The Last King of Scotland

Play trailer

The Last King of Scotland

R

2007

2h 1m

Biography

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

182 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

While in Uganda on a medical mission, Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan becomes the personal physician and close confidant of dictator Idi Amin. Although at first Dr. Garrigan feels flattered by his new position of power, he soon comes to realize that Amin's rule is soaked in blood, and that he is complicit in the atrocities. Garrigan faces the fight of his life as he tries to escape Amin's grasp.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Forest Whitaker's performance as real-life megalomaniac dictator Idi Amin powers this fictionalized political thriller, a blunt and brutal tale about power and corruption.

Read Critics Reviews

Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out

Feb 3, 2007

3/6

Having cut his teeth on documentaries, Kevin Macdonald acts as if a shaky-cam aesthetic alone is enough to fuel dramatic tension.

Go to Full Review

Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

Feb 2, 2007

The horror, when it finally moves to the centre of the screen, gives us Amin's barbarity in close-up -- and he's still smiling.

Go to Full Review

Matthew Leyland

BBC.com

Jan 12, 2007

4/5

Hard to believe that an actor previously renowned for his gentleness could play such a monster, but the transformation is seamless.

Go to Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Mar 8, 2024

3.5/4

Neither overly political nor overly intellectual, The Last King of Scotland is a powerful, accessible biopic of one of history’s recent madmen.

Go to Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Sep 24, 2023

Bigger than life, volatile, unstable, whipping from childlike generosity to ferocious vengeance to crippling paranoia in seconds, it’s the kind of role that invites accolades and [Forest] Whitaker deserves them all...

Go to Full Review

David Lamble

Bay Area Reporter

May 12, 2020

An electric chemistry between McAvoy and Whitaker allows us to suspend our disbelief at the doctor's feckless gullibility...

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Noel L

@RT15930389 4 days ago

Kind of depressing but what an extreme real life example of a toxic friendship

See more

Robert P

@Superbad Sep 6, 2026

The Last King of Scotland = a *4.5* movie!

See more

S. O

@Col._Angus Jul 29, 2026

A great story about what I'm sure are a lot of things that may have happened. Would have preferred a documentary and not a story about a doctor that didn't exist. Amazing performance by Whitacre though. Enjoy it. It's a movie.

See more

Christopher C.

@PapaTangooo May 20, 2026

Whitaker is a marvel. Fantastic performance.

See more

Stephen C

@bob25009 Mar 1, 2026

Based on a true story in 2 hours and 1 minute. Winner of 2007 Academy Award for Best Actor (Forest Whittaker). The worldwide gross is $55,758,874.00 over a production budget of $6,000,000.00. Over 9 times the theatrical costs.

See more

Anna L

@AnnaL Dec 26, 2025

Sad but very interesting. The title is weird, does not really match the movie. I just watched it to see how a new actor could take an Oscar instead of DiCaprio, but he really did a great job.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Kevin Macdonald

Director

Forest Whitaker

Idi Amin

James McAvoy

Nicholas Garrigan

Kerry Washington

Kay Amin

Gillian Anderson

Sara Merrit

Simon McBurney

Stone

Factory Girl

21%

60%

Factory Girl

Watchlist

Notorious

52%

65%

Notorious

Watchlist

Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus

33%

63%

Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus

Watchlist

Modigliani

4%

78%

Modigliani

Watchlist

Stoned

16%

44%

Stoned

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Further Reading: Marion Cotillard and Forest Whittaker in Abel Ferrara’s Mary

Wanted‘s James McAvoy: His Best-Reviewed Films

James McAvoy on Atonement: The RT Interview

View more photos

Synopsis

While in Uganda on a medical mission, Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan becomes the personal physician and close confidant of dictator Idi Amin. Although at first Dr. Garrigan feels flattered by his new position of power, he soon comes to realize that Amin's rule is soaked in blood, and that he is complicit in the atrocities. Garrigan faces the fight of his life as he tries to escape Amin's grasp.

Director: Kevin Macdonald
Producer: Lisa Bryer, Andrea Calderwood, Charles Steel
Screenwriter: Peter Morgan, Jeremy Brock
Distributor: Fox
Production Co: DNA Films, Fox Searchlight, FilmFour
Rating: R (Language|Gruesome Images|Sexual Content|Some Strong Violence)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 19, 2007, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 12, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $17.6M
Runtime: 2h 1m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings