The Rebels

While you can see the effort in production values despite the budget it still has a real CBBC afternoon children's drama feel about it. I'll give it a pass on historical accuracy, the story itself is the real let down.

One for showing primary school kids on the last day before summer holidays and that's about it. A for effort D for execution.

WHY did this film need to be set in the 1st Century? The setting comes off as a really cheap Medieval Faire. The detail of the four main characters is utterly missing. They're supposed to be Welsh, but sound and look like 21st Century UK college kids in costumes. For a limited budget production, the vision is all over the place. The youth are attractive, but I doubt this project will be a prize in any of their résumés.

Maybe the low rating of this movie is due to wrong expectations: when reading the synopsis you might think you're in for a high paced historical action-movie, with dashing young rebels challenging and fighting the ferocious Roman occupying soldiers. Well, that's not the case. It's actually a much more sober coming-of-age-like story. The four youngsters that flee their village have no idea what to do or where to go, and in time they have to cope with the cruel outside world, with each others habits and with the consequences of their deeds. At least this side of the movie is not that bad.

On the other hand, the whole project is a bit lackluster, even the photography, and it's actually hard to believe that this is a movie from 2019, it could as easily have dated from the eighties. It's obviously very low budgeted, settings and costumes are very basic and look cheap and unconvincing, especially those of the Roman soldiers. There are some fighting-scenes but rather clumsily staged. The young actors are good-looking and do their best, but leave no lasting impressions.

And then there's this thing with the dialogues: these four native Brit adolescents from the first century BC talk with a vocabulary as if they're 21'st century high school mates! Of course this cannot be an unfortunate error, I guess mr. Emmet Cummins (writer and director) has had a deliberate purpose with it, but if so, I fail to grasp it. Could it really have been his intention that most of the audience would experience this as utterly anachronistic and with that a bit preposterous?

In short: disappointing, it hardly reaches the standard of a teen movie.

I don't understand what this film is about. Roman soldiers with Scottish accents; clothing not accurate for the time; kids are hungry but all they do is sit around; don't waste your time...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

The one shot opening scene is ruined by the amount of people looking directly into camera. The immersion into Roman Wales is lost as soon as the lead characters start talking like 21st centuary public school rich millenials..surely as actors they could have at least managed a Welsh accent? Simple details even a low budget movie should at least get right get completely lost in this live action roleplay put on film. Worth a watch for laughs though at all the innacuracies and bizzare dialogue and plot. Oh..and the music!! It's so out of place in nearly every scene that it just left me bemused, and amused. From minimalist piano to 80's synth the soundtrack is bloody hilarious too.