Free State of Jones

2016 "For justice. For pride. For freedom."
6.9| 2h20m| R| en| More Info
Released: 24 June 2016 Released
Producted By: Larger Than Life Productions
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://stxmovies.com/freestateofjones/
Synopsis

In 1863, Mississippi farmer Newt Knight serves as a medic for the Confederate Army. Opposed to slavery, Knight would rather help the wounded than fight the Union. After his nephew dies in battle, Newt returns home to Jones County to safeguard his family but is soon branded an outlaw deserter. Forced to flee, he finds refuge with a group of runaway slaves hiding out in the swamps. Forging an alliance with the slaves and other farmers, Knight leads a rebellion that would forever change history.

... View More
Stream Online

The movie is currently not available onine

Director

Producted By

Larger Than Life Productions

Trailers & Images

Reviews

bryangary65 Good drama about a story I didn't realise happened.As always with this type of "slave" film it's pretty stereotypical. But at the same time important we never forget that racism is wrongMatthew McConaughey is brilliant in the lead role
The Movie Diorama Slavery, plantations and the fight for freedom are well documented and popular themes in many many films. 12 Years a Slave and Lincoln immediately spring to mind. So this is nothing new. Portraying this period of time is extremely saturated, so there cannot be any mediocrity. Unfortunately, Free State of Jones is just that. The true story of Newt Knight forming a rebellion against the confederacy in the 1860's. To ensure that all people are free and treated equally. A commendable and admirable man, choosing to fight for other people even if that means losing the ones closest to him. I can always find respect in people like Newt and sharing idealisms like his on film is important to show how far we have come as a society. The plot never feels preachy, it's told with good intentions and facts. Various photographs are embedded throughout with text to explain the historical events that followed. Matthew McConaughey looks the part, acts the part and becomes invested into his character. He really does steal every scene. The weak supporting characters assist in McConaughey's screen dominance but that's not always a good thing. I wasn't emotionally invested in any of the characters, at all. If a characters tragically meets their demise, there was no impact. I didn't feel anything and thus I was uninterested. Gary Ross' direction is fine albeit rather clinical and bland. The narrative was overstretched to 140 minutes when it didn't need to, we're talking nearly 10 years of confederacy rebellion. Why? The pace was ridiculously sluggish at points and the monotonous characters really did not help. The third act then starts to intertwine Newt's great grandson into the narrative who is wanting to get married but can't due to laws against interracial marriage. Yes, it shows that laws haven't changed but it felt so forced and unnecessary in order to showcase a point. All I can say is that the film is fine. It is bland mediocrity at its finest. Not bad but not great.
susan-george-1 Great story and great acting. This movie shows the civil war from an angle that I have not seen in any other movie.
Troy Hoch "Free State of Jones" only survives by Matthew McConaughey's terrific lead performance. There is too much packed into the film for it to concentrate. Director Gary Ross fumbles here, as the film is too low on historical accuracy for what it's trying to tell. One positive from it is that the acting performances are actually strong, but the script's consistency does not help them at all. But, an aspect that continued to annoy me throughout the film were quick cuts from one scene to another, like Ross's slow pace suddenly became too quickened. Often, when one scene did not feel complete, it's cut to a different time of day with usually a different setting. The film itself is a failed opportunity for a little-known story that definitely could have been better capitalized on. Overall, "Free State of Jones" is a sloppy historical telling that quite frankly deserved to be condemned by most critics.