The Uprising (2026)
Despite the divisive and underwhelming response, I didn’t mind this film. Andrew Garfield delivers as usual, and I’d argue there isn’t really a weak performance. The first hour is extremely strong! It gets to a point where the film could’ve ended and I would’ve walked away satisfied.
Then…
After the initial uprising, the king agrees to the common people’s terms, only to betray them, ultimately pushing Ploughman toward becoming Robin Hood. That’s A LOT to cram into the final act…and it shows. The film never outright calls him Robin Hood, but it’s painfully clear that’s who he becomes. My issue is that they skip almost the entire transformation.
After the king’s betrayal, we jump one year later and suddenly Ploughman is hooded, skilled with a bow, and successfully attacking the king. I wanted to SEE that journey! Show him training with the bow. Show him gathering and recruiting people to join him. Show us how he becomes this undercover outlaw instead of just jumping to the finished product.
My other issues are some minor pacing problems in the second act and the TERRIBLE cinematography! Why is 90% of this film shot with shaky handheld camerawork?! At times, it was so jarring and distracting that it completely took me out of the film.
There’s definitely value here, but also some glaring weaknesses. The production design is decent, the score is decent, and the performances are strong. Overall, it’s just an okay film.
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