Advanced Search Beta »
Basic Search Fields
The Last King of Scotland
The Last King of Scotland Image
See the trailer
Metascore
74 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 36 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.1 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 84 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
Rate this:
  • Starring: Forest Whitaker, Gillian Anderson, James McAvoy
  • Summary: In an incredible twist of fate, a Scottish doctor (McAvoy) on a Ugandan medical mission becomes irreversibly entangled with one of the world's most barbaric figures: Idi Amin (Whitaker). Impressed by Dr. Garrigan's brazen attitude in a moment of crisis, the newly self-appointed Ugandan President Amin hand picks him as his personal physician and closest confidante. Though Garrigan is at first flattered and fascinated by his new position, he soon awakens to Amin's savagery - and his own complicity in it. Horror and betrayal ensue as Garrigan tries to right his wrongs and escape Uganda alive. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 36
  3. Negative: 0 out of 36
  1. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Ruthe Stein
    100
    Unlike Sean Penn's demagogue in "All the King's Men," you're able to forget that Whitaker is acting. He embodies the role. When clips of the real Amin are shown at the end, it's almost shocking to realize the extent to which Whitaker has become him.
  2. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: J.R. Jones
    100
    Of course no Western director can make a movie about Africa without being accused of colonialism himself, and some critics have faulted The Last King of Scotland for focusing on its white hero as black corpses pile up around him. But although the movie takes place on an international political stage, it's still a drama of individual allegiance.
  3. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    50
    The Last King of Scotland joins the ranks of nightmarish innocents-abroad movies, from "Midnight Express" to "Hostel," where the disillusioned hero fights to return to civility.

See all 36 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 52
  3. Negative: 2 out of 52
  1. EverrettU
    10
    Highly rewarding drama with terrific performances.
    • 1 of 1 users said yes
  2. TrueA.
    5
    My main gripe with this film is that the true events it is inspired by are so few and far between that this story may as well have just been a complete work of fiction. I do not dispute that Africa has an ugly history, but I object to the fact that the TRUE history is not shown... so many people base their opinions on world events on movies, so surely it makes sense to allow people to base their opinions on the truth, particularly if a movie is going to claim it is "based on true events"? Beyond that, the acting was of a high quality - apart from the accents of the American actors purporting to be African. Personally, I found Blood Diamond more memorable.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. JustinA.
    3
    If you are actually interested in 1970's Uganda, an infinitely better movie to watch is General Idi Amin Dada, a documentary by Barbet Schroeder. My problem with The Last King of Scotland is not so much having a white protagonist, nor making that protagonist privy, Zelig-like, to every major event during Amin's rule. Rather, its creating a fictitious figure at all, especially one, who, according to the narrative, played such a significant role in the narrated events. Really, see Schroeder's film and see Amin himself. He's much more gripping (and strange and terrifying) than Forrest Whitaker.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 52 User Reviews

Trailers

Recommended Products

  1. Breach

    Breach Image

  2. Flags of Our Fathers

    Flags of Our Fathers Image

  3. Inside Man

    Inside Man Image

Current Movie Releases

Full List »
  1. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
    Metascore: 73
  2. War Horse
    Metascore: 72
  3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
    Metascore: 71
  4. The Adventures of Tintin
    Metascore: 68
  5. Haywire
    Metascore: 67
  6. The Grey
    Metascore: 64
  7. The Woman in Black
    Metascore: 62
  8. We Bought a Zoo
    Metascore: 58
  9. The Iron Lady
    Metascore: 54
  10. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
    Metascore: 48
  11. Red Tails
    Metascore: 46
  12. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
    Metascore: 46
  13. Underworld Awakening
    Metascore: 39
  14. The Devil Inside
    Metascore: 18
  15. The Darkest Hour
    Metascore: 16
All Current Movies »