Young Washington is a historical biopic directed, produced, and co-written by Jon Erwin. It was made by Wonder Project and released by Angel Studios. It was released in cinemas before a showing at the 2026 Tribeca Festival.
George Washington (William Franklyn-Miller) does not want to farm the land of Mount Vernon and dreams of joining the British Army with his brother Lawrence (John Foss). After sneaking into the party of the landowner Thomas Fairfax (Kelsey Grammer), George convinces him that he can survey his land in Ohio. While there, he makes contact with the Native Americans, only to discover the French have built a fort. He convinces Governor Robert Dinwiddie (Ben Kingsley) to give him command of the Virginia Militia to engage the French, but things go awry when they are ambushed.
Now, this movie might make some historians angry because it does play a bit fast and loose with the historical facts. Not to detrimental levels like some features, but it was noticeable. In my opinion, it was not enough to derail the story, especially if you are a big fan of George Washington like myself.
Franklyn-Miller was a commanding, see what I did there, presence as Washington. He is not the giant we, as Americans, know him just yet. He is making mistakes and trying to make his place in history. By an act of Providence, he became one.
The rest of the cast is pretty good. Grammer and Kingsley are always imposing on the screen, especially here. Mary-Louise Parker has a small but significant role as George’s mother, who became an inspiration for him, which she handled well. Andy Serkis has a cameo as one of Washington’s commanders, and was a solid pick for that role.
As for the plot, you see Washington evolve into the man he would become at a very specific point in history. It flowed at a steady pace, and you became engaged with his journey. I appreciated that you see him as nuanced, but it never degrades or mocks him. I appreciated that a great deal.
Only once did I feel irked. We see George attempt to court Sally, portrayed by Mia Rodgers. Her story is wrapped up very quickly, and you feel a bit let down at its conclusion.
Outside of that, I appreciated that this movie avoided the annoying Hollywood trend of “recontextualizing” real historical figures. Instead, we get a solid depiction of George Washington before the time of the American Revolution, when he would truly rise to power.
Bottom line, Young Washington does dramatize a few historical moments, but it is an engaging film. I enjoyed the performances and, in particular, how it portrayed the American hero George Washington.
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Wartime violence including gore, Rude humor
FAVORITE QUOTE: George Washington? We will remember that name.
Check out the trailer below:
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, anime, movie, or novel you would like me to review.