Queen of Katwe

"In chess, the small one can become the big one."

2016 2h 4m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 483

Drama

Synopsis

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A young girl overcomes her disadvantaged upbringing in the slums of Uganda to become a Chess master.

“In chess, the small one can become the big one.”

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Cast

Madina Nalwanga
Phiona Mutesi
David Oyelowo
Robert Katende
Lupita Nyong'o
Nakku Harriet
Martin Kabanza
Mugabi Brian
Taryn "Kay" Kyaze
Margaret Night Nantongo
Esther Tebandeke
Sarah Katende
Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine
Tendo
Ethan Nazario Lubega
Mukumbya Benjamin

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mira Nair
Writers: William Wheeler, Peter Kasaija
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 69% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 10 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Mira Nair, shot by Sean Bobbitt. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Alex Heffes. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Barry Alexander Brown shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Madina Nalwanga and David Oyelowo and Lupita Nyong'o carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "In chess, the small one can become the big one.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt4341582 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mira Nair directs. Sean Bobbitt behind the camera. Alex Heffes scores. Barry Alexander Brown cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 69% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 10 years ago.
3Directed by Mira Nair, shot by Sean Bobbitt. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Alex Heffes. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Barry Alexander Brown shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Madina Nalwanga and David Oyelowo and Lupita Nyong'o carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "In chess, the small one can become the big one.".
8IMDB entry: tt4341582 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 8 themes, including "chess", "based on novel or book", "sports", "biography".

The technical file

Cinematography: Sean Bobbitt
Original score: Alex Heffes
Editing: Barry Alexander Brown
Production design: Stephanie Carroll
Costume design: Mobolaji Dawodu
Makeup / hair: Christopher Damuura
Sound: Dominick Tavella
Stunt coordinator: Cordell McQueen
Runtime: 124 min · 2h 4m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $15,000,000
Box office: $10,367,161
Return: 69% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Queen of Katwe (2016)

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Mira Nair

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Gimly2016-12-05
★ 6/10
From a technical point of view, Queen of Katwe is not a resounding success. There is bad audio, continuity errors, hammy dialogue, some very bizarre choices in cinematography and the occasional scene of poor acting. The story however (while following a fairly predictable family-friendly line) is totally engrossing. Chess may not be the most engaging spectator sport, but the journey of lead-character Phiona is a thorough one, and an intriguing side-step away from the usual Disney setting. David Oyelowo is particularly worth looking out for. He (unsurprisingly) gives a fantastic performance. Final rating:★★★ - I personally recommend you give it a go.
Reno2017-09-26
★ 8/10
A life changing game. I am not a big fan of Mira Nair. But I like some of her films, particularly 'Amelia'. Because she usually prefers India and Indian subjects and cast as what she's. Outside that circle, she was not that successful, until now. It was a sport film, that revolved around chess game. Inspired by an incredible true story from the dark continent. It all happened less than ten years ago. Disney and ESPN together produced it. So when these two productions come together, you would know what to expect. Seeing the opening few minutes, it reminded me the recent New Zealand film 'The Dark Horse'. Kind of a similar film, but I was not that impressed with that. But this one was awesome. Simply a miracle. Like any fairy-tale from the Disney. She was not a princess, but in a way she turns to be one. Years ago when I reviewed 'Searching for Bobby Fischer', I said that was the film should be shown in the schools. Now add this title as well to the list. The opening was the ending. Then followed the flashback, which went to the 4 years ago. Living in a slum of Katwe, a single mother raising her children, but not without their contribution to the family. Now the focus shifts to one of the family members, Phiona. Curiosity on her brother who disappears every day after sold out his goods leads her to a new path. That's when she discovers a game she had never heard of before. After learning the basics, she quickly picks up the rest of the game on her own and becomes a prodigy. ❝Losing teaches me how to play better.❞ This is like most of the true stories you have seen, but that's the truth as well in here. What might come later could impress you. Because it was not like she has a superpower, so she can clear her life path just like that. Honestly, the real test begins now for her, how she uses her gift. But it was her coach who understood the situation, and tried his best to push her further with the big tournaments, in the national and the international level. Not just her, there has been a team behind her. So the remaining is to reveal how far she would go, as well as the story of her struggling family. They have got the cast perfectly. Everyone was brilliant. David Oyelowo was amazing, surely one of my favourite British actors for now. This is the second consecutive time he's making a such impression. Not long ago with 'A United Kingdom'. Definitely the Oscars is just a corner. And then Lupita Nyong'o, she was not the centre of the story, but had enough part and she excelled every bit of it. The rest of the actors, including the one who played Phiona was amazing. At the end credit, both the cinematic and the real life characters appeared. I felt that was a result of excitement, but liked it. The sad part was why such films were ignored at the big stages! This is a must see film, especially if you have a kid(s) in the home, show it to them. Being the parents, uncle and aunt, that's one of the best thing you would do for them. Because no one knows when and where kids gets their confidence boost, inspiration or discovering a new path. You can't compare films with real life, even it was a biopic. But still the true story always remains a true story, even after they're compressed to 120 minutes. Particularly the Disney film gets rid of harsh parts, making a family friendly film. So watch it for a change, you have no other reasons, you could be impressed! 8/10
r96sk2020-11-17
★ 8/10
Excellent. <em>'Queen of Katwe'</em> is another Disney sports biopic, but one made with a difference - it doesn't hit the exact same notes as the studio usually does in this genre, which is a positive. The film is shot lovely, with a terrific main cast. Lupita Nyong'o is top notch in the role of Nakku, while Madina Nalwanga impresses in the lead as Phiona. David Oyelowo would be my personal standout, he's terrific as Robert, but all three add a great deal to the film to be fair. A few of the child actors give good support performances, also. It does slightly suffer with the fact its story revolves around chess, which isn't the most exciting or massively interesting game/sport to watch across 124 minutes. However, it's about much more than just chess - it features a big life story too. It does a grand job at making you care for the individuals onscreen. Highly recommend.