Firebrand

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2:32

Firebrand

R

2024

2h 0m

History

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

58%

Tomatometer

97 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Verified Ratings

In blood-soaked Tudor England, twice married, accomplished, and educated Katherine Parr (Alicia Vikander), reluctantly agrees to become the sixth wife of the tyrannical King Henry VIII (Jude Law). Her consent to marry him carries great personal risk, given that her predecessors are either vanquished, beheaded, or dead. When Henry appoints her as Regent, the nation's ruler during his absence when he departs to fight overseas, he lays a dangerous path for her. Henry's courtiers, suspecting she's sympathetic to radical Protestant beliefs that have taken root in the kingdom and are a threat to their power, scheme against her and cast doubts upon her fidelity to the increasingly ailing and paranoid King. Once Henry returns to England, his courtiers convince him to turn his fury on the nation's radicals, including Katherine's childhood friend Anne Askew, who becomes one of the scores of people convicted of treason and burned at the stake. Horrified and privately grieving, Katherine finds herself under ever-increasing scrutiny and suspicion. Knowing that even a whisper of scandal might lead to her downfall, Katherine must unleash her own scheme to fight for survival.

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Critics Consensus

Divorced from the historical record with little to show for it, Firebrand is a period piece whose revisionist aims are at odds with its stultifying approach.

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Philip Kemp

Sight & Sound

Dec 18

Alicia Vikander, who’s been becoming ever more skilled an actor since her first leading role in Testament of Youth (2013), gives her finest performance yet, and Jude Law’s Henry is a sheer tour de force.

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Nicola Austin

Empire Magazine

09/30/2024

2/5

Alicia Vikander gives a graceful performance and the lavish period production shines, but unfortunately this is more fizzle-out than fire-starter.

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

09/10/2024

3/5

It’s that rarest of releases: a picture that would benefit immensely from being far more lurid and overblown. It’s no coincidence that the element that works best -- Law’s gloriously monstrous Henry.

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Dave Giannini

Geek Vibes Nation

Jul 19

4.5/10

Unless you have a particular passion of fascination with King Henry VIII and his various health ailments, there is not much to dig into.

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Will Bjarnar

InSession Film

Feb 26

C-

It’s a film so desperate to cram everyone and everything into its half-baked world that the result is about as close to nothing as a movie can be. You might say that the sanctity of the realm is looking rather dire.

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Roger Salvans

Fotogramas

Feb 21

4/5

A drama of palace intrigues and a thriller with the kind of explosions typical of horror films, Firebrand seduces with its impeccable staging...But it is the explosions of Jude Law's Henry...that capture the viewer. [Full review in Spanish]

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Richard S

06/26/2024

Excellent historical drama.

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Louis F

06/23/2024

Great, even if somewhat depressing. Great acting. We are wondering if we will see the actress playing Elizabeth is a follow-up movie about her early reign.

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Abby Pfaffman

06/23/2024

Fascinating story, wonderful cinematography, and excellent performances.

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Dixie

06/22/2024

A less known tale of an important character from the Tudor years, with some overt license by the director, but very closely sticking to history.

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Helen

06/20/2024

I liked the movie however they always take creative license and change parts of the movie.

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Heather Allyn N

06/20/2024

excellent acting, great pacing and wonderful intensity.

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Karim Aïnouz

Director

Alicia Vikander

Katherine Parr

Jude Law

Henry VIII

Sam Riley

Thomas Seymour

Eddie Marsan

Edward Seymour

Erin Doherty

Anne Askew

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Firebrand: Trailer 1

2:32

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Synopsis

In blood-soaked Tudor England, twice married, accomplished, and educated Katherine Parr (Alicia Vikander), reluctantly agrees to become the sixth wife of the tyrannical King Henry VIII (Jude Law). Her consent to marry him carries great personal risk, given that her predecessors are either vanquished, beheaded, or dead. When Henry appoints her as Regent, the nation's ruler during his absence when he departs to fight overseas, he lays a dangerous path for her. Henry's courtiers, suspecting she's sympathetic to radical Protestant beliefs that have taken root in the kingdom and are a threat to their power, scheme against her and cast doubts upon her fidelity to the increasingly ailing and paranoid King. Once Henry returns to England, his courtiers convince him to turn his fury on the nation's radicals, including Katherine's childhood friend Anne Askew, who becomes one of the scores of people convicted of treason and burned at the stake. Horrified and privately grieving, Katherine finds herself under ever-increasing scrutiny and suspicion. Knowing that even a whisper of scandal might lead to her downfall, Katherine must unleash her own scheme to fight for survival.

Director: Karim Aïnouz
Producer: Carolyn Marks Blackwood, Gabrielle Tana
Screenwriter: Jessica Ashworth, Henrietta Ashworth, Elizabeth Fremantle, Jessica Ashworth, Henrietta Ashworth, Rosanne Flynn
Distributor: Roadside Attractions / Vertical
Production Co: Brouhaha Entertainment
Rating: R (Sexuality/Nudity|Brief Gore|Some Violent Content)
Genre: History, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 14, 2024, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 2, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA): $520.5K
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

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