Emancipation

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Emancipation

R

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

03/16/2023

The hollow Emancipation is a mismatch between director and subject.

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Richard Lawson

Vanity Fair

12/13/2022

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.

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Brian Lowry

CNN.com

12/13/2022

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.

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Ally Ham

The Review Geek

07/21/2024

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.

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Jackson Weaver

CBC News

10/16/2023

[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.

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Zach Pope

Zach Pope Reviews

07/25/2023

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

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Aleshia M

02/16/2023

A story that needed to be told.

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Javier

12/24/2022

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

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Zach

12/18/2022

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

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Jimmy

12/17/2022

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.

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Dominique

12/14/2022

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

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Reginald D

12/12/2022

Great movie. Best civil War Ive ever seen.

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Antoine Fuqua

Director

Will Smith

Peter

Ben Foster

Fassel

Charmaine Bingwa

Dodienne

Gilbert Owuor

Actor

Mustafa Shakir

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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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