Director Paul Greengrass’ upcoming historical epic promises a gritty action drama in the spirit of Braveheart, Apocalypto, and The Outlaw King, and the first official trailer teased just enough of the plot and premise to stoke excitement. That’s dampened now that the film garnered wildly mixed reception after early press screenings, with a handful of critics unfavorably comparing it to Greengrass’ Jason Bourne franchise.
Early reactions toward The Uprising range from great to bad to middling, but much of the criticism centered on the visual storytelling. One X user also took shots at the pacing, noting the film was “just a total slog” despite its standout action scenes. “I can’t tell you how many times my footing on the narrative was lost in the noise. One big confused mess,” they wrote.
Another X user also confirmed The Uprising bore the worst hallmarks of a Greengrass film — excessive quick cuts, shaky cam, and the pseudo-documentary aesthetic. These worked for Greengrass in Bloody Sunday and Captain Phillips, and The Bourne Ultimatum even won an Oscar for Best Film Editing. However, the technique has been done to death after the Bourne trilogy, and The Uprising only confirmed that the fatigue had set in.
“Unfortunately, Paul Greengrass’s trademark handheld shaky-cam is on full display. During the action sequences, it’s quite effective, capturing the chaos, urgency, and brutality of the uprising. But there’s absolutely no reason for the rest of the film to maintain that same visual approach in its quieter scenes, where it becomes very distracting.”
One user said Greengrass fumbled the execution and failed to flesh out the film’s premise of an everyman leading a peasant revolt against an abusive system and tyrant king. Another noted The Uprising‘s “lackluster script and breakneck pace” did not give the characters time to breathe, which ultimately hampered the emotional payoff of the ending. The scathing comments panned The Uprising as a “disjointed” historical drama, whether or not it was a stealth Robin Hood origin film.
It’s not all doom-and-gloom, however, with one user noting the film had emotional stakes and timely social messaging. Another praised the worldbuilding, action sequences, and Andrew Garfield’s performance. Reception toward The Uprising is a mixed bag based on early reactions, but we’ll see if that tracks with the consensus once the movie drops and the unbridled reviews pour in.
Speaking with Empire, Greengrass described The Uprising as an “entertaining” and “rip-roaring adventure” with social commentary that doesn’t hit audiences over the head. Garfield alluded to that in an Esquire interview, asserting that the social inequality that spurred the 1381 Peasant’s Revolt is still prevalent around the world in the present. “That’s what The Uprising‘s about,” he said. “How do we free ourselves from an oppressive society and a set of systems and structures that doesn’t want us free?”
It’s still too early to tell whether The Uprising will join the biggest hits or flops of 2026, although the film has already fumbled with its confusing marketing tactics. Fight Club, Drive, Mother!, Edge of Tomorrow, and many others prove how mixed messaging ruins a film’s box office prospects, so The Uprising has its work cut out for it.
- Release Date
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September 11, 2026
- Runtime
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128 Minutes
- Director
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Paul Greengrass
