The New World

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The New World

PG-13

Released Jan 20, 2005

2h 29m

History

Drama

Adventure

Romance

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

63%

Tomatometer

190 Reviews

58%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Arriving with a British expedition in Virginia in 1607, Capt. John Smith (Colin Farrell) is captured by Native Americans. His life is spared thanks to Pocahontas (Q'orianka Kilcher), daughter of the tribe's chief. Smith and Pocahontas fall in love, to the mutual dismay of the Native Americans and the British. Smith is sent away, and his death is reported. An unhappy Pocahontas marries settler John Rolfe (Christian Bale). When Smith turns up alive, Pocahontas is torn between the two men.

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Critics Consensus

Despite arresting visuals and strong lead performances, The New World suffers from an unfocused narrative that will challenge viewers' attention spans over its 2 1/2 hours.

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Catherine Shoard

Daily Telegraph (UK)

All [Malick's] trademarks are present and correct: the swaying grass, the gurgling rivers, the trees, the birds, the internal monologues. They all fit.

Feb 12, 2020

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Matt Zoller Seitz

House Next Door

Just beautiful.

Mar 17, 2011

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Keith Uhlich

House Next Door

If I think I'm mostly going to keep coming back to [the 172-minute] cut (and I do hope, someday soon, for a Mr. Arkadin-like 3-cuts comparative DVD set) it's because it feels most fully realized.

Jan 2, 2009

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Zita Short

InSession Film

You wouldn’t necessarily call Terrence Malick the most political filmmaker in the world but when he set out to tell the story of Pocahontas he was able to weave some real political commentary into it.

Feb 7, 2023

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Elissa Suh

Moviepudding (Substack)

The New World is astounding in its beauty, marrying romantic haze to the ravishing vastness of the earth.

Dec 23, 2022

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Taylor Baker

Drink in the Movies

Snow drifts bleed into slight white flowers dotting branches, ladders lead toward the empty vast sky, men eat men, men betray and war with one another, and love exists...

Rated: 100/100

Aug 19, 2021

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Chief B

I felt this movie perfectly. Its not for everybody I guess but I just love this movie. It is unique in how it makes you feel and the way it's been told.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/29/25

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Big F

Colin Farrell’s tattoos, earring and eyeliner say everything we need to know about how seriously this film takes its characters and subject matter. It’s also just obnoxiously slow, melodramatic and often quite lazy. Pocahontas starts speaking English around the 54 minute mark. But then she mostly switches back to speaking in gestures and occasional native words, so I guess she forgot again? It’ ok though, most of the movie is her and John Smith staring deeply into each other's eyes, these star-crossed lovers, while some generic tribal or colonial activity happens in the background or offscreen.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/25

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Cfunk D

It's long and very boring at times. I couldn't imagine watching this movie in the theater. The repeatative staring and loud music gets old. No wild animals in the film except mentioning fish. Disappointing. Focusing on the love story took away from the best parts of the movie.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/07/25

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Kathryn V

I thought it was pretty good. It went fast for a 2 and a half hour movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/10/24

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James K

Not amazing but not terrible.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/12/24

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Handan O

I really want her to do something that it is all wrong. She fell in love but still she must go back where she was from. She must choose forest over men she fell in love.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/14/24

Full Review

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Terrence Malick

Director

Colin Farrell

John Smith

Christian Bale

John Rolfe

Q'orianka Kilcher

Pocahontas

Jason Aaron Baca

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Greg Cooper

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Synopsis

Arriving with a British expedition in Virginia in 1607, Capt. John Smith (Colin Farrell) is captured by Native Americans. His life is spared thanks to Pocahontas (Q'orianka Kilcher), daughter of the tribe's chief. Smith and Pocahontas fall in love, to the mutual dismay of the Native Americans and the British. Smith is sent away, and his death is reported. An unhappy Pocahontas marries settler John Rolfe (Christian Bale). When Smith turns up alive, Pocahontas is torn between the two men.

Director: Terrence Malick
Producer: Sarah Green
Screenwriter: Terrence Malick
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: New Line Cinema, Sunflower Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Some Intense Battle Sequences)
Genre: History, Drama, Adventure, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 20, 2005, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $12.7M
Runtime: 2h 29m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS

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