By Eric Hillis, TheMovieWaffler.com
originally published: 01/21/2017
It’s that time of year once again; ‘Awards Season’, when a bunch of movies adapted from Wikipedia articles are strategically released to appeal to all those old voters who apparently only watch movies in the final two months of the year. Kicking off the season is Amma Asante’s highly disappointing follow-up to her impressive breakout hit Belle, A United Kingdom, which is based on the book Colour Bar by Susan Williams, but which might as well be an adaptation of the Wikipedia entries ‘Sir Seretse Khama’ and ‘Ruth Williams Khama’.
We meet the pair in 1947 London, which here looks awfully glamorous for a city that was being bombed to pieces only a couple of years prior. Seretse (David Oyelowo), the heir in waiting to the throne of what we now know as Botswana, is studying law when he has a meet-up with local white dullard Ruth (Rosamund Pike). As they physically resemble David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike, the two instantly fall for one another, and after a quick montage of jazz record swapping, Seretse is on his knees proposing marriage. Despite the objections of her racist father (Nicholas Lindhurst), whose distaste at the relationship is verbalized in a monologue that wouldn’t be out of place in a 1966 episode of Till Death Us Do Part, Ruth agrees to the proposal and the pair make plans for a new life as King and Queen of Seretse’s homeland.
Said plans are disrupted when they’re informed by a nasty British government official, who appears to have stepped off the Death Star, that their marriage could cause a war with South Africa, which has just introduced apartheid. In the movie’s most cringe-inducing moment, Ruth confesses to an ignorance of what that word means, so the script can deliver its definition, as if any viewer unfamiliar with apartheid would ever watch a movie like A United Kingdom. The pair marry regardless, and find various forces, both black and white, attempting to tear them apart.
Despite the best efforts of Oyelowo and Pike, Seretse and Ruth never feel like actual human beings. The script is so distracted by ticking off a series of political bullet points, it forgets to develop its two central characters. He’s black, she’s white, and they both enjoy jazz; that’s pretty much all we’re offered. In the movie’s second half, Seretse is exiled to London while Ruth stays in Botswana, reducing the latter to that all too common trope, the crying wife on the other end of the phone.
A story of intolerance such as this should stir anger in the viewer, but it’s delivered in such a dispassionate manner by Guy Hibbert’s soulless script and Asante’s TV movie direction, that we’re left curiously cold. When Seretse and Ruth are being treated awfully by Brits and Botswanans alike, it’s hard to care, because nobody involved feels like anything more than a cardboard cutout, none more so than Tom Felton, who seems to be using his role as a mustachioed and bespectacled government official to audition for a role as a Nazi in the next Indiana Jones movie.
A United Kingdom ends with that classic biopic cliché, a freeze frame of its protagonists, hands aloft after conquering adversity, and the explanatory intertitles that follow tell us a lot more about Seretse and Ruth than the previous two hours managed. A film that plays like a Monday morning lecture, A United Kingdom will find its natural home on TV/DVD combo players wheeled into classrooms by teachers too hungover to deal with their pupils.
About the author:
Eric Hillis is a film critic living in Sligo, Ireland who runs the website
TheMovieWaffler.com
Rocky In Concert: Celebrating The 50 Anniversary Of Rocky
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJExperience the underdog story that defined a generation. Now bigger, bolder, and brought to life with a live symphony orchestra. Watch the original Rocky film on the big screen while the iconic Bill Conti score is performed live, delivering every triumph, every heartbreak, and every adrenaline-fueled moment with knockout power.
Joe Versus The Volcano Movies On Mainstreet
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJCritics were baffled. Audiences stayed away. Now many consider it one of Tom Hanks' and Meg Ryan' most charming and philosophical comedies. Funny, romantic, and surprisingly profound.
Sunday Film Series – Rebel Without A Cause In 35mm (1955)
Sunday, November 15, 2026 @ 2:00pm
Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) - Main Stage
1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJJoin us for a 35mm screening of 1955’s iconic film “Rebel Without a Cause” starring James Dean, Natalie Wood (Academy Award Nominee, Best Supporting Actress), and Sal Mineo (Academy Award Nominee, Best Supporting Actor).
Senior Student Movie Day – Hamlet (2018)
Monday, November 16, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) - Main Stage
1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJUCPAC invites Seniors (ages 55 and up) to join local students for a digital matinee film screening of 2018’s “Hamlet,” starring Andrew Scott as the troubled Prince of Denmark.
The Exorcist Ii: The Heretic Movies On Mainstreet
Tuesday, November 17, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJForget what you’ve heard. This is one of those movies that begs to be seen at our micro cinema. Strange, hypnotic, ambitious and completely unlike the original. A notorious misfire—or a misunderstood cult classic? You decide!
EVENT PREVIEWS
Teaneck International Film Festival Names Katie Camosy Recipient of 2026 Emerging Filmmaker Activist Award for "Gaslit"
(TEANECK, NJ) -- The Teaneck International Film Festival (TIFF) and The Puffin Foundation have selected director Katie Camosy as the recipient of the 2nd Annual Emerging Filmmaker Activist Award for her documentary Gaslit. The award includes a $5,000 cash prize and trophy and recognizes emerging filmmakers whose work embodies TIFF's guiding theme, "Activism: Making Change."
James R. Halsey Foundation Student Film Showcase to Take Place November 12th
(TRENTON, NJ) -- The James R. Halsey Foundation of the Arts (JRH), a 501c3 non-profit agency dedicated to providing quality arts education and mentoring to youth in the City of Trenton and greater New Jersey area presents the 2026 Student Film Showcase. Taking place on November 12th at the New Jersey State Museum Auditorium from 5:00pm - 8:00pm, this event features three films, written, directed, and produced by students, as well as a documentary focused on raising awareness on men's mental health, featuring authentic student voices and professional interviews.
Count Basie Center for the Arts to Celebrate Centennial with an immersive re-enactment of its opening night
(RED BANK, NJ) -- Count Basie Center for the Arts will cap its Centennial Celebration with an immersive re-enactment of its opening night on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 6:00pm. Patrons can expect an immersive theatrical presentation from the moment they approach the venue – from 'stars' of the era arriving in classic cars, Gatsby-esque fashion and flair, an authentic speakeasy experience with custom, era-specific cocktails and mocktails, 1920s hot jazz and more.
Learn about producing films with "Producing 101: From Script to Set with The Gig Media"
(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Interested in filmmaking? You can learn how to produce a film like a pro at "Producing 101: From Script to Set with The Gig Media" on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at Miraley Studios in Jersey City.
The Clairidge hosts Indie Film Showcase on November 21st
(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- On Saturday, November 21, 2026, The Clairidge hosts a film showcase featuring three indie films - Wedding Night, Lady in the Mirror, and End of the Line: Brotherhood. Dive into three epic tales, one screen, and endless vibes at The Official Film Showcase. Showtime is 1:30pm.
