisive. On social media, the most consistent praise is for Garfield. Many viewers on X and Instagram describe his performance as quietly powerful, calling it one of the more grounded turns of his career.
Greengrass’s handling of the action sequences also gets a lot of love, with people saying the chaos and brutality of the revolt feel genuinely visceral and immersive. The complaints are just as loud, though. A big chunk of the criticism circles back to the camera work.
Several audience members have openly said the constant shaking and movement, even during calm conversations, left them feeling dizzy or disoriented rather than immersed. Others feel the script loses its grip midway through, with the film unsure whether it wants to be an intimate character study or a sweeping historical epic.
A few reviewers also felt the story’s politics come across as a bit heavy-handed, which turned some casual viewers off. Overall sentiment across platforms leans mixed-to-positive. Fans of Greengrass’s earlier work, like United 93 or Captain Phillips, seem more forgiving of the shaky visual style and tend to rate the film higher.
Casual moviegoers looking for a smoother, more traditional period drama have been more critical. If you enjoy raw, handheld action filmmaking and don’t mind a bit of visual chaos, The Uprising is worth a big screen watch for Garfield’s performance alone.
If motion heavy camerawork bothers you, or you prefer a tighter, more conventional narrative, it might be safer to catch this one on streaming instead.
Disclaimer: This review is based on publicly available audience reactions and discussions on X at the time of writing. Individual opinions may vary.
