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Emancipation

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1:15

Emancipation

R

Released Dec 2, 2022

2h 12m

History

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

45%

Tomatometer

155 Reviews

58%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

"Emancipation" tells the triumphant story of Peter (Will Smith), a man who escapes from slavery, relying on his wits, unwavering faith and deep love for his family to evade cold-blooded hunters and the unforgiving swamps of Louisiana on his quest for freedom. The film is inspired by the 1863 photos of "Whipped Peter," taken during a Union Army medical examination, that first appeared in Harper's Weekly. One image, known as "The Scourged Back," which shows Peter’s bare back mutilated by a whipping delivered by his enslavers, ultimately contributed to growing public opposition to slavery.

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Critics Consensus

Emancipation works as an action movie -- albeit one that's uncomfortably at odds with its awkward handling of the real-life events that inspired its stirring story.

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Audience Says

Emancipation is a well-acted representation of an awful chapter of American history -- although the way it's dramatized may strike some viewers as too slick or sensational.

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Soraya Nadia McDonald

Andscape

The hollow Emancipation is a mismatch between director and subject.

Mar 16, 2023

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Richard Lawson

Vanity Fair

Fuqua’s chosen technique only undermines his solemn intentions, rather than using starkness to make a salient point. Emancipation is overthought to its increasing detriment.

Dec 13, 2022

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Brian Lowry

CNN.com

There’s a pronounced Hollywood-ized feel to the finished product, one that doesn’t compare favorably with other projects that have covered similar territory.

Dec 13, 2022

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Ally Ham

The Review Geek

Fuqua and Collage had the opportunity to give the man from the famous picture a voice. To show who Peter might have been as a person, and not only display the suffering he experienced. And it slipped through their grasp.

Jul 21, 2024

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Jackson Weaver

CBC News

[A]s an action, [Emancipation is] not half-bad... But looking at it in the context of a somehow burgeoning field of slave narratives, the lack of nuance feels not only lazy but exploitative.

Oct 16, 2023

Full Review

Zach Pope

Zach Pope Reviews

Emancipation strives to be the strong surprise of the year but doesn’t fully come together. Smith? Excellent might even be his best performance! Powerful imagery, great cinematography, but a one note story that I found to lack depth

Jul 25, 2023

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Aleshia M

A story that needed to be told.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

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Javier

The way they chose to shoot this film was a miss. The “300” vibe really cheapened, basically everything.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

12/24/22

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Zach

I want a fucking refund this theater ruined my movie by turning the lights on half way through and refusing to turn them off

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

12/18/22

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Jimmy

Great movie, realistic background/battle scene. Showed horrendous hardship & cruelty inflicted by the South during that era. Great acting by actors/actress. Went to see this movie for its story, No excuse for Will for his previous action.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/17/22

Full Review

Dominique

Great movie! Truly touching story! Will's performance was definitely Oscar worthy!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/14/22

Full Review

Reginald D

Great movie. Best civil War Ive ever seen.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/12/22

Full Review

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Antoine Fuqua

Director

Will Smith

Peter

Ben Foster

Fassel

Charmaine Bingwa

Dodienne

Gilbert Owuor

Actor

Mustafa Shakir

Actor

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Emancipation: Trailer 2

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Emancipation: Trailer 1

2:47

Emancipation: Teaser Trailer

1:49

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Synopsis

"Emancipation" tells the triumphant story of Peter (Will Smith), a man who escapes from slavery, relying on his wits, unwavering faith and deep love for his family to evade cold-blooded hunters and the unforgiving swamps of Louisiana on his quest for freedom. The film is inspired by the 1863 photos of "Whipped Peter," taken during a Union Army medical examination, that first appeared in Harper's Weekly. One image, known as "The Scourged Back," which shows Peter’s bare back mutilated by a whipping delivered by his enslavers, ultimately contributed to growing public opposition to slavery.

Director: Antoine Fuqua
Producer: Will Smith, Jon Mone, Joey McFarland, Todd Black
Screenwriter: Bill Collage
Distributor: Apple TV+
Production Co: Escape Artists, McFarland Entertainment, Westbrook Studios
Rating: R (Strong Racial Violence|Language|Disturbing Images)
Genre: History, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 2, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 9, 2022
Runtime: 2h 12m
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

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