At an isolated frontier outpost, a colonial magistrate suffers a crisis of conscience when an army colonel arrives looking to interrogate the locals about an impending uprising, using cruel tactics that horrify the magistrate.
Waiting for the Barbarians (2020) is a drama and history film directed by Ciro Guerra, released on July 30, 2020 with a runtime of 1h 52m. It stars Mark Rylance, Johnny Depp, Robert Pattinson and Gana Bayarsaikhan. Viewers rate it 5.9 out of 10 across 400 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Waiting for the Barbarians before you stream it.
Mark Rylance
as The Magistrate
Johnny Depp
as Colonel Joll
Robert Pattinson
as Officer Mandel
Gana Bayarsaikhan
as The Girl
Greta Scacchi
as Mai
David Dencik
as The Clerk
Sam Reid
as The Lieutenant
Harry Melling
as Garrison Soldier #4
Bill Milner
as Garrison Soldier #5
Gursed Dalkhsuren
as Old Prisoner
Tserendagva Purevdorj
as Old Barbarian
Hami Belal
as Joll's Man #1
Directed by Ciro Guerra, written by Ciro Guerra and J.M. Coetzee, produced by Olga Segura-Gall, Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi.
Average viewer score of 5.9/10 from 400 ratings.
Adapted by Nobel Prize winning author J.M. Coetzee from his own book, “Waiting for the Barbarians” is a timely screen retelling of the darkest (and most the most cruel) aspects of colonialism. This period film sadly reflects issues many are dealing with in present day: a society that’s relentless in its quest to oppress “the other.” An isolated frontier settlement on the border of an unnamed empire sets the stage…
Reviewed on August 31, 2020
In Waiting for the Barbarians' Colonel Joll, Johnny Depp has crafted a great movie villain. I would describe him as either a colonial Darth Vader or a proto-Nazi – and concerning the latter, the character is a textbook illustration of Hannah Arendt's 'banality of evil;' perfectly circumspect, not a single hair out of place, not a single wasted motion. Depp plays the Colonel inwardly; his eyes invariably covered by…
Reviewed on August 25, 2022
Despite a strong cast, this is really rather a dirge of a watch. Sir Mark Rylance is the colonial magistrate in a frontier province that inspecting "Col. Joll" (Johnny Depp) believes is about to bear the brunt of an attack from the eponymous enemy. Despite there only appearing to be sheep farmers adjacent to their fortified town, he proceeds to indulge in a little torture before heading off to investigate some…
Reviewed on February 26, 2023
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Waiting for the Barbarians (2020) is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of Waiting for the Barbarians (2020) includes Mark Rylance, Johnny Depp, Robert Pattinson, Gana Bayarsaikhan and Greta Scacchi. The film was directed by Ciro Guerra. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Waiting for the Barbarians was released on July 30, 2020 and runs for 1h 52m.
Waiting for the Barbarians (2020) holds an average rating of 5.9 out of 10 from 400 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama and history films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Waiting for the Barbarians trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
