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| Movies Like The Uprising You Need to Watch Next |
If The Uprising left you wanting more historical action, medieval rebellion and ordinary people pushed to the edge by an unforgiving ruling class, there is plenty to watch next. Paul Greengrass’s 2026 historical drama turns the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt into a tense, grounded story about grief, injustice and collective resistance, following Andrew Garfield’s Ploughman as his personal tragedy pulls him into a much larger uprising. Its combination of period warfare, political tension and raw human desperation gives it plenty of company among films that take history seriously while still remembering that people occasionally solve complicated political problems with extremely uncomplicated decisions.
The appeal of The Uprising is also its scale. The story moves through a compressed five-to-six-day period as England descends into turmoil, while its medieval setting reflects a society already battered by disease, poverty and the financial pressure of prolonged wars.
The result is less a traditional heroic adventure and more an increasingly chaotic portrait of ordinary people deciding they have had quite enough. Fortunately for viewers, cinema has never been short of stories about revolutions, doomed kingdoms and rulers discovering that angry citizens are rather difficult to manage.
Movies Like THE UPRISING
1. Outlaw King (2018)
Outlaw King follows Robert the Bruce as he attempts to reclaim Scotland after accepting that peaceful politics is not exactly producing the desired results. The film combines medieval warfare, political manoeuvring and the struggle of a nation resisting English rule.
It feels particularly close to The Uprising because both films put their characters inside a harsh medieval world where ordinary survival and political independence are constantly colliding. Chris Pine’s Robert is also a reluctant figure who gradually becomes central to a much larger resistance movement, making this an obvious next watch for anyone who enjoyed the transformation of the Ploughman.
2. The King (2019)
Netflix’s The King takes viewers into 15th-century England, where a young Henry V inherits a kingdom surrounded by political intrigue, rebellion and the looming threat of war. Timothée Chalamet plays a monarch forced to grow into a position he never seemed particularly enthusiastic about. Like The Uprising, it focuses on the uneasy relationship between rulers, warfare and ordinary people caught beneath decisions made at the top. The atmosphere is suitably grim, the mud appears to have its own supporting role, and nobody seems to be having a particularly relaxing time.
3. The Last Duel (2021)
The Last Duel takes place in medieval France and centres on a bitter dispute between Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris that eventually leads to a judicial duel. Ridley Scott’s film explores class, power, reputation and the rigid structures of medieval society, making it a strong companion to The Uprising. Both films portray a world where social position determines almost everything and where institutions designed to provide justice can be remarkably convenient for people already holding power.
4. Braveheart (1995)
Braveheart remains one of the most recognisable historical rebellion films, following William Wallace as he becomes a symbol of Scottish resistance against English rule. While its historical accuracy has been debated for decades, its cinematic influence is difficult to ignore. The similarity to The Uprising comes through its focus on an ordinary man becoming the face of a much broader movement. Both stories build from personal tragedy towards collective resistance, with increasingly large groups of people finding a reason to stand together. It is subtle in roughly the same way a medieval battle horn is subtle, but it certainly knows how to make an uprising look dramatic.
5. Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven transports viewers to the Crusades, following Balian of Ibelin as he becomes caught between competing political and religious powers. Its story is packed with sieges, political alliances, social divisions and the struggle to protect Jerusalem. The Uprising shares its interest in people trapped inside huge historical events they cannot simply walk away from. Both films also use large-scale battles to explore what happens when political decisions made by powerful figures eventually reach the streets and fields where everyone else has to deal with them.
6. The Northman (2022)
The Northman is a brutal Viking revenge story centred on Prince Amleth, who spends years preparing to confront the man responsible for destroying his family. Robert Eggers gives the film a deeply immersive historical atmosphere, with ritual, warfare and harsh landscapes forming much of its identity. It resembles The Uprising through its commitment to making the past feel physical rather than polished. Both films are interested in people shaped by loss and pushed towards confrontation, although Amleth is considerably less interested in organising a social movement and considerably more interested in settling one very personal score.
7. Robin Hood (2010)
Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood is an especially obvious companion to The Uprising, given the latter’s connection to the historical conditions that helped inspire the Robin Hood legend. Russell Crowe plays Robin Longstride as he returns to England and becomes entangled in political conflict, social inequality and resistance against royal authority. The two films share medieval England as their backdrop and explore the tension between the crown and people struggling beneath its policies. If The Uprising makes you curious about how the Robin Hood mythology emerged from a turbulent period, this is an easy film to put on next.
8. Ironclad (2011)
Ironclad moves into 13th-century England and follows a group of warriors defending Rochester Castle against King John. The story is built around political oppression, rebellion and an increasingly desperate military stand. That makes it a natural choice after The Uprising, particularly for viewers who enjoyed the mixture of historical politics and muddy, close-quarters medieval combat. Both films depict England as a country where royal authority is anything but universally welcomed, although Ironclad swaps a nationwide popular movement for a considerably more contained siege.
9. The Outlaw King (2018)
If the appeal of The Uprising lies primarily in watching a resistance movement grow from desperation into organised action, Outlaw King deserves another mention because it follows that transformation particularly closely. Robert the Bruce begins with a political and personal crisis before gradually building support for Scottish independence. The film combines battlefield strategy with the human cost of rebellion, echoing the way The Uprising moves from the Ploughman’s individual suffering towards a much larger confrontation. It is essentially medieval politics with fewer spreadsheets and considerably more swords.
10. A Knight’s Tale (2001)
A Knight’s Tale might initially seem like the odd one out, because Heath Ledger’s medieval adventure is far more playful than The Uprising. Yet underneath the jokes, tournaments and modern musical choices is a story about social class and a man attempting to change his position in a rigid medieval hierarchy. Like The Uprising, it recognises that birth determines opportunity in this world and that challenging those expectations comes with consequences. The tone is dramatically lighter, making it a useful palate cleanser after several hours of watching medieval England fall apart.
11. The Eagle (2011)
Set during Roman Britain, The Eagle follows a young Roman officer who travels beyond Hadrian’s Wall with a mission connected to the disappearance of his father’s legion. Its story combines military adventure with cultural conflict and the tension between an occupying power and the people living under its rule. That historical power imbalance makes it comparable to The Uprising, particularly in its depiction of communities caught between competing forces. The setting is also wonderfully bleak, because apparently historical Britain had already decided that comfortable weather was an unnecessary luxury.
12. Centurion (2010)
Centurion is another Roman-era survival story set in Britain, following soldiers stranded behind enemy lines after a devastating attack. Neil Marshall’s film is considerably more focused on military survival than The Uprising, but it shares the same interest in harsh landscapes, brutal conflict and people trying to stay alive while larger political ambitions collapse around them. Viewers who enjoyed the grounded physicality of Greengrass’s filmmaking may appreciate its similarly dirty, tense approach to historical action.
13. The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die (2023)
Seven Kings Must Die continues the world of The Last Kingdom, bringing Uhtred of Bebbanburg into another period of political upheaval and competing claims to the English throne. It is packed with battles, shifting alliances and characters caught between personal loyalty and the future of a country. Like The Uprising, it treats England as a place where political instability quickly becomes everybody’s problem. The major difference is that this story leans much more heavily into established warrior heroes and royal succession.
14. 13 Assassins (2010)
Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins is set in feudal Japan and follows a group of samurai who undertake a dangerous mission against a powerful and cruel lord. The historical setting is completely different from The Uprising, but the underlying structure is strikingly familiar: a powerful authority figure, a society suffering under that authority and a group of people deciding that somebody needs to do something about it. The film gradually builds towards an extraordinary extended action sequence, so patience is rewarded with an impressively chaotic payoff.
15. The Fortress (2017)
South Korean historical epic The Fortress depicts the 1636 Qing invasion of Joseon and the desperate defence of a mountain fortress. Rather than focusing solely on battlefield heroics, the film spends considerable time examining political disagreements and the impossible choices facing leaders during a national crisis.
This makes it a strong match for The Uprising, where political decisions and social suffering are just as important as the fighting. Both films understand that wars are rarely as simple as putting two armies on opposite sides and telling everyone to get on with it.
16. Masquerade (2012)
Masquerade offers a more political alternative for viewers who enjoyed the social commentary surrounding The Uprising. Set in Joseon-era Korea, it follows a commoner who is brought into the royal court because of his resemblance to the king.
The story explores class differences, political corruption and the contrast between palace life and the struggles of ordinary people. There are fewer mass battles here, but the central question remains similar: what happens when someone from outside the ruling system suddenly sees how power actually works?
17. The Warlords (2007)
Starring Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro, The Warlords is set during China’s 19th-century upheaval and follows three men whose loyalty is tested as they become involved in warfare and political ambition.
Like The Uprising, it examines how ordinary soldiers and civilians can become trapped inside enormous conflicts driven by people pursuing power. The film also refuses to make loyalty particularly straightforward, which is probably sensible because historical wars tend to become rather complicated once everyone starts making promises.
18. Red Cliff (2008)
John Woo’s Red Cliff recreates the famous Battle of Red Cliffs during China’s Three Kingdoms period. It combines military strategy, political rivalry and enormous battlefield sequences, making it ideal for viewers drawn to the large-scale historical conflict in The Uprising.
The films differ considerably in their storytelling, but both demonstrate how political instability can eventually produce massive confrontations involving people far beyond the original decision-makers. It is also significantly more interested in battlefield tactics, so anyone who enjoys watching commanders outthink one another should find plenty to enjoy.
19. The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014)
This South Korean historical action film dramatises Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s famous naval victory against a vastly larger opposing force. The story focuses on leadership, national survival and the pressure placed on a commander who has very little room for failure.
Its connection to The Uprising comes through the theme of ordinary people being caught in an enormous historical struggle and the importance of leadership when institutions are under extreme pressure. It is also proof that historical action does not necessarily require European castles and muddy fields to deliver the same sense of scale.
20. The Physician (2013)
The Physician follows an English orphan who travels far from medieval Europe to study medicine in Persia. Its story is more adventurous and less centred on rebellion than The Uprising, but the two films share an interest in medieval society, class divisions and the enormous restrictions placed on ordinary people by institutions and tradition. It provides a broader look at the medieval world beyond England, making it a worthwhile choice for viewers whose interest in The Uprising extends beyond the battles and into the social conditions of the period.
21. The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999)
The Messenger follows Joan of Arc as she becomes a central figure in France’s struggle during the Hundred Years’ War. The film explores faith, political authority, warfare and the transformation of a relatively young woman into a symbol for a much larger national cause.
Its strongest connection to The Uprising is the idea of an individual becoming inseparable from a movement that has grown far beyond their original circumstances. Both stories ask what happens when personal conviction collides with entrenched power, although Joan’s journey takes her into an entirely different corner of medieval European history.
The appeal of this whole group of films is that The Uprising is not really just about medieval fighting. Its strongest material comes from the pressure building underneath the fighting: poverty, political frustration, class divisions and people discovering that the system supposedly protecting them is not particularly interested in their wellbeing.
That is why films such as Outlaw King, The Last Duel, Kingdom of Heaven and 13 Assassins work so well as follow-ups even when their countries and centuries are completely different. They understand the same basic cinematic trick: put ordinary people under enough pressure and eventually somebody is going to stop politely accepting the situation. Very relatable, really.
The Uprising works best when it treats history as something messy, uncomfortable and deeply human rather than a parade of famous names waiting for their heroic close-up. Andrew Garfield’s Ploughman gives the story an emotional centre, while the larger rebellion makes the film feel increasingly unpredictable as personal grief turns into something much bigger. The medieval setting also does a lot of heavy lifting, with poverty, political pressure and war creating a world where optimism clearly needs to make an appointment.
Fans will probably have different reactions to the film’s bleak atmosphere and restless action style, with some loving the immersive realism while others may find its intensity exhausting. Personally, that tension is part of the appeal. If you enjoyed The Uprising, these 21 films offer plenty of rebellion, political intrigue, medieval warfare and characters making decisions that history definitely remembered.
If The Uprising worked for you, the real question is which of these 21 films deserves your next evening. Are you after more medieval rebellion, huge historical battles, political intrigue or simply another protagonist who looks increasingly exhausted by everyone around them? Tell us which film you would put at number one, and share your own recommendations in the comments.