Movie review
April 14, 2023 · 111 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die.
Woke representation / casting
Gay king and male lover prominently featured with intimate on-screen scenes
Woke political dialogue
Dialogue frames homosexuality as sin requiring atonement through war and Christian rule
Identity-driven story themes
Aethelstan's homosexuality drives key motivations in his arc and political actions
Western institutional / cultural critique
Historical Christian guilt over homosexuality shown as period mindset
Woke character or canon changes
Explicitly confirms hinted sexuality from source books
Review
The movie follows Uhtred of Bebbanburg and his allies as they fight through power struggles, betrayals, and battles to unite the fractured English kingdoms under Aethelstan after King Edward's death. It serves as the action-packed finale to the long-running historical drama series. The narrative features a prominent gay relationship for King Aethelstan, including on-screen intimacy and his Christian guilt over it shaping his drive for conquest and unification.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Social media and forum backlash over forced gay propaganda by Netflix
Creator track record context
Writer defended LGBTQ inclusion following series diversity elements
Production
