Outlaw King Review: 7 Ups & 2 Downs

1. Its Impressively Restrained Politics

It would've been incredibly easy for Mackenzie to make Outlaw King an astoundingly on-the-nose allegory for the current debate about Scottish independence, and though many will interpret the film through that lens regardless, he thankfully doesn't engage in any formal way.

Mackenzie has said in interviews that he intentionally didn't want the movie to take a deeply nationalist bent, especially in today's climate where toxic nationalism is a problem worldwide. When compared to its spiritual predecessor Braveheart, it's certainly a decidedly more restrained piece of filmmaking.

As a more isolated, vacuum-sealed look at Bruce's quest for freedom, it is extremely effective on its own terms and really didn't need the realities of 2018 being needlessly injected into the mix. Thankfully Mackenzie appeared to feel the same way.

What did you make of Outlaw King? Shout it out in the comments!