Free State of Jones

Play trailer

1:00

Free State of Jones

R

2016

2h 19m

History

Drama

Biography

War

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

48%

Tomatometer

193 Reviews

64%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Free State of Jones has the noblest of intentions, but they aren't enough to make up for its stilted treatment of a fascinating real-life story.

Read Critics Reviews

Soraya Nadia McDonald

Andscape

09/26/2017

Because Free State of Jones concentrates so singularly on making [Matthew] McConaughey the hero of the film, it ends up being a series of missed opportunities.

Go to Full Review

Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

03/21/2017

C

While all the performances are solid, there's too much of a distance from the setting of the story to truly create an immersive experience between the audience and the film.

Go to Full Review

Dwight Brown

National Newspaper Publishers Association

11/08/2016

A surprisingly enlightening film.

Go to Full Review

Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

10/13/2024

3/5

The more unforgivable flaws center on narrative choices and misplaced emotion.

Go to Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

08/20/2022

3.5/5

...a well-made film that’s both gripping and informative.

Go to Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

04/11/2022

2/4

No matter what's happening in the story, Ross finds a way to formally detach his audience from the drama to a frustrating degree.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

thiago s

@Thiagostone 5d

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom.

See more

Michael C

@Veracity Feb 4

Anyone who has been paying attention and can be honest with themselves can see why this movie got such a low critic score. Woke is as woke does, the woke brain is full of fuzz, and the majority of contemporary "professional" critics are woke like mud. The brutal truth of this movie doesn't mesh with the ideology and must be rejected whole cloth. This is a very good and truth filled movie, well written, directed and acted, about a historical happening that should be seen by every young mind especially and every adult. There is good and evil in this world and the color of a person's skin has little to do with that, it is all about the content of their character. Ideology can rot a man's soul if they let it become their entire identity, it is at that point that the self is lost and reason is given away to others, and if those others are given to evil then the identeologist will surely commit evil and injustice in their name.

See more

Gregory N

@GregoryMN Jan 16

Critics must be mad. It was an honest, powerful movie, but it's never enough for the woke brigade! Sorry, not all white folks are bad, and not all black folks are good.

See more

Kirsten W

@kirght Dec 5

I loved this movie. I hadn't heard of this guy and I think that's a shame. Thank God for movies.

See more

Magnus A

Dec 1

Good film. Maybe too much a vehicle for McConaughey but still very watchable.

See more

rex w

Sep 23

This grew on me the deeper I got into the film.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Gary Ross

Director

Matthew McConaughey

Newt Knight

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Rachel

Mahershala Ali

Moses

Keri Russell

Serena Knight

Brendan Gleeson

Actor

Hacksaw Ridge

84%

92%

Hacksaw Ridge

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Hacksaw Ridge

Outlaw King

63%

69%

Outlaw King

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Outlaw King

Heneral Luna

78%

89%

Heneral Luna

Watchlist

The Birth of a Nation

72%

71%

The Birth of a Nation

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Birth of a Nation

12 Years a Slave

95%

90%

12 Years a Slave

Watchlist

TRAILER

for 12 Years a Slave

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

New on Netflix October 2019

NY Film Critics Online: Moonlight Shines With Six Awards

On DVD This Week: Neighbors 2, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, and More

Free State of Jones: Trailer 2

1:00

Free State of Jones: Trailer 1

2:37

View more videos

View more photos

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.

Director: Gary Ross
Producer: Scott Stuber, Jon Kilik, Gary Ross
Screenwriter: Gary Ross, Leonard Hartman
Distributor: STX Entertainment
Production Co: Huayi Brothers, Route One Films, Larger Than Life, IM Global, Bluegrass Films, Vendian Entertainment
Rating: R (Disturbing Graphic Images|Brutal Battle Scenes)
Genre: History, Drama, Biography, War
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 24, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 6, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $20.8M
Runtime: 2h 19m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Most Popular at Home Now