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‘Edge of the World’ Review: The Man Who Agreed to be King

Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays the unlikely ruler of a jungle kingdom in this corny tale.

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By Jeannette Catsoulis

To play the British adventurer Sir James Brooke in “Edge of the World,” Jonathan Rhys Meyers sets his jaw and fixes his gaze on the middle distance. The performance — stiff, remote, magnificently arrogant — is odd; but, given the howlers of dialogue Rhys Meyers is forced to utter, it also kind of works.

“Here I am a stranger, even to myself,” Brooke intones in voice-over shortly after landing on a Borneo beach in 1839. (The hushed Herzogian narration is a regular irritant.) Having fled a military career and messy personal life in Victorian England, Brooke is disenchanted with colonialism, presenting himself as an observer for the Royal Geographical Society. He will spend the next few years fighting pirates, soothing rival princes and quelling a tribal rebellion. Simply observing, apparently, was not the thrill he expected.

Yet Brooke’s determination to wean the locals from slavery and headhunting is given an assist when a grateful Sultan appoints him the region’s ruler.

“We don’t belong here!” his friend Arthur (Dominic Monaghan) warns. (A fact that, to be fair, has rarely bothered the British.) But Brooke — whose likely homosexuality is teased, then roundly rejected — is too busy wooing a bride and enjoying his elevated status to entertain Arthur’s concerns.

Earnestly directed by Michael Haussman from Rob Allyn’s awed script, “Edge of the World” plugs its narrative gaps with corn and cliché. (There’s a possibility both men overdosed on “Apocalypse Now.”) In the most believable scene, a steamship captain (Ralph Ineson) scoffs at Brooke’s pleas for pirate-fighting help while tucking into a full English. The captain wants the country’s riches for the Crown, and, unlike Brooke, he knows it’s only a matter of time.

Edge of the World Not rated. In English, Malay, Dayak, Cantonese and Arabic, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 44 minutes. Available to rent or buy on Google Play , FandangoNow and other streaming platforms and pay TV operators.

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‘Edge of the World’ Review: All-Too-Familiar Historical Epic Explores the Old and the New

Jonathan Rhys Meyers is in fine form as 19th-century explorer Sir James Brooke in this Terrence Malick-indebted adventure movie.

By Michael Nordine

Michael Nordine

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With its winsome narration, frequent cutaways to nature and focus on discovery, “ Edge of the World ” resembles nothing so much as Terrence Malick’s similarly titled “The New World.” Say this for director Michael Haussman and writer Rob Allyn: They have good taste. Their period drama set in 19th-century Borneo may not rise to the level of its lyrical predecessor — few movies do, after all — but there are worse transgressions than a film’s grasp exceeding its reach.

In yet another similarity to Malick’s retelling of the American creation myth, “Edge of the World” follows an English explorer who finds more than he was expecting upon arriving in a foreign land. Here it’s Sir James Brooke (Johnathan Rhys Meyers), who arrives in Borneo in 1839 and quickly meets two princes vying for power; that they’re cousins only adds to the intrigue — and tension. Much to their (and, indeed, our) surprise, Brooke doesn’t appear to have sailed this far to conquer, only to explore and catalogue the new environs to which he’s strangely drawn.

This kind of adventurer is a well-worn archetype, but Meyers plays him well. You know the type: world-weary emissary who’s begun questioning his commitment to the imperialist regime he represents and longing for something new. He’s seen too much, done too much, and the idea of a tranquil way of life far removed from the troubles that compelled him to set sail in the first place sounds like the only second act that will bring him a modicum of peace. That conflict will be familiar to anyone who’s seen the likes of “Dances With Wolves” and “The Last Samurai,” but here too Meyers manages to make it feel sincere if not new.

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The script isn’t always on the same level as his performance, however: Brooke’s dialogue and narration include such pearls of wisdom as “no matter how far you run, you can never escape yourself” and “to have peace, we must make war.” Brooke was a true adventurer — he inspired both “Lord Jim” by Joseph Conrad and Rudyard Kipling’s “The Man Who Would Be King” — and so his conventional soliloquies can’t help but feel less intrepid than their speaker. What’s more, the filmmakers don’t interrogate their story’s colonialist overtones or forays into white-savior tropes as much as many will hope: Other than some banter about whether he’ll civilize his new hosts or vice versa, the righteousness of his journey is never questioned.

One exception finds Brooke being told that “the British love to play the great game, but they never see that we are the kings and you are the pawns” by one of the two princes with whom he’s become entangled. Those words resonate even more strongly when, in order to quell an ongoing conflict, the Englishman is made Rajah of Sarawak and quickly discovers that he’s more comfortable in the role than any he’s had before. Aside from a few memorable grace notes, as when he’s made to preside over the murder trial of a crocodile charged with killing a man, the swashbuckling that follows is mostly bog-standard — there are pirates and heads on stakes, with Brooke often discouraged but never defeated.

Where “Edge of the World” distinguishes itself is in its evocative visuals of Borneo’s unspoiled beauty (courtesy of cinematographer Jaime Feliu-Torres) and the lived-in intensity of Meyers. If the film can’t help but feel like a relic from a bygone era, that’s ultimately part of its appeal — the sun may have finally set on the British Empire, but at least it hasn’t yet set on this mode of storytelling.

Reviewed online, Denver, June 2, 2021. Running time: 104 MIN.

• Production: A Samuel Goldwyn Films release of a Margate House Films, 852 Films production. Producers: Rob Allyn, Josie Ho, Conroy Chan. Executive producers: Conor Allyn, Simon Fawcett, David Unger, Bill Donovan, Marco Perez, Dominic Monaghan, Jake Allyn, Chris Tricarico, Chan Pang Chun, Mark Allan.
• Crew: Director: Michael Haussman. Writer: Rob Allyn. Editor: Marco Perez. Camera: Jaime Feliu-Torres. Music: Will Bates.
• With: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Dominic Monaghan, Josie Ho, Atiqa Hasiholan, Ralph Ineson, Otto Farant, Samo Rafael, Bront Palarae, Shaheizy Sam, Hannah New, Yusyf Mahardika, Peter John, Kahar Bin Jini.

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Edge of the World review – swashbuckling white saviour biopic feels out of date

Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays James Brooke, a British adventurer who became the White Rajah of Sarawak, in a film that fails to probe the complexity of its fascinating subject

W hile the name James Brooke might seem obscure to many viewers, his exploits in south-east Asia, retold here in Michael Haussman’s adventure biopic, are not so foreign. After all, they inspired Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim and Rudyard Kipling’s The Man Who Would Be King. Brooke’s stranger-than-fiction journey from ex-soldier in the Bengal army to becoming the White Rajah of Sarawak, which once attracted the attention of Errol Flynn, is especially ripe for the silver screen. Alas, Edge of the World fails to do justice to this fascinating and deeply complex chapter in British colonial history.

The film begins with Brooke (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) arriving in picturesque Sarawak via boat, along with his cousin Arthur (Dominic Monaghan) and nephew Charley (Otto Farrant), both army men. Their presence is immediately met with suspicion and hostility from the local aristocrats, especially Prince Mahkota (Bront Palarae). Brooke’s courageous efforts during a pirates’ siege, however, lead to his being crowned Rajah, much to the dismay of Mahkota. As Brooke strives to establish the domain as a sovereign nation, his reign faces Mahkota’s bloody attacks, not to mention criminal charges from the British empire.

Edge of the World cannot, unfortunately, resist over mythologising Brooke’s legacy; such an approach only strips the first White Rajah of his complexities and ambiguities.

Sidestepping the hard question of whether Brooke is a white saviour, the narrative’s superficial view appears to suggest that he is a “benevolent” imperialist merely because, unlike his peers, he does not say racist things out loud. Meanwhile, Brooke’s actual policies and style of governance remain largely unexplored, overshadowed by a romance plot and endless depictions of gory native customs. As Edge of the World gradually veers into Apocalypse Now territory, the ties between Sarawak and Brooke turn woefully simplistic. Edge of the World might work as an ode to bygone swashbuckling classics, but Brooke deserves a much more nuanced biopic.

• Action and adventure films
• Period and historical films
• Asia Pacific
• Colonialism

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Edge of the world, common sense media reviewers.

Historical drama has colonial attitudes, racism, violence.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Working with others, negotiating cultural differen

Sir James Brooke rejects both the violence and rac

Many beheadings -- although the actual action isn'

Kissing and brief sex scene between a couple, no g

Use of the "N" word. Other language includes "swin

Characters drink socially.

Parents need to know that Edge of the World (known as Rajah in some territories) is a historical drama that takes a positive view of different cultures working together, but also has bloody violence, including many beheadings. Set in 1840s Borneo, the movie is based on the real-life events of a group…

Positive Messages

Working with others, negotiating cultural differences, rejecting both racism and colonialism. Suppressing criminal activity. Story is about a White man "saving" indigenous people, which falls clearly into "White savior" territory, even though his actions are portrayed here as positive and welcome.

Positive Role Models

Sir James Brooke rejects both the violence and racism typically associated with colonial rule and local customs he views as harsh. He and his men work to learn and speak Malay, the local language, and take a sincere interest in the local environment. He's sympathetic and gives people the benefit of the doubt but talks of making mistakes in his personal life. He goes on to establish an independent state within Borneo, of which he becomes ruler. He is portrayed as being a good leader who prioritizes the welfare and rights of the local indigenous people, but the movie doesn't offer a diversity of perspectives on his role as a ruler and firmly plays into a White savior narrative. Also, while most of the indigenous people are depicted as peaceful, some are portrayed in a stereotypical way as barbaric. The cast is predominantly male, but characters represent a range of ethnicities and religions. Some characters use non-inclusive, misogynistic, and racist language.

Violence & Scariness

Many beheadings -- although the actual action isn't shown -- with severed heads held up, presented as gifts, or impaled on poles. Knives and guns drawn during a standoff. Suspected thief chased, apprehended, and bound by the wrists. Bloody marks shown. Characters come under fire from pirates who shoot them with arrows. Bloody wounds dressed afterward. Cannons fired in other altercations. Character stabbed to death by multiple assailants, bloody injuries and distress shown. Huts burned down. A character has their ears cut off; although not shown, the bloody injuries are seen. A mass fight sees people being hit with poles and spears. A severed head, charred by fire, is seen. A chicken is killed off camera; blood is seen running down the hands and arms of the perpetrator.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Kissing and brief sex scene between a couple, no graphic nudity. Characters bathe together in a lake. Lighthearted discussion different cultures' attitudes toward premartial sex; some sexual innuendo. Male characters are seen shirtless. Traditional clothing reveals some non-sensitive body parts. Character seen in bed with two other people before being attacked. Suggestion that a character holds romantic feelings for another.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Use of the "N" word. Other language includes "swines" and "savages" to describe indigenous people. Use of "bastard."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Edge of the World (known as Rajah in some territories) is a historical drama that takes a positive view of different cultures working together, but also has bloody violence, including many beheadings. Set in 1840s Borneo, the movie is based on the real-life events of a group of British explorers led by Sir James Brooke ( Jonathan Rhys Meyers ). Brooke is depicted as being compassionate and conscious of doing the right thing for the indigenous people. He's also portrayed as being positively received by the local people, but there's no doubt that the story is a 'White savior" narrative -- and since it centers on Brooke, rather than the indigenous people, we don't get a full picture of how people felt and what actually happened. Brooke and his allies battle pirates; while lives are spared where possible, there are bloody injuries. Heads are severed both as punishment and as warnings, and although the actual action is shielded from view, the heads are held aloft and impaled on poles. A relationship between two characters includes kissing and non-explicit sex. Some of the language used reflects the inescapable racism of colonialism, with some characters referring to the indigenous people as "swines," "savages," and the "N" word. On the positive side, some characters think critically about this behavior as they make an effort to negotiate cultural differences. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Awesome Information

What's the story.

EDGE OF THE WORLD is the story of British explorer Sir James Brooke's ( Jonathan Rhys Meyers ) exploration of Borneo in the 1840s and his refusal to go along with the British Empire's colonial ideals. Settling in a part of the island where a local rebellion is taking place, Brooke gets to know the local indigenous people and becomes determined to bring peace to the area and establish it as an independent state.

Is It Any Good?

Based on the life of real-life explorer Sir James Brooke, this adventure drama addresses the oppressive environment of 19th-century Borneo and the colonialist British Empire that ruled beyond it. Rhys Meyers is perfectly cast as Brooke, a world-weary traveler who fears his best years are behind him. Like many biopic movies, Edge of the World feels duty-bound to cram lots of real-life events into two hours in order to do its subject justice. Unfortunately, this leads to a labored voice-over that adds little more than exposition, along with a slightly hurried opening and a plot that becomes muddled in places. Writer Rob Allyn struggles to balance competing storylines about the threat of pirate battles and Brooke's strained personal and professional relationships.

Director Michael Haussman recreates life in this place and time well, doing his best to work around budget constraints that limit the size of the cast and the movie's running time. But there's no escaping the issue of the "White savior" narrative. While Brooke is both portrayed, and received, positively, the film fails to look at his role as ruler objectively. It's a story that seems like it would have been better suited to a miniseries format, allowing more time to explore how the indigenous people felt about Brooke, for example. But -- like Brooke's voyage -- there just about remains enough here to capture the eye and the imagination.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Edge of the World . What did it add to the story? Does exposure to violent media make kids more aggressive?

Discuss British colonialism as depicted in the film. How much did you know about this part of history? How did Brooke's attitudes, as portrayed here, differ from others? How can we be sure that's an accurate depiction? And does that make his role in colonialism any less problematic?

Talk about the way the movie portrays Borneo's indigenous people. Did you notice any stereotypes ? How white parents can use media to raise anti-racist kids.

Do you consider Brooke a role model ? What character strengths does he demonstrate in the film? How do you think he'd be portrayed if the story was written from the indigenous characters' point of view?

Did this movie remind you of any other movies you've seen? How did it compare?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : June 4, 2021
• Cast : Jonathan Rhys Meyers , Dominic Monaghan , Josie Ho
• Director : Michael Haussman
• Studio : Samuel Goldwyn Films
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Adventures , History , Pirates
• Run time : 104 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : October 8, 2022

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Home » Movies » Movie Reviews

Edge of the World review – a decent if overly familiar period drama

This review of Edge of the World is spoiler-free.

In Michael Haussman’s Edge of the World , Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays Sir James Brooke, an English explorer with the kind of progressive mindset that you can get away with these days. He arrives in Borneo in 1839 with the intention not of conquering the place but soaking up its culture, mostly by getting involved in the local politics, and indeed the local women, though his narration does at least pay lip service to the so-called “White Man’s Burden”.

It’s hard to make this kind of movie in these days of tearing down statues of any historical figure deemed “problematic”, which, spoiler alert, is all of them. Brooke is the kind of famed adventurer who could only exist as a representative of colonialism, so you have to take even his earnest open-mindedness with a pinch of salt. He was very much an explorer in the old, idealized style, though, and Meyers captures that about him. He has the right amount of swashbuckling heroism to offset the fact that he’s visibly and audibly tired of his responsibilities at the spear tip of British colonialism. He’s weary of the barbarism he has seen all over the world, the entrenched wrong-headed attitudes of the people who’re supposedly so civilized that their civility must be imposed on others by force if necessary. For all its familiar archetypes, beats, and homages to Terrence Malick, Edge of the World at least feels sincere.

Meyers does, anyway. The script isn’t so sure. Some of the dialogue – the narration in particular – is so leaden with ridiculously overdramatized claptrap that it plays almost like a farce, despite the history speaking for itself. A straight-up depiction of that history would be impossible, obviously, both because that’s not how artistic license works and because contemporary culture won’t allow for it. Thus, Brooke’s cause is just and his attitude is the most palatable it can be to current attitudes without creeping into outright revisionism. But the film still lets him and the system he represents off a bit easy. There’s a responsibility to interrogate the underpinnings of colonialism that is lacking here, and some moral ambiguity would have done the story some good.

But whatever. As I say, you can’t do right for doing wrong these days, can you? Edge of the World has some pleasures, especially once Brooke is made king to settle a political dispute. A lot of the big drama is contained in the back half, and even though that’s where it becomes more conventional – Brooke’s interiority in his new position of power makes for the meatiest stuff – it’s also where it shows its crowd-pleasing chops. The finale isn’t memorable in where it goes, narratively, but it almost gets there visually. Cinematographer Jaime Feliu-Torres gets a lot of mileage out of the setting’s natural beauty and Haussman coaxes a strong performance out of Meyers, who keeps the whole thing anchored to a recognizable if strained humanity. You’ve seen many films like this, but I don’t imagine you’ll feel particularly slighted at having seen another.

Article by Jonathon Wilson

Jonathon is one of the co-founders of Ready Steady Cut and has been an instrumental part of the team since its inception in 2017. Jonathon has remained involved in all aspects of the site’s operation, mainly dedicated to its content output, remaining one of its primary Entertainment writers while also functioning as our dedicated Commissioning Editor, publishing over 6,500 articles.

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‘Edge of the World’ Review: A British white man's burden, re-examined

Director michael huissman captures borneo's beauty with the eye of terence malick while jonathan rhys meyer's wrestles with the responsibility of becoming the country's first white rajah..

What to Watch Verdict

Working from a script by Rob Allyn, director Michael Huissman captures the beauty and complexity of this unique story of British imperialism.

🌱 Meyers' intensity complicates Brooke's earnest intentions with the tribes of Borneo but amplifies the character's inner struggle.

🌱 Cinematographer Jaime Feliu-Torres captures the lush beauty of the country with an uncommon, poetic beauty.

🌱 The script by Rob Allyn examines but doesn't quite reckon with the deeper sociocultural implications of Brooke's appointment as the first white Rajah.

Stories about British imperialism certainly dwarf the number of films cataloguing it across the globe, but that’s only because the country’s reach and control was so plentiful — and egregious. Michael Haussman’s Edge of the World rides on a very thin line between two increasingly familiar interpretations of this history, “civilizing the untamed world” narratives and those where “the natives were the ones doing the teaching all along,” but improbably, it maintains its balance while chronicling the true story of James Brooke and his installation as the Rajah of Sarawak. Jonathan Rhys Meyers occasionally leans towards melodrama as Brooke, a man eager to escape his past in Britain but unable to reckon a future fully embracing the violent customs of the country over which he comes to preside, but Haussman and cinematographer Jaime Feliu-Torres mostly overshadow the film’s parade of prosthetic severed heads with images so beautiful that Terrence Malick would (or should) be proud to call them his own.

Meyers plays Brooke, an India-born soldier eager to escape his life and responsibilities in Britain, including a military detail in the Bengal Army and young woman named Elizabeth (Hannah New) whom he impregnated before abandoning her at the altar. Sailing to Borneo (then Brunei), he, his friend Arthur (Dominic Monaghan) and his sister’s son Charley (Otto Farant) venture into the jungle to meet with the natives and make discoveries on behalf of the Queen. He soon meets two Princes, Bedruddin (Samo Rafael) and Makota (Bront Palarae), both eager to learn about him and his culture, albeit for different purposes; one aspires to learn from his cosmopolitan education, while the other seeks his military muscle to suppress a rebel uprising and pave a path to become Rajah. Astutely navigating the political intricacies of these two very different relationships, he eventually drives Makota into hiding and the Sultan (Wan Hanafi Su) appoints Brooke as the Rajah, the first such appointment for a white man.

Attempting to respect local customs while imposing the structure of British rule, Brooke becomes popular among the people of Brunei, and even takes as a lover Fatima (Atiqah Hasiholan), a native woman who helps him as a diplomat and translator. But when Makota begins making attacks on his compound, threatening peaceful locals and instigating tribal conflicts, Brooke prevails on Arthur and Charley to seek support from British military leaders such as Sir Edward Beech (Ralph Ineson), who can provide a ship and other munitions. But with little interest in understanding or respecting local tradition or culture, Beech eventually views Brooke’s rule as a prelude to claim Brunei under British rule, forcing Brooke to make a dangerous bargain to protect his people without inadvertently turning them over to the control of another dictatorial hand.

Even with the imprint of real historical events (much less Brooke’s literary legacy as inspiration for Kipling’s The Man Who Would Be King and Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim), it’s hard in 2021 not to look at the story of a British soldier becoming Rajah of Sarawak as one — and unnecessary one at that — of white civilization taming another corner of the natural world. Screenwriter and producer Rob Allyn recently explored this idea in a different if more immediately relevant context in No Man’s Land , directed by his brother Conor and starring his other brother Jake, about a young Texan who flees justice into Mexico, discovering that foreign country’s beauty and humanity. Here, he tries to elide the Lawrence of Arabia comparisons by making Brooke educated about his new environment, keenly aware in every decision of the toes he’s stepping between to navigate his path, and also broadly troubled about the wanderlust that brought him to this geographic and existential crossroads. What Allyn unfortunately ends up doing is pushing the character into Conrad’s Marlow (or more accurately, Willard in Apocalypse Now ) territory as Brooke comes to understand, and eventually succumbs to the violent madness of his native environment, after his initial admiration and affection for Brunei, its people and its culture.

Part of the problem is that Meyers seems permanently haunted as Brooke, from the first time we see him stepping on the shores of Sarawak to the moment of his final act of violence, commemorating his commitment to a country the movie doesn’t quite spend enough time asking if he should be ruling any part of, regardless of how “respectfully” he does so. The movie thankfully transforms as its story unfolds, rushing slightly through some of the events that lead to his anointment as Rajah but eventually arriving at a more measured examination of the challenge of protecting Sarawak by using the military might bestowed upon him by the British crown, and later, from that same power as Beech lusts after the territory on behalf of his Queen’s sovereignty. The script’s progressive nods (historically validated or no) to Sarawak woman’s sexual and intellectual empowerment, not to mention Brooke’s unambiguous endorsement of such attitudes, the story eventually settles into an interesting dialectic between the two countries’ approaches to diplomacy, with the tribes of Brunei beheading their adversaries on one side, and Britain’s condescending, oppressive entitlement on the other.

That said, Meyer’s pedigree, from Velvet Goldmine to Match Point , gives him the right kind of slippery intangibility as Brooke, earnest in his desire to honor the people he rules but wrestling with the twin demons of practiced responsibility and irrepressible instinct; if anything, he occasionally give too much as the character, without clarifying exactly what he’s seeking in this verdant, mysterious land, far away from the purview of the British military. Rafael and Palarae play opposite sides of the coin he’s constantly flipping in Brunei — the former adoring his wisdom, the latter conniving to exploit it — but Palarae in particular makes Makota intriguing as an adversary even when he’s not on screen, conveying a quality that evokes late actor Irrfan Khan that deftly balances intellect and authority, a sense of kindness and menace all at once. Atiqah Hasiholan offers real dimensionality as Fatima, a consort with the perspective and gravitas to be Brooke’s equal, but more baffling is Josie Ho’s role as Madame Lim, another of his confidantes (and possible lovers) who contributes a bit of star wattage when the film hits Chinese shores but not much else.

Working with cinematographer Feliu-Torres, Haussman, possibly best known for his music videos for Madonna, Kanye West and Jennifer Lopez, captures the beauty of Borneo in some truly magical ways, shooting Brooke’s boats (and eventually the man himself) underwater as he immerses himself in this foreign land while trying to preserve his identity. Additionally, Will Bates’ music, utilizing work from classical composer Claude Debussy, gives the film a rousing, and operatic quality. Ultimately it’s for the viewer to decide if the film fully honors James Brooke as a colonizer who truly respects the people he eventually ruled (notably, for more than 20 years and two more generations), or whose personal demons imperceptibly complicated the British military’s familiar pattern of conquering and converting territories. But as a story that at least possesses the self-awareness to ask questions about the relationship between British exploration and the men who served (even indirectly) as agents of it, Edge of the World offers an intriguing history lesson in a well-acted and uniquely beautiful package.

Edge of the World hits theaters June 21, 2021.

Todd Gilchrist is a Los Angeles-based film critic and entertainment journalist with more than 20 years’ experience for dozens of print and online outlets, including Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly and Fangoria. An obsessive soundtrack collector, sneaker aficionado and member of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Todd currently lives in Silverlake, California with his amazing wife Julie, two cats Beatrix and Biscuit, and several thousand books, vinyl records and Blu-rays.

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Review: A familiar adventure story in ‘Edge of the World’

This image released by Samuel Goldwyn Films shows a scene from “Edge of the World.” (Samuel Goldwyn Films via AP)

This image released by Samuel Goldwyn Films shows Dominic Monaghan in a scene from “Edge of the World.” (Samuel Goldwyn Films via AP)

This image released by Samuel Goldwyn Films shows Josie Ho, left, and Dominic Monaghan in a scene from “Edge of the World.” (Samuel Goldwyn Films via AP)

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If the new adventure film “ Edge of the World ,” about a British explorer and soldier in 1840s Borneo, seems suspiciously like “The Man Who Would Be King” and “Lord Jim,” it’s for good reason. It was the inspiration for both. Both Rudyard Kipling and Joseph Conrad were moved by the true story of James Brooke, a former soldier in the Bengal Army who would become the Raj of Sarawak at the height of the British Empire. Brooke’s family ended up governing there for a century.

Brooke’s story may have provided the foundation for a lot, but the other novels and films came first and became classics in the process — not to mention everything they then informed and inspired. It’s not that Hollywood hasn’t tried to give Brooke his due. Even Errol Flynn was supposed to play him at one point.

On one level, it’s impossible for “Edge of the World” not to feel like homage. At the same time, director Michael Haussman (a prolific music video director) and screenwriter and producer Rob Allyn (for whom this has been a passion project) make the smart choice to simply lean into the canon instead of trying to forge a new path. It’s not just story beats that feel familiar, but visual cues as well. Terrence Malick’s “The New World” may have been the filmmakers’ most cited touchstone.

The always intense Jonathan Rhys Meyers stars as Brooke, a wanderer by nature who has never felt at home in Victorian England. Born in India and once a soldier, he’s seen enough to know what he’s not looking for and thus takes his inheritance and funds wild missions with his pals. He’s also decidedly more modern than many of his peers in terms of how he views colonialism and is fascinated by other cultures, not as conquests for an empire, but on their own terms. Even so, he shares some views with his countrymen about “civilizing” the more “savage” aspects of some of the native people he encounters.

Brooke is immediately smitten with Borneo when he arrives on a private expedition with a few countrymen, Colonel Arthur Crookshank (Dominic Monaghan) and Charlie (Otto Farant). There they meet two princes, the cosmopolitan Badruddin (Samo Rafael) and Mahkota (Bront Palarae), who are friendly but have decidedly different views on governance, punishment and rewards (Mahkota favors beheading). After Brooke helps the locals squash a rebellion, the Sultan of Brunei makes him Rajah of Sarawak and he quickly starts an intense romance with the beautiful Fatima (Atiqah Hasiholan). As the leader, he attempts to meld his ideas of civilization with the customs of the people he’s now responsible for. He dreams of a world without piracy, slavery and head-hunting. Many are eager to follow him.

But anyone who has even the most passing familiarity with “Heart of Darkness,” or “Apocalypse Now,” will know that the honeymoon is soon to end. The threat of Mahkota still looms and there are even some attempts get the British Navy to lend a steamship to go upriver and conquer the enemy. That also turns into its own battle over sovereignty and imperialism.

Brooke narrates much of this journey through dreamy, poetic voiceovers, which even when successful can be an acquired taste. He’s a bit of an inscrutable character, hard to embrace but also not necessarily one you’re rooting against. In other words, Meyers is perfectly cast.

This is a film that is striving to be a classic swashbuckler, a lyrical mediation on exploration and identity and a knowingly modern commentary on a deplorable but significant era in world history. Not unlike Brooke’s, the ambitions were admirably grand. While it might not knock it out of the park, “Edge of the World” is still a very solid watch if a little slow-going and might also just inspire you to revisit some of the classics its indebted to which is its own small triumph.

“Edge of the World,” a Samuel Goldwyn Films release on digital and video on demand Friday, has not been rated by the Motion Picture Association of America, but contains violent and disturbing imagery. Running time: 104 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr

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Michael Powell was one of the greatest British directors--the best in the land after Alfred Hitchcock decamped to Hollywood--and his major films stand like bedrock in film history: " The Red Shoes ," " The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp ," "Black Narcissus," " The Thief of Bagdad ," "A Matter of Life and Death," "Stairway to Heaven," " Peeping Tom ." Powell was a quixotic individualist whose works also include films far from the mainstream, strange works like "A Canterbury Tale," about a pervert who takes advantage of wartime blackouts to pour glue into women's hair. When I taught a class on Powell at the University of Chicago, the students applauded all of his films but one, "Tales of Hoffman," a mannered operatic production they found unbearable, walking out to discuss it mournfully in the hallway.

His two-volume autobiography is the best ever written by a director: My Life in Movies and Million Dollar Movie. His life paralleled the development of the cinema. Born in 1905, he died in 1990 still deeply involved in the cinema as a consultant to Martin Scorsese , Francis Ford Coppola and other successors. He began in silent films, made talkie thrillers he was indifferent to, and reached "the turning point of my life in art" with "The Edge of the World" (1937), the first of his films that he "wanted to make." It has long been unavailable, but has now returned in a restored 35mm print, playing at the Music Box on its way to video.

It is a strange, haunting, beautiful film, shot on location on the spare Scottish island of Foula, in the cold North Sea. Like Robert Flaherty's documentary of Irish islanders, "Man of Aran," made three years earlier, it tells the story of a dying way of life. But it was risky to mention Flaherty's film to Powell, who rejected comparisons: "He hasn't got a story," he tells a friend in his autobiography, "just a lot of waves and seaweed and pretty pictures. This is a Drama! an Epic! About people!" The inhabitants of Foula have supported themselves since time immemorial by fishing and by the wool from their prized sheep herds. Now modern trawlers are grabbing the fishing market, and it is time for these rugged islanders to weigh their future. Should they move to the mainland? The story involves two young men, Andrew and Robbie, and Robbie's twin sister, Ruth. Ruth and Andrew are engaged to be wed. The two men and their fathers stand on opposite sides of the question of evacuating the island, and there is a "parliament" at which all the island men sit in a circle and discuss the issue. Andrew and Robbie decide to settle it more simply: They will have a race to the top of a 1,300-foot-high sea cliff.

One is killed, which leads to the estrangement of the two families, and more complications when it becomes evident that Ruth is pregnant. But the story is not told as ham-handed melodrama; all of the characters respect one another, and the daily struggle to win a living from the hard land has made them stalwart and brave.

Watching the movie, I made a note about Powell's extraordinary closeups of faces. Then in his book I found he went to extraordinary lengths, when money and time were running out, to get those closeups, many shot from small boats in rising seas: "Why didn't I trick these shots in the studio? It was the faces. Islanders have an inner strength and repose that other men and women do not have, and it shows in their faces." The film's location shooting creates a palpable sense of the time and place. No set designer would dare build a church as small as the one on Foula, where the congregation crams in shoulder to shoulder, and inches separate the first pew from the pulpit (one parishioner tells the dour preacher about his sermon, "One hour and 15 minutes. Let them beat that in Edinburgh if they can!"). Small touches, like a kitten in an old lady's lap, and chickens foraging for their dinner in farmyards, seem unplanned.

The reception of this film allowed Powell to sign a contract with Alexander Korda , then the most powerful British producer, and soon Powell would begin his long association with the screenwriter Emeric Pressburger (they signed their productions "The Archers," and their trademark was an arrow striking a bull's-eye). Their films together made glorious use of Technicolor and theatricality, so striking that the opening credits of Kenneth Branagh's new " Love's Labour's Lost " pay obvious homage to them.

This first "serious" film by Powell doesn't seem to predict his career. You can't imagine the maker of this film going on to make "The Red Shoes." What it does show, though, is a voluptuous regard for visual images. The cliff-climbing scenes are especially dramatic, and, watching them, I realized that in most climbing scenes the climbers seem heroic. Here they seem tiny and endangered. It is the cliff that seems heroic, and that is probably the right way around.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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The Edge Of The World

• Blu-ray edition reviewed by Chris Galloway
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When the skipper of a tourist yacht (Niall MacGinnis), lands reluctantly on the remote shores of Hirta - the now-deserted Hebridean island of his birth - he is overwhelmed by memories from a time before its evacuation. A powerful story of love, rivalry and survival against the harsh elemental realities of island life and an ever-encroaching modernity,  The Edge of the World  is the first independent production by legendary British director Michael Powell.

Picture 6/10

Extras 8/10

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Edge of the World Parent Guide

This strange but true period of history is depicted with levels of historically accurate violence but also with messages that resonate today..

Digital on Demand: Explorer and naturalist James Brooke landed in Borneo in 1839 with a goal of cataloguing the island's plants and animals. He wound up as its ruler, known to history as the White Rajah.

Release date June 4, 2021

Run Time: 104 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kirsten hawkes.

Truth, as the saying goes, is stranger than fiction. Especially when it comes to the history of Sarawak, now part of the Asian country of Malaysia. This northern region of the island of Borneo was once ruled by an Englishman known as the White Rajah, whose dynasty governed until the Second World War.

Edge of the World opens in 1839 at the beginning of the Victorian era. Having used his inheritance to buy a ship with defensive cannons, explorer and naturalist James Brooke (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) has just arrived in Borneo, where he plans to study the local flora and fauna. But Brooke’s attempts to ensure the cooperation of the local rulers, Prince Makhota (Bront Palarae) and Prince Bedruddin (Samo Rafael), draw him - and his cannons - into local conflicts with rebels and pirates. Soon, Brooke is indispensable to the safety of the islanders, and he reaps the rewards that come with his success.

Not surprisingly, a movie set in this time and place comes with a boatload of negative content. The chief issue is regular doses of extreme, bloody violence that push it well into Restricted territory. Severed heads show up frequently, people are stabbed and decapitated and their butchered corpses are left in plain sight. People are also mutilated out of revenge or as a warning to enemies. This is a movie that will not let viewers forget that war is brutal and that the thirst for power and vengeance often exacts a terrible price.

Gore aside, Edge of the World is an intriguing look at a little known historical period. The film is well produced and Jonathan Rhys Meyers delivers a believable portrayal of James Brooke. The production’s first half, as Brooke establishes himself in Sarawak is more compelling than the second, particularly when he becomes delirious with fever and struggles to cope with the perils around him.

This is a fascinating film to watch from the vantage point of 2021. As the legacy of colonialism is examined more closely and critically, Brooke stands out as a distinctive figure. Born in India under English rule, he is deeply skeptical of Britain’s imperial goals. Although he is appalled by routine decapitations, he is overall respectful of local culture and unwilling to turn Sarawak into a British colony. As he says, “If I rule as the British do, I become the man I’ve spent my life trying to escape.”

Brooke’s determination to protect his people does turn him into a White Savior figure, but given the era in which he lives, it’s certainly better than the alternative. History is full of white colonizers; it’s good to see a European who isn’t motivated by a desire for conquest. At the same time, it offers a glimpse at a how history could have unfolded had more men of Brooke’s time chosen to reject imperial dogma and respect the cultures and autonomy of the people they encountered.

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Kirsten hawkes, watch the trailer for edge of the world.

Edge of the World Rating & Content Info

Why is Edge of the World rated Not Rated? Edge of the World is rated Not Rated by the MPAA

Violence: Men are surrounded, and spears are pointed at them. Severed heads are seen hanging in a hut: a man asks how long they have to be smoked and is told until the eyes melt. A bloody corpse is seen tied to a tree. A man’s head is cut off and given as a gift. There’s mention of brutality in India, people being blown apart by cannons. Men are attacked with arrows; some are killed. Canons are fired at a wooden fort. A chicken is shown being killed; blood drips down. A man finds a corpse with tied hands floating in the river. A man’s fingers are cut off (off screen) he is seen with bloody bandages. A dead, mutilated corpse is seen in a canoe. Three people are attacked with knives while asleep: they are shown covered in blood as they try to fight back. Attackers set a house on fire. A person deliberately sets a fire to kill attackers. A bloody head is held on a pike and shown to family members. A woman is shown with a bandaged head after her ears are cut off (not shown). Corpses are seen hanging upside down in a cave. A battle scene sees people attacked with swords. A man holds the severed head of someone he has defeated. Sexual Content: Men’s buttocks are visible in the customary dress of their tribes. A father mentions that his daughters can have sex prior to marriage. There’s mention of an illegitimate pregnancy. A woman tells a man that another man loves him. A man strokes another man’s chest. A man and woman have sex: their bare backs are visible. A man mentions eating a bull’s genitals. A man is briefly seen asleep in a bed with two sleeping women. A dying man professes his love for another man. Profanity: There are a handful of terms of deity and minor curse words. An Englishman twice uses the “n word” to describe the people of Sarawak. Alcohol / Drug Use: Men drink rice wine and appear slightly tipsy. People drink wine at dinner.

Page last updated October 2, 2021

Edge of the World Parents' Guide

For more information about Brooke and his dynasty, you can read the following articles:

Wikipedia: James Brooke

Wikipedia: White Rajahs

What do you think of Brooke’s rule over Sarawak? Do you think the people of Sarawak would have been better off under their original rulers or do you think received some benefits from Brooke’s administration?

James Brooke definitely fits the White Savior template. How does the White Savior trope play out in our era? Do you think it is a problem or not?

Wikipedia: White savior

Medium: Holding up the Mirror: Recognizing and Dismantling the “White Savior Complex”

Sojourners: 6 Harmful Consequences of the White Savior Comples

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The natural wonders of Borneo continue to inspire people today. Born to Be Wild is a documentary about the rescue of orphaned elephants and orangutans in the jungles of Borneo.

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What Going to Disney Taught Me About Disney Video Games Part 4 – Hollywood Studios’ Galaxy’s Edge and STAR WARS OUTLAWS

Before joining us for the end of our Level Up! journey through Walt Disney World and Disney video games with Part 4, make sure you read the previous installments first. Part 1 explains why Disney hosted us at the parks and began our trip at the Magic Kingdom to learn about Disney Dreamlight Valley. Part 2 explores our time at the Animal Kingdom’s Pandora – The World of Avatar learning about the video game Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. And Part 3 races through EPCOT to see why the free-to-play Disney Speedstorm is a winner.

Star Wars Outlaws

The upcoming Star Wars Outlaws will be the first-ever open world game set in the galaxy far, far away . It takes place between The Empire Strikes Back  and Return of the Jedi . Players will visit planets both infamous and new as a smuggler trying to establish themselves in the underworld. And while it was the only Level Up! game no one has actually played, it was also the easiest to understand why being at Disney was the single best way to promote it.

Our final full day at Walt Disney World brought us to Hollywood Studios to experience Galaxy’s Edge. It is simply the most immersive, complete, and incredible amusement park land I have ever experienced.

As a dedicated Star Wars fan who has also spent many years writing about the franchise and this attraction, I couldn’t believe I was actually there. Then I couldn’t believe it actually exceeded my impossible expectations. I was in awe in every sense of the word. It’s like walking directly into a Star Wars movie. The level of detail, both big and small, is unlike anything else. Everywhere you look, both inside and out, there’s something to appreciate.

Galaxy Edge’s stores, especially Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities, feel like they actually exist as part of the market of distant planet. The restaurants, most notably Oga’s Cantina and Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo, are so authentic you expect to see Han Solo shooting someone at the next table. I could have spent all day just sitting in Galaxy’s Edge drinking green milk (better than the blue!) and that would have been enough for me.

Thankfully we did a lot more than that. (Like meeting the Mandalorian and Grogu. Grogu was the only character I nerd’ed out over during my time at Walt Disney World.) I know I’m not saying anything countless other Star Wars fans haven’t already learned, but Galaxy’s Edge has two rides that will blow any fan’s mind. They each left me, someone who never shuts up, speechless for different reasons. The first we went on was Smuggler’s Run.

The ride itself is super fun. It has you work as a team to steal something for Hondo Ohnaka. But it’s what precedes the actual ride that left me floored. Before you’re seated you walk into a replica Millennium Falcon . It’s one of the coolest places I have ever been, period. It was absolutely surreal and had me geeking out in ways I didn’t know I could.

Of course I sat down at the Dejarik table and pretended to be playing. How could you not!? How. Could. You. Not?

Then came the masterpiece: Rise of the Resistance. For a sentimental Star Wars fan it’s the most hypnotic ride at any of the four Walt Disney World parks, but you don’t have to know Andor from Endor to appreciate it. If you’ve never ridden it don’t watch any videos about it. Wait–hard as it might be—until you experience it in person. That’s what I did and I am so very happy I did. There’s nothing like it for reasons I refuse to spoil.

What I will say is that when Rise of the Resistance (which celebrates two of my favorite Star Wars  traditions: terrible security and daring escapes ) ended I couldn’t find any words to convey how I felt. My hosts asked what I thought and all I could do was stare at them in silent wonder. I simply couldn’t believe that ride was real. I felt the exact same way the second time I rode it.

If Star Wars Outlaws captures even a tiny fraction of the feeling and joy Galaxy’s Edge gave me, I am going spend a whole lot of time in front of my TV working as a smuggler in the galaxy far, far away.

I wasn’t planning to do that before Disney invited me to Orlando, which is exactly the reason they did.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist who is not exaggerating about Rise of the Resistance leaving him speechless. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike . And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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