The Last King of Scotland Movie Information

Movie Information

Overall Rank: 861

Average Rating: 3/4

# of Ratings: 280

Theatrical Release Date: 09/27/2006

Language: English

Genre: Drama, Historical

MPAA Rating: R

Director: Kevin Macdonald

Actors: Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Gillian Anderson, Simon McBurney, Kerry Washington, Adam Kotz

Plot: A young Scottish doctor travels away from his family ways to experience something new when he runs into the new President of Uganda who happens to have strong feelings for the Scottish.

Quick Movie Reviews

Rating of
3.5/4

Indyfreak - wrote on 01/05/2020

Suspenseful and enthralling biographical drama about the notorious Ugandan dictator Idi Amin (Whitaker). Forest Whitaker’s portrayal of Amin is incredibly uncanny. He’s appropriately despotic and paranoid. But Whitaker also adds random dark humor or disarming levity to his performance. It’s genuinely unpredictable and unsettling. The look of the movie cleverly mimics the grainy documentary style of 1970s filmmaking.

Rating of
3/4

Matthew Brady - wrote on 02/21/2014

The story is about a young Scottish doctor travels away from his family ways to experience something new when he runs into the new President of Uganda who happens to have strong feelings for the Scottish. This movie has great acting by the cast and good directing.

Rating of
3/4

worleyjamers - wrote on 06/29/2013

Whitaker completely deserved his Oscar for Best Actor; both he and James McAvoy give fantastic performances to carry this film to a climax that is exciting and thrilling. Many good films came in 06, and this film is one of them.

Full Movie Reviews

Yojimbo
Yojimbo
Movie God

Rating of
3/4

"The Last King Of Scotland" by Yojimbo

Yojimbo - wrote on 01/09/2012

Based on the experiences of a young Scottish doctor who becomes the unlikely confidante of brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, this film is quite even-handed in it's representation of the two main characters. Whitaker was fully deserving of his Oscar and McAvoy looking for the world like a young Ewan McGregor, it's easy to see how a young hedonist who sees Africa as an adventure playground of life experience would fall for the personal charm and charisma of Amin, while completely insulated from the atrocities he was committing in the outside world. I would have liked to have seen more of the context in which the story was situated, as the audience sees only glimpses of Amin's crimes as Garrigan does so the film does not have the weight it could have. As such it's a very well made and …

gideon43
gideon43
Director

Rating of
3/4

You swore an oath.

gideon43 - wrote on 05/27/2010

A fictionalized account detailing the events surrounding Ugandan dictator Idi Amin and a young Scottish doctor who becomes Amins personal physician.
The Last King of Scotland is a powerful and searing drama which has an exemplary performance from Forest Whittaker as the ruthless yet strangely charismatic despot. Brutal and disturbing images intercut with a seductive romanticism of a young man in an alien land suddenly thrust into a glamorous and wealthy lifestyle.
This is a movie which once again explores a dark, corrupt and murderous chapter in African political history
Delivering a superior and thought provoking tale involving the loss of innocence and the all too familiar transformation of saviour to destroyer, The Last King of Scotland is a triumph and another historical warning …

Franz Patrick
Franz Patrick
Movie God

Rating of
4/4

A Well-Paced Political Drama

Franz Patrick - wrote on 02/22/2008

I love films that changes tone at the half-way mark and this is a fine example of that. The first half is more about the innocence of a young doctor, played splendidly by James McAvoy, and the second half is more about the demolition of that young doctor's innocence; the first half is also about the establishment of a leader's charisma, played very convincingly by Forest Whitaker, and the second half is the revelation of the leader's monsterous heart. I love this movie because it never ceases to be interesting; the fact that I'm interested in becoming a doctor and wanting to go to another country to help, which is the movie's palate, it really did get to me. I can't believe I put off watching this because I thought, "Great. Another history lesson from the movies." But I'm slowly learning …

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