Young Washington

Landing on 18th Century Grit: The First Ten Minutes

With remote in hand, channel surfing, and then finding ‘Young Washington’. What jumps out to you first? The channel selling itself with a historical drama that shows the man before the legend. Jon Erwin wastes no time showing us a world of breaking alliances and looming conflict. A world that in HD looks pretty sharp on Pikashow. William Franklyn-Miller steps into the role of George Washington, and first impressions show an honest, maybe a bit out of his depth soldier. The PG-13 rating shows war, and the film doesn’t neglect showing a bit of the war, and almost a bit of the truth and the French and Indian War. There's enough visual interest and the weight of history tolightly engage you. Enough to keep you from flipping to live cricket or watching the latest reality TV show. The beginning builds this sense of ambition for history, as a new focused leader showing us the beginning, and showing us his early failures and his, dare I say, the beautiful journey to success. It’s a good hook, focusing more on period and a talented central actor rather than cheap thrills to hold our interest.

Holding the Channel: Visuals, Pacing, and the Binge Pull

How well does ‘Young Washington’ hold your interest for its full 2h 1m runtime? In terms of streaming quality, it benefits from the HD format. Many critics praise the battle sequences for their satisfying, visceral impact. There is a commitment to historical accuracy, which shows in the set and period design. Overall, the actors seem to be acting with a high level of investment. The intent is clear to give a more complex view of Washington, revealing some of his early military missteps rather than showing a larger than life and untouchable figure. This intent to show the various layers of an iconic figure is this film’s greatest quality. There are some issues with the film, of course. For some critics, the story balances on the brink of being ‘stolid’ and slow, like a historical mini-series. The pacing is plodding during these sections and is a hinderance to the overall impact of the film, but during the action sequences and in the setting, the sound mixing is excellent and helps to build the time and place. There are, however, a few scenes that take you out of the movie since they are unrealistic. In these instances, the acting is anachronistic. This film draws you in to watch it, but at a more measured and controlled pace than other films. This film encourages you to take your time and appreciate the layers it peels back on its subject, but ultimately a rewarding slower watch is preferred to an impulsive binge.

Keep or Flip? The Final Call

Does ‘Young Washington’ fare better after two hours against the siren song of live sports or breaking news? Well, it appears as if there were few, if any, defections in the audience. With mostly positive audience reviews, and a tremendous recommendation ratio, the audience seemed to gravitate towards the patriotic yet practical nature of the film, and specifically, the focus on Washington’s tragedies and his early constructive failures. Although there was more mixed critical reception, with some citing the film’s earnestness, but eventual dullness, others simply cited the school-like patriotism evoked and the film’s watchability. This is not a scandalous, edge-of-your seat historical epic, but in the film’s defense, it does achieve what it sets out to do, which is showcase a more intimate portrayal of our Commander in Chief. So, if you’re more interested in character-driven portrayals of historical figures, which tend to lean a little more toward the conversation-centric than the action-oriented, then ‘Young Washington’ might just be the film for you. The film is incredibly substantive, and gives historical dramas a great name, in spite of its well-documented scenic lack of fast-paced action. It’s definitely more of an evolution of reality TV than the alternative, action-driven live cricket. Overall, it’s a solid addition to the Pikashow library.