Free State of Jones

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Free State of Jones

R

2016

2h 19m

History

Drama

Biography

War

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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.

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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.

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Soraya Nadia McDonald

Andscape

Sep 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.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Mar 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.

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Dwight Brown

National Newspaper Publishers Association

Nov 8, 2016

A surprisingly enlightening film.

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Oct 13, 2024

3/5

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

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Aug 20, 2022

3.5/5

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

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Apr 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.

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Phil O

@brutus360 Sep 19, 2026

Libs are gonna hate this film. Truth hurts and they hate it.

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Johannes S

@RT64416087 Aug 17, 2026

One word: Solid. Bit too long and the cinematography is a bit shanky sometimes, on the other hand, very interesting story and adaptation.

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Karla A

@KarlaAhumada Mar 18, 2026

The film's opening is promising; Ross narrates the battle scenes with a steady hand, employing impressive tracking shots as the story gradually unfolds. However, just when a conflict seems to have been established, the narrative becomes overwhelmed, attempting to cover too much at once, resulting in a film that doesn't quite succeed.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Feb 13, 2026

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.

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Michael C

@Veracity Feb 4, 2026

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.

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Gregory N

@GregoryMN Jan 16, 2026

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.

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Gary Ross

Director

Matthew McConaughey

Newt Knight

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Rachel

Mahershala Ali

Moses

Keri Russell

Serena Knight

Brendan Gleeson

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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)

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