Free State of Jones (2016)

Directed by

Gary Ross

Genre

action film, period drama film, biographical film, war film, historical film

Country

United States

Runtime

2h 19m

Rated

R

Rating

6.8 of 10 from 1,671 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A Southern farmer named Newton Knight leads a rebellion against the Confederate government during the Civil War. He forms a community of escaped slaves and poor white farmers in Mississippi. The story shows his fight for justice and the aftermath of the war.

groundedsomberslow-burngrittyreflectivedeterminedbleakhistorical

What happens

Free State of Jones is a 2016 American historical war film inspired by the life of Southern Unionist Newton Knight, who led a successful armed revolt against the Confederacy in Jones County, Mississippi, throughout the American Civil War. Written, co-produced, and directed by Gary Ross based on a story by Ross and Leonard Hartman, the film stars Matthew McConaughey as Knight, alongside Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali, and Keri Russell. The story is based on the history of Jones County during the Civil War and the period immediately after it. The overall story follows the history of Jones County; some of the events portrayed are true. The film is credited as being "based on the books The Free State of Jones by Victoria E. Bynum and The State of Jones by Sally Jenkins and John Stauffer." It was released in the United States by STXfilms on June 24, 2016. It received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $25 million against its $50 million production budget. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

• The Patriot (2000)
• Tap Roots (1948)
• Dirt & Deeds in Mississippi (2016)
• Freedom's Path (2023)
• The Birth of a Nation (2016)
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
• Son of the South (2020)
• The Last Duel (2021)