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The Last King of Scotland
2006 123 min United States of America, United Kingdom R 18+
★8.3
Drama
Director: Kevin Macdonald
📖 Based on the novel
«The Last King of Scotland»
byGiles Foden
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
Young Scottish doctor, Nicholas Garrigan decides it's time for an adventure after he finishes his formal education, so he decides to try his luck in Uganda, and arrives during the downfall of President Obote. General Idi Amin comes to power and asks Garrigan to become his personal doctor.
Budget:
$6M
US Gross:
$17.61M
Worldwide:
$48.6M
Starring
James McAvoy
Actor
Forest Whitaker
Actor
Gillian Anderson
Actor
Awards
BAFTA 2007
— Alexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2007
— Best Actor
Academy Awards 2007
— Best Actor
European Film Awards 2007
— Best Picture
European Film Awards 2007
— Best Original Score
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2007
— Best Actor
Academy Awards 2007
— Best Actor
Golden Globe 2007
— Best Actor (Drama)
BAFTA 2007
— Best Actor
European Film Awards 2007
— Best Actor
European Film Awards 2007
— Best Director
European Film Awards 2007
— Audience Award – Best Film
BAFTA 2007
— Best Adapted Screenplay
European Film Awards 2007
— Best Cinematography
Key opinion
The Last King of Scotland is widely celebrated for Forest Whitaker’s commanding, Oscar-winning portrayal of Idi Amin, which anchors the film’s tense and harrowing atmosphere. While many viewers praise the kinetic direction and strong performances, the film remains divisive due to its reliance on a fictionalized Western protagonist and its perceived simplification of complex historical events.
| Acting | Forest Whitaker’s complex, terrifying, and transformative performance as Idi Amin is the film's standout achievement. | |
| Direction | Kevin Macdonald’s kinetic and immersive direction successfully builds tension and captures a harrowing atmosphere. | |
| Score | The soundtrack effectively utilizes African rhythms mixed with jazz to heighten the drama and emotional tension. | |
| Screenplay | Opinions on the screenplay are divided: supporters value the character study and narrative drive, while critics argue the fictional doctor character is poorly motivated, implausible, and distracts from the historical reality of Uganda. | |
| Theme | The narrative’s historical accuracy is a point of contention, with some viewers appreciating the grounded portrait while others feel the film prioritizes a Western-centric perspective over the authentic experiences of Ugandans. |