El hombre que desafió al rey (2026)★ 6.7/10

In the aftermath of a once-in-a-generation pandemic, taxes are on the rise for the common people because the political power is running out of money because of a war. Surprisingly, I’m not talking about America in 2026. I’m talking about the new movie THE UPRISING, a historical drama set in England in 1381. The Black Death has wiped out up to half of the country, leaving the survivors in a state of grief. The boy King Richard II (Woody Norman), busy with a war with France and controlled by his council, increases taxes on the lower class, sparking the embers of what would be known as the Peasant’s Revolt. It starts with a ploughman (Andrew Garfield) who is plagued by dreams of a family lost. He joins the revolt now led by ex-soldier Wat Tyler (Cosmo Jarvis) and priest John Ball (Jaime Bell). 3 days before release, the U.S marketing referred this movie as the origins of Robin Hood, which conflicted with the U.K marketing. This confused critics because the legend of Robin Hood was known to take place 2 centuries earlier. Nevertheless, this movie is great. It has writer/director Paul Greengrass’ trademark shaky-cam, which admittedly can be a little much. But it also made me feel like I was a part of the revolt. It’s dirty, gritty, and visceral, having great performances by all. The production design is perfect while the score enhanced the experience. The world-building is bleak and realistic, showing empty and devastated villages. It has intense action scenes. Overall, THE UPRISING clearly ties the feelings of rage and desperation for a better world with audiences today. As Andrew Garfield himself recently said, “Billionaires should be scared s***less of this movie.” Remember, history repeats.