88
Rolling Stone by Peter Travers
It's a tender love story that never goes soft on its provocations. It's a defiant cry from the heart.
A United Kingdom
Critic Rating
(read reviews)User Rating
- Czech Republic,
- United Kingdom,
- United States,
- France
- 2016
- · 111m
Director
Amma Asante
Cast
David Oyelowo,
Rosamund Pike,
Tom Felton,
Jack Davenport,
Terry Pheto,
Laura Carmichael
Genre
Drama,
History,
Romance
On the eve of his return from his studies in London to Bechuanaland (now Botswana), where he is to become king, Prince Seretse Khama falls in love and marries Ruth Williams, a white woman from south London. The decision shocks both their families and the British and South African governments, for whom such a high-profile interracial marriage causes serious problems.
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What are critics saying?
88
Philadelphia Inquirer by Tirdad Derakhshani
Rosamund Pike is adorable, if a little too ethereal and flighty.
88
The Seattle Times by Moira Macdonald
The chemistry between the two actors is a pleasure.
83
IndieWire by Kate Erbland
Bolstered by real events and true emotion, A United Kingdom opts for genuine, hard-won feeling, and the film studiously backs off from cheesy moments or over-the-top revelations.
83
Entertainment Weekly by Leah Greenblatt
It’s their quiet devotion and enduring dignity that give A United Kingdom not just a romantic center, but its soul.
80
The Hollywood Reporter by Deborah Young
Though Asante is no stylist or and no very deep psychologist, she is adept at reaching an audience through direct storytelling.
80
The Guardian by Peter Bradshaw
Maybe any biopic risks naïveté in suggesting the agony of postwar Africa can be soothed by a love story about a handsome prince. But this movie has candour, heartfelt self-belief, and an unfashionable conviction that love conquers all - though not immediately.
80
Empire by Helen O'Hara
It glides romantically along on the surface while political turmoil boils away underneath. Its plea for tolerance isn’t subtle, but it’s a story that deserves to be told.
80
The New York Times by Glenn Kenny
While her filmmaking style can sometimes come across as staid, [Ms. Asante's] sense of pace is always acute. The best reason to see A United Kingdom, however, is the performance by Mr. Oyelowo.
75
Consequence by Sarah Kurchak
A United Kingdom hits all of the necessary emotional notes and political intrigue of a solid historical figure drama.
75
Consequence of Sound by Sarah Kurchak
A United Kingdom hits all of the necessary emotional notes and political intrigue of a solid historical figure drama.
70
Screen Daily by Wendy Ide
A workmanlike and sometimes clumsy screenplay is not enough to extinguish the spark from this real-life fairytale romance, which delivers both a heartfelt emotional story and a grim lesson in 20th-century British foreign policy.
70
Screen International by Wendy Ide
A workmanlike and sometimes clumsy screenplay is not enough to extinguish the spark from this real-life fairytale romance, which delivers both a heartfelt emotional story and a grim lesson in 20th-century British foreign policy.
67
The Film Stage by Jared Mobarak
Seretse and Ruth eventually stop being individuals, transforming instead into a concept of strength and unity bolstering the real plot despite initially seeming as though they were building it.
60
Time Out London by Tom Huddleston
A United Kingdom is just a little too cosy and sentimental for its own good.
60
The Telegraph by Robbie Collin
Pike and Oyelowo have a hearty, wholemeal chemistry together, and play their small moments with sincerity and a light elegance.
60
ScreenCrush by E. Oliver Whitney
The real treasure of A United Kingdom is the tender chemistry between Oyelowo and Pike, whose scenes together offer the film’s best moments.
50
Variety by Peter Debruge
These two are meant to be together, as the film’s clever title suggests, though all the truly interesting things they accomplished happen only after that reunion.
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