Andrew Garfield’s latest film with Paul Greengrass just landed, and critics are not holding back. The Uprising hit theaters today with a sharply divided reception that has fans questioning the war epic’s quality.
Andrew Garfield’s The Uprising reviews are highly mixed
Paul Greengrass’s The Uprising opened in theaters on September 10, 2026, to divided critical reception. The film currently holds a 52% score on Rotten Tomatoes from 33 reviews. Andrew Garfield stars as the leader of a peasant rebellion against King Richard II’s tyranny.
Tim Grierson of Screen International noted that the film suffers from uninspired direction. He wrote that “a noticeable lack of inspired filmmaking permeates the proceedings.” Mark Kennedy of the Associated Press gave the film 2.5 out of 4 stars. He declared that “Greengrass has quite simply robbed his own movie.”
William Bibbiani of TheWrap called the film “such a tragic rug pull, sullying its hard-earned good will.” Nick Schager of The Daily Beast described it as “a drab and monotonous affair.” Owen Myers of the Guardian awarded it just 2 out of 5 stars. Marshall Shaffer of Slant Magazine criticized Greengrass for drawing “many unsubtle parallels” to modern populism.
However, several critics praised the film’s performances and intensity. Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chroniclehighlighted Woody Norman’s turn as Richard II. He called it “the most arresting performance, in a film characterized by strong acting.” Lacy Baugher of RogerEbert.com praised Greengrass’s “signature handheld shaky-cam style” for its brutal immediacy. Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter commended the cast and technical craft extensively.
ComingSoon.net’s Jonathan Sim awarded the film a 7 out of 10. He noted that Garfield “brings a sense of humanity and internal conflict to the character.” Sim also observed that the film’s second act “slows down considerably” with repetitive confrontations. Christian Zilko of IndieWire gave it a B grade. Linda Marric of HeyUGuys wrote that the film “is angry, thoughtful, and genuinely gripping.”
The Uprising is now playing in theaters and stars Andrew Garfield, Jamie Bell, Stephen Dillane, Tom Hollander, Cosmo Jarvis, and Woody Norman.
