Watch The Last King of Scotland

The Last King of Scotland is a dramatic biographical film released in 2006. Directed by Kevin Macdonald, the movie is based on the novel of the same name by Giles Foden. The plot of the movie is centered around a young Scottish doctor, Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy), who travels to Uganda in search of adventure and ends up becoming the personal physician to the country's ruler, Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker).

Nicholas, seeking to escape his mundane life in Scotland, relocates to Uganda in the early 1970s, where he finds work in a remote rural clinic. However, his life takes an unexpected turn when he meets Amin, who has just seized power in a military coup. Fascinated by Amin's charisma and seemingly benevolent intentions, Nicholas begins to work closely with the dictator.

As the movie progresses, we see the transformation of Amin from a benevolent and charismatic leader to a tyrannical killer. The movie captures Amin's increasingly erratic behavior, including his paranoia and cruelty towards anyone he perceives as a threat. At the same time, we also see the slow but steady erosion of Nicholas's morals as he becomes embroiled in Amin's regime, ultimately becoming complicit in his crimes.

The tensions between Nicholas and Amin escalate as the doctor begins to question the dictator's methods and motives. Despite this, he finds himself unable to leave Uganda or resist Amin's control over him, even as the violence and bloodshed mount. Meanwhile, Nicholas also has to confront the challenges of his romantic relationship with one of Amin's wives, Kay (Kerry Washington).

The acting in the movie is exceptional, with James McAvoy and Forest Whitaker both delivering powerful performances in their respective roles. Whitaker's portrayal of Amin is particularly noteworthy, capturing the character's charisma, madness, and darker impulses with nuance and depth. The supporting cast, which includes Gillian Anderson as a British diplomat, is also strong.

Overall, The Last King of Scotland is a thought-provoking and intense movie that confronts the audience with the horror and brutality of Amin's regime. The movie does not shy away from the violence and atrocities committed under Amin's rule but also explores the complexity of the relationships and personal motivations that led people to support or oppose the dictator. The final scenes of the movie are especially impactful, as they resonate with both the tragedy and the moral ambiguity of the story.

The Last King of Scotland is a 2006 drama with a runtime of 2 hours and 3 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.6 and a MetaScore of 74.