Outlaw King (2018)
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A Scottish king must lead a rebellion against the English crown to reclaim his land and people.
The story
In 1304, Robert Bruce and his allies surrender to Edward I of England, paying him homage. After a period of vassalage, Bruce notes the English's unpopularity and decides to organize a rebellion with his family's support. When he is declared an outlaw by King Edward, Bruce seeks to lead a resistance against the English forces. Despite facing opposition from many Scottish nobles who remain bound by oaths to the King, Bruce and his wife Elizabeth head to Scone to be crowned king of the Scots, initiating a desperate struggle for independence.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1304, Robert Bruce surrenders to Edward I of England. After marrying Elizabeth de Burgh, Bruce observes the English's unpopularity and the unrest following the execution of William Wallace. He organizes a rebellion, kills his ally John Comyn to prevent him from informing the King, and is declared an outlaw. Bruce and Elizabeth travel to Scone to be crowned. During the journey, Douglas pledges allegiance. Bruce faces a challenge from the ambitious de Valence, which he delays to consummate his marriage. A surprise English attack forces Bruce to flee to Islay with a small band of men, during which his brother Alexander dies. After the fall of Kildrummy Castle, Bruce adopts guerilla warfare tactics. He is eventually reunited with his brother Edward. In England, Elizabeth is imprisoned in a hanging cage after refusing to renounce her marriage. Following Edward I's death, his son Edward II takes over. Bruce defeats Edward II at the Battle of Loudoun Hill using a spear wall and mud to negate the English cavalry advantage. The battle ends in a duel where Bruce defeats Edward II, who flees unarmed.
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 121
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Mackenzie
- Writers
- Bash Doran · writer; David Mackenzie · writer; James MacInnes · writer
- Cast and characters
- Chris Pine · Robert the Bruce; Aaron Taylor-Johnson; Florence Pugh; Billy Howle; Sam Spruell; Tony Curran; Callan Mulvey; James Cosmo; Stephen Dillane
- Genres
- historical action drama; biographical; war drama
- Themes
- rebellion; independence; loyalty; warfare
- Tone and mood
- historical; action; epic
- Premise and plot tags
- historical; biographical; war; action; drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- actual events
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 59 · scale: 100 · review count: 38
- Production trivia
- The film's premiere runtime was 137 minutes, leading Mackenzie to cut nearly 20 minutes.; The film implies Robert I began his rebellion almost immediately after William Wallace's execution.; The color yellow is mostly absent from the clothing of the fighting men.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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