Young Washington review
By Joel Humphries · Watched 06.21.26
★★★ 3 / 5
Spoiler-free review
Young Washington treats the future first president not as a monument but as an ambitious, overconfident young officer learning leadership through failure. His pursuit of a British commission runs into the empire’s rigid class structure, while expeditions into the Ohio Country and the French and Indian War give the history the momentum of an adventure. William Franklyn-Miller holds his own alongside Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, Kelsey Grammer and Mary-Louise Parker, and the film never becomes a sermon or hagiography. I entered knowing the outline and left wanting the details—the highest compliment I can give an earnest historical drama.
Full review — contains spoilers
When I first heard Young Washington was being distributed by Angel Studios, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Angel has built a reputation that’s more complicated than people give them credit for. Some dismiss anything with the Angel label because they assume it’s going to be political or overtly religious. I don’t think that’s fair anymore. Some of their best work has been historical dramas like Cabrini and Truth & Treason, Films that are more interested in relating compelling true stories than preaching to the audience. Fortunately Young Washington fits squarely into that recent positive trajectory for them.
This film follows George Washington before he became the indispensable man of the American Revolution. Ambitious from the beginning, he desperately wants to earn a British military commission and prove himself, only to run headfirst into the rigid class system of the British Empire. You know where this story is headed. The question is how he becomes the man history remembers.
What I appreciated most is that this isn’t a hagiography. Washington isn’t portrayed as a born leader. He’s overconfident, makes poor decisions, loses men under his command, and is ultimately forced to learn through failure. The movie understands that greatness isn’t inherited, it has to be earned.
Fundamentally, this is an adventure movie set against real history. The expeditions into the Ohio Country, the frontier warfare, and the French and Indian War give it a real sense of momentum. I never found myself checking my watch.
The acting is solid across the board. Little known actor William Franklyn-Miller does a decent job as young Washington, and veteran actors like Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, Kelsey Grammer, and Mary-Louise Parker add a lot of credibility without ever taking over the film.
I appreciate what this movie isn’t. It isn’t a sermon. It isn’t a political lecture. It isn’t an attempt to canonize George Washington. It’s simply an engaging historical drama about an important period of his life.
I walked in knowing the broad outlines of these events but very few of the details. I walked out wanting to learn more. That’s about the highest compliment I can give a historical film.
Angel Studios has carved out a niche identifying and distributing earnest historical dramas and family-friendly films that aren’t cynical, and Young Washington continues that trend.
I know some people will skip this simply because of the Angel Studios logo. I think that’s a mistake. I promise you, if I didn’t like this movie, I’d say so. I just genuinely enjoyed it.
I hope this is only the first chapter. Washington’s life is far too interesting to end here, and this movie lays an excellent foundation for what could become a really enjoyable series.
If you enjoy historical dramas or biographies, I think Young Washington is well worth your time. I highly recommend it.