Outlaw King

Name: Outlaw King
Genre: Action, Biography, Drama, History, War
Released: November 9, 2018
Duration: 121 min
Rating: 59
Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alastair Mackenzie, Ben Clifford, Billy Howle, Callan Mulvey

2018

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 38 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 128 Ratings

See All

7.2

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7.2	Your Score
7.2	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 128 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

Outlaw King

Now Playing: Outlaw King

Movie Details & Credits

Netflix | Release Date: November 9, 2018 | Not Rated

Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alastair Mackenzie, Ben Clifford, Billy Howle, Callan Mulvey, Chris Pine, Duncan Lacroix, Florence Pugh, James Cosmo, Jamie Maclachlan, Jonny Phillips, Matt Stokoe, Paul Blair, Rebecca Robin, Sam Spruell, Stephen Dillane, Steven Cree, Tony Curran

Movie Facts:

After the film's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, director David McKenzie decided to trim the film by 20 minutes. - Deadline

Summary: The untold, true story of Robert The Bruce who transformed from defeated nobleman, to reluctant King, to outlaw hero over the course of an extraordinary year. Forced into battle in order to save his family, his people and his country from the oppressive English occupation of medieval Scotland, Robert seizes the Scottish crown and rallies aThe untold, true story of Robert The Bruce who transformed from defeated nobleman, to reluctant King, to outlaw hero over the course of an extraordinary year. Forced into battle in order to save his family, his people and his country from the oppressive English occupation of medieval Scotland, Robert seizes the Scottish crown and rallies a ragtag group of men to face off against the wrath of the world's strongest army lead by the ferocious King Edward 1 and his volatile son, the Prince of Wales.… Expand

Director: David Mackenzie

Genre(s): Action, Biography, Drama, History, War

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 121 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Stream On

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Leah Greenblatt

Sep 7, 2018

Mackenzie falls a little too in love with his battle scenes; by the fourth clash of blood and swords it all starts to feel like déjà vu, with different horses. At nearly two and a half hours, there’s clearly room to trim.... But he also films it beautifully in the natural light of candles, torches, and overcast skies, and there’s a solidness to the old-fashioned conventions of his storytelling. Read full review

The Telegraph Robbie Collin

Nov 8, 2018

This is an exultantly old-school blood-and-thunder retelling of the rise of Robert the Bruce. Read full review

Tasha Robinson

Sep 10, 2018

Outlaw King has plenty of the right pieces in play to make this kind of personally enriched story possible, but compared to Mackenzie’s best work, it’s plodding and artless. Read full review

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

Nov 9, 2018

David Mackenzie’s retelling of the Robert the Bruce story for Netflix is bold and watchable, with a spectacular final battle scene shot with flair by the cinematographer Barry Ackroyd Read full review

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

Nov 9, 2018

So much time and energy put into something that, try as I might, I could only muster interest in sporadically. All of this well-meaning effort to waste on a film that never finds the right tone to connect with viewers. It takes a lot to make a movie like Outlaw King, even if it provides so little. Read full review

David Lewis

Nov 6, 2018

Though the ambitious Outlaw King doesn’t always fire on all cylinders, moviegoers deserve this chance to see it on the big screen, before it starts showing on a laptop near you. Read full review

Michael O'Sullivan

Nov 7, 2018

This tedious slog through the highland muck should win no Oscars, only groans and raspberries. Even the much-buzzed-about glimpse of a nude Pine, as his character emerges from a lake, doesn’t make this worth watching. Read full review

SEE ALL 38 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

CarthagoNova

Nov 9, 2018

Return of the classical historical drama is finally here! This movie has everything, amazing story setting - both time and geographical, great actors, fights that feel raw, gritty and frankly real. Apparently what Netflix screens is a version that has 20 minutes cut from it because criticsReturn of the classical historical drama is finally here! This movie has everything, amazing story setting - both time and geographical, great actors, fights that feel raw, gritty and frankly real. Apparently what Netflix screens is a version that has 20 minutes cut from it because critics found the original one "too long and boring" but I hope one day there will be an extended cut.

10/10. More movies like this please.… Expand

8 of 13 users found this helpful85

TheSparton

Nov 11, 2018

I’m not sure how historically accurate it is, but as a fan of epic medieval cinema I couldn’t fault this. Great drama, action and cinematography. It looked big budget and the performances were solid. Finally we got to see what happened after William Wallace’s story ended. Well done Netflix.I’m not sure how historically accurate it is, but as a fan of epic medieval cinema I couldn’t fault this. Great drama, action and cinematography. It looked big budget and the performances were solid. Finally we got to see what happened after William Wallace’s story ended. Well done Netflix. Better than anything Hollywood has produced in years. Fantastic film.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

Etilias

Nov 9, 2018

Amazing drama full of great acting and historical accuracy. Give us more of that Netflix! One of the best movies of the year. Oh, and battle sequences... Im speechless.

5 of 7 users found this helpful52

Rick444

Apr 17, 2020

One of the rare bareable Netflix movies. Yes it's okay to watch without a forceful politicization and quite acceptable escapic historic adventure. What really stands out? Great high res battle scene! And in general good camerawork and scenery. What saves the characters is that they areOne of the rare bareable Netflix movies. Yes it's okay to watch without a forceful politicization and quite acceptable escapic historic adventure. What really stands out? Great high res battle scene! And in general good camerawork and scenery. What saves the characters is that they are underdogs rather than 'godsend' and 'only possible saviors of humanity' like in other modern productions. So it's easy to identify with them… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Othrandur

Nov 11, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While it isn't a bad movie, it's extremely derivative and barely has a passing acquaintance with historical accuracy. The real Robert de Brus mounted a ravaging campaign against England. This movie would have him a desperate underdog with a handful of men, but the real Robert led thousands of men on raids as deep into the England as Carlisle. The movie has him with only 500 men at the Battle of Bannockburn when he had around 6000. Robert is a kind and gentle man of the people in the movie, but the real Robert was a snobbish noble of many generations who preferred the company of the royal court in London to that of the plebs. And then, there's the usual Hollywood nonsense, like men in chain mail swimming in a lake, the inevitable Disney-like villainous son of the king, gutted men riding horses for comfort and rest.

So what's good? The movie keeps a good pace. The scenery is gorgeous. Ignoring the dissonance with reality, the story that was fabricated around the real events was interesting. The actors were good, though they're the same ones who appear in every movie about Scotland. Chris Pine made a valiant effort to keep his signature smirk in check.

Ultimately, regardless of any other factor, the movie is just forgettable, which is probably worse than being bad.… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

TheWaffle

Jan 8, 2019

Good production design and solid acting. However, the editing and script are pretty weak.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

UTM-

Nov 11, 2018

The characters in Outlaw King are written sloppy and lazy. This means that the story is impaired because of bad character developmend.The fights in this movie were very realistic and amusing to watch but they were tentionless, because the enemy was weak althought they were with much biggerThe characters in Outlaw King are written sloppy and lazy. This means that the story is impaired because of bad character developmend.The fights in this movie were very realistic and amusing to watch but they were tentionless, because the enemy was weak althought they were with much bigger quantity.

This is a fast paced movie for people that love gruesome fights and for people that don't care about the story.… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

SEE ALL 40 REVIEWS