Movie review
December 21, 2016 · 116 min · PG-13
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Assassin's Creed (2016) follows death-row inmate Callum Lynch, abducted by the modern Templar front Abstergo and plugged into the Animus to relive his ancestor Aguilar's memories as an Assassin in 1492 Spain during the Inquisition. He uncovers the ancient war over the Apple of Eden, an artifact that can strip humanity of free will, and must choose sides to stop the Templars' plan for total control. The narrative centers on a straightforward philosophical conflict between free will and authoritarian order with no identity politics, activist dialogue, or representation-focused themes visible to audiences. Casting and supporting roles align with the story's European historical setting and global Assassin brotherhood premise without emphasis or mismatch.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Assassin's Creed.
Woke representation / casting
Main leads (Fassbender as dual Spanish/Irish-descended roles, Cotillard, Irons) fit European historical and modern settings; supporting international descendants (e.g., Haitian, Chinese) match the global Assassin brotherhood premise with no audience-visible forcing or unearned identity-based dominance.
Woke political dialogue
Recurring discussion of free will versus Templar control ("nothing is true, everything is permitted") forms the story engine; this is philosophical sci-fi from the games, not modern activist slogans or identity framing.
Identity-driven story themes
Narrative drives on ancestral heritage, personal choice, and ancient war; zero central focus on race, gender, or identity as plot or character engines.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Templars depicted as elitist authoritarians suppressing free will for order; critique targets timeless control and domination without modern activist lenses like patriarchy, whiteness, capitalism, or colonial guilt.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant (original story in the Assassin's Creed universe; no alterations to game canon characters or events).
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No documented backlash claiming woke messaging, forced diversity, girlboss elements, or propaganda; criticism stayed on entertainment value.
Creator track record context
No relevant prior work by director, producer, or writers shows activist, identity-driven, or social-justice patterns.
Production
