Young Washington, 2026.
Directed by Jon Erwin.
Starring William Franklyn-Miller, Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, Kelsey Grammer, Joel Smallbone, Mary-Louise Parker, Mia Rodgers, Jonno Davies, Leo Hanna, Angus Castle-Doughty, Fearghal Geraghty, Ryan Begay, John Foss, Michael Benz, Martijn Lakemeier, Will Joseph, Alfie Kiely, Clement Toyon, and Nicholas Antoniou.
SYNOPSIS:
A young George Washington faces war, betrayal, and impossible choices that will forge a leader.
In what is almost certainly Angel Studios’ largest-scale and biggest-budgeted production (which is not to say it cost a fortune or is the same as other expensive blockbusters), it is immeasurably disappointing that Young Washington comes across a tedious history lesson designed to be played in middle school history classrooms rather than in movie theaters. The unmistakable, hideous generative AI throughout doesn’t help anything.
Director Jon Erwin’s consistent track record as a hokey evangelical filmmaker is also on full display, at one point insinuating that divine intervention protected George Washington in battle. Even if this interpretation of an early-20s George Washington was portrayed by someone other than William Franklin-Miller, delivering stiff dialogue and often standing around like a model (there isn’t a single aspect of this performance resembling the Founding Father we are all familiar with, or a younger version of what that would be), that would still be ridiculous and not hide that Angel Studios is typically peddling some form of propaganda.
Here, it is admittedly somewhat light on pushing religion, but it makes sure to end with Kelsey Grammer schilling the usual pay-it-forward Ponzi scheme to inflate box office numbers, rambling about how great America is at upholding its ideals and freedom. That’s a nauseating angle, given that the current state of the country is the opposite of all of that, but it is also emblematic of an even bigger problem with the film; it’s a painfully dull, streamlined depiction of the French and Indian War that has no real story to tell or any characterizational insight to offer for George Washington. It’s going through some historical beats, some of which don’t seem true to begin with, not trying to enlighten anyone, but crudely hoping they come away feeling patriotic. As we all know, nothing says patriotic like AI-generated imagery in war sequences…
Nevertheless, the gist here is that George Washington is determined from childhood to push back against the idea that, since he is a Virginian colonist without land or an education, he has no place in the British military ranks or a future beyond farming. Part of that defiance settled in his mind when his brother Lawrence (John Foss) taught him the rules of chess and showed him that a pawn can defeat a king. This sentiment is repeated ad nauseam by several characters, with screenwriters Jon Erwin, Tom Provost, and Diederik Hoogstraten either taking on a bet or intentionally trying to drive viewers to the brink of insanity. For as frustrating as this is, hearing it over and over again has nothing on the copious number of dialogue exchanges featuring some riff on “this land is my land”.
Anyway, it isn’t long until Young Washington, seeking approval from the British, talks his way into Ben Kingsley’s Robert Dinwiddle letting him lead an expedition of sorts to survey the Ohio, which is currently occupied by Native Americans and has the French building fortresses. The point is that while George is courageous, bold, and eager to prove himself, he is also woefully inexperienced and doesn’t realize the entire assignment (which saddles him alongside trusty Virginians of his choosing) is a chess move; if he is successful, the British will take the credit, and if not, there is an easy target to place the blame.
This is also the second war movie in as many weeks putting someone green at the center of the story who keeps getting others killed, although in this case, it is at least part of a simplistic character arc, and we know what George Washington will inevitably accomplish. There are also some scenes with George’s mother (Mary-Louise Parker), a British general (Andy Serkis), and a romantic interest (Mia Rodgers) doomed by his lowly social status, which either amounts to nothing or is dropped entirely (maybe a couple of deep characters will return in… Washington). These noteworthy names in the supporting cast do provide some respectable acting chops in an otherwise bland affair.
Some of the action sequences do provide the occasional jolt, although the bloodless nature of it all sanitizes that. Whether it be the French or the natives, this is also a film that clearly doesn’t care to portray any other side with complexity or respect. It also bears repeating again (and this goes for every film I find out or notice with my own eyes) that there is obvious generative AI here, sinking what little immersion there is. Young Washington is already bad on its own; it doesn’t need that help.
One sees the potential in showing the rise of George Washington from inexperienced and incompetent to a unifying leader who would go on to overthrow the British, and there is still some respect to be had for the human-crafted aspects of those battle sequences, but narratively, Young Washington has no ambition beyond an Angel-approved history lesson. It’s a movie that should be buried underneath everyone’s land.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder
