Young Washington opens in theaters on July 3, 2026 — the most perfectly timed release date in recent Hollywood history, arriving just as America kicks off its 250th anniversary celebrations. The Angel Studios film follows a 23-year-old George Washington (William Franklyn-Miller) through the bloody battlefields of the French and Indian War, tracing the failures and hard lessons that shaped the man who would become the nation’s first president. The verdict: it’s earnest, patriotic, occasionally rousing — and far too stodgy to match the significance of its subject.
At a Glance
| In theaters | July 3, 2026 |
| Distributor | Angel Studios |
| Director | Jon Erwin (I Can Only Imagine, Jesus Revolution) |
| Screenplay | Jon Erwin, Tom Provost, Diederik Hoogstraten |
| Cast | William Franklyn-Miller, Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, Kelsey Grammer, Mary-Louise Parker, Mia Rodgers |
| Runtime | 2 hrs 5 min |
| Rating | PG-13 |
| Premiered | Tribeca Festival, June 13, 2026 |
| InfoBrave score | ⭐⭐½ / 5 |
What Is Young Washington About?
Focusing narrowly on the 20-something George Washington, mostly set in 1755, the film centers on his involvement on the battlefields — both in success and defeat — during the French and Indian War.
Frustrated after the death of his father and stuck managing his family’s Mount Vernon farm instead of fulfilling his dream of being a British officer, young George is mentored by his older brother Lawrence and kept close to home helping his mother (Mary-Louise Parker) before ambition drives him toward military service.
After being rejected by the British army, he smartly insinuates himself with Lord Fairfax (Kelsey Grammer), who becomes his mentor. George manages to get himself commissioned as a major in the Virginia militia, albeit without pay, by Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie (Ben Kingsley), primarily because of his knowledge of the surrounding area. His military career initially doesn’t go so well, including leading his men into a disastrous battle resulting in many casualties.
The story then follows Washington’s transformation — from that humiliating early defeat through his eventual emergence as the leader he was destined to become. It’s a compelling premise. The execution is where the film stumbles.
What Works: The Battle Sequences and the Supporting Cast
Let’s give credit where it’s due.
Some of the scenes of 18th-century warfare are really immersive and intense. Director Jon Erwin clearly understands where to put a camera when the action begins. The Battle of Fort Necessity sequence and the subsequent French and Indian War engagements give the film genuine urgency — these are its best minutes and the primary argument for seeing it on a big screen rather than waiting for home release.
Fortunately, Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, Kelsey Grammer, and Mary-Louise Parker pop up from time to time to inject a bit of personality into the movie. Kingsley brings haughty colonial menace to Robert Dinwiddie. Kelsey Grammer plays a sort of 18th-century version of Frasier as Lord Fairfax — which sounds like a criticism but is actually one of the film’s more charming touches. Andy Serkis does what Andy Serkis does, bringing blustery authority to General Braddock. These veterans are fighting an uphill battle against the screenplay, but they make it watchable.
The movie serves as a great introduction to a period of history that few of us know very well. For audiences unfamiliar with Washington’s pre-Revolutionary War years — the youthful disasters, the colonial snobbery he navigated, the Indigenous alliances that shaped his worldview — there’s genuine educational value here, even if the delivery is dry.
What Doesn’t Work: The Lead Performance, the Script, and the AI
The problems with Young Washington stack up quickly.
William Franklyn-Miller plays the title icon as model-handsome and moody. That description says everything. Franklyn-Miller largely cuts a bland yet handsome profile. You buy him as a model, sure, but not as an eventual General. It’s not an awful performance — he’s simply miscast. The actor slips out of his accent noticeably throughout, and the script gives him declamatory dialogue that lands like a civic lesson rather than lived experience.
The plot drags and is simply boring. Director Erwin has a slack pacing that suggests he thinks we’d be far more engrossed in these developments than we are, as the movie runs past the two-hour mark.
The unmistakable, hideous generative AI throughout doesn’t help anything. Multiple critics and audience members flagged it independently. As dull as the movie already was, the use of generative AI throughout — confirmed by sitting through the entire credits — questioned every scene and ruined any credibility this otherwise uninspiring movie had.
For a film built around the integrity and moral clarity of America’s most mythologized Founding Father, the AI issue is particularly damaging. It’s the kind of shortcut that undermines exactly the earnestness the film is trying to project.
The Angel Studios Factor
Young Washington is impossible to review without acknowledging the studio behind it.
Young Washington is released by Angel Studios for the Fourth of July, intended as a bit of likably square, neo-traditional, right-wing-adjacent counterprogramming.
Director Jon Erwin’s consistent track record as a faith-based filmmaker is on full display, at one point insinuating that divine intervention protected George Washington in battle. It is admittedly somewhat light on pushing religion compared to some Angel Studios productions, but it makes sure to end with the usual pay-it-forward scheme to inflate box office numbers.
Angel Studios has built a genuine audience for faith-adjacent, patriotism-forward content — Sound of Freedom being their biggest success. Young Washington is squarely in that lane. If that’s your lane too, you’ll likely enjoy this more than the critical consensus suggests. If you come in expecting a nuanced, morally complex examination of Washington’s complicated legacy, you’ll leave disappointed.
Is ‘Young Washington’ Worth Seeing This Fourth of July?
It depends almost entirely on what you want from a July 4th movie.
Even if this movie feels like it more comfortably belongs on the History Channel instead of a wide summer break in theaters, it fills the bill for patriotism over this Fourth of July weekend.
Declamatory acting, cleanly stated motivations, and a few solidly staged battle sequences are the order of the day. That’s not a dismissal — it’s an accurate description of what’s on offer. Young Washington delivers exactly that, nothing more.
Watch it if:
- You want a family-friendly, patriotic movie for Independence Day weekend
- You’re genuinely curious about Washington’s pre-Revolutionary years and don’t mind a simplified telling
- You’re an Angel Studios fan who has enjoyed their previous releases
- Your kids are studying this period and you want to make history feel tangible
Skip it if:
- You want a genuinely gripping historical drama that matches the complexity of its subject
- The generative AI controversy bothers you as a matter of principle
- You’re expecting strong lead performance chemistry in the vein of the best biopics
- You want something that will linger in your memory past the holiday weekend
The bottom line: George Washington deserved better. Young Washington, at its best, is like the children’s biographies of historical figures — giving you barely the Cliff Notes version of the story. It’s watchable, occasionally stirring, and timed perfectly for the moment — but it never escapes the feeling of a civics lesson dressed up in period costume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I watch Young Washington?
Young Washington is in theaters now, released on July 3, 2026 by Angel Studios. Tickets are available on Fandango. A streaming or VOD release date has not yet been announced — Angel Studios typically releases their films to digital platforms several weeks after the theatrical run.
Who plays George Washington in the 2026 film?
George Washington is played by William Franklyn-Miller, a British actor who gained attention through social media before transitioning to film. He also appeared in Wuthering Heights 2026 as a supporting role. The casting of a British actor to play Washington has drawn some commentary from audiences.
Is Young Washington appropriate for kids?
Yes, with some caveats. The film is rated PG-13 and contains battlefield violence, some foul language, and references to slavery. Plugged In describes the PG-13 rating as relatively light overall. It is appropriate for older children and teens, and works well as an educational viewing experience for students studying early American history.
Is Young Washington historically accurate?
The film takes some liberties with history. It focuses narrowly on Washington’s early military career during the French and Indian War and sanitizes several aspects of the era — including the treatment of Indigenous peoples and the realities of colonial slavery. It’s best approached as a dramatized introduction to the period rather than a definitive historical account.
What is the runtime of Young Washington?
Young Washington runs 2 hours and 5 minutes.
Is Young Washington connected to Angel Studios’ other films?
Yes. Young Washington is produced and distributed by Angel Studios, the faith-adjacent studio behind Sound of Freedom and The Shift. Director Jon Erwin previously directed I Can Only Imagine and Jesus Revolution for similar faith-based audiences. The film reflects Angel Studios’ characteristic combination of patriotism, moral clarity, and inspirational storytelling.
Young Washington is in theaters now.
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