Uproar chronicles Josh’s adventure to establish an identity for himself, which goes against the values of his country wrestling. Here, Apartheid-era South Africa’s rugby team has been touring New Zealand, provoking protests across the country. It has also been forcing its citizens to reckon with their own systematic racism that has put its indigenous population to the side. Josh never seems to take his life in a certain direction but, as the people and forces in his life start to waver, he is forced to delve into new areas of life that will test what he will stands for and who he is willing to support.
With its focus on identity, Uproar is reminiscent of many coming-of-age films before it. (In some ways, it often reminded me of The Hate U Give, another film where a less active teen protagonist is the witness of a violent incident of systematic racism and has to decide to embrace their racial identity.) The film sports some really lovely performances, including earnest work from the supporting cast like Rhys Darby, Minnoe Driver, James Rolleston, and Erana James but it’s Julian Dennison who, in big moments, gets to show why he deserves to be a staple of great films. He brings a dorky energy to his characters that plays really well but you can also believe how much he’s coming into his own and gaining the confidence to place himself securely in his own racial identity. That’s where the heart of the movie comes from as Josh places himself back in his racial identity and uses it to influence for good, despite the tragedy that being Maui often seemed to bring him.
Uproar is playing at TIFF ’23. For more information, click here.
