Synopsis
Living in the slum of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle for 10-year-old Phiona and her family. Her world changes one day when she meets Robert Katende, a missionary who teaches children how to play chess.
Scores
Overall Score
72.5
Popularity Percentile (Year)
67.8%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
70.6%
Review Aggregate
86.2
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is largely positive, with 94% of 188 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize uplifting, character-driven, historical. Most critics frame the film as an effective delivery of its core style and intent.
upliftingcharacter-drivenhistoricalemotionalrealisticlightheartedfamily-friendlygrittycoming of agevisually striking
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Oyelowo | 2016 | $1,857,000 | $2,427,000 | (est) |
| Lupita Nyong'o | 2016 | $1,143,000 | $1,494,000 | (est) |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score94.0
RT critic review count188
Rotten Tomatoes audience score86.0
RT audience rating count5,000
IMDb rating7.4
IMDb votes19,586
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 2016 | $8,874,389 | $11,599,566 |
| International | 2016 | $1,492,772 | $1,951,177 |
| Worldwide | 2016 | $10,367,161 | $13,550,743 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 2016 | $5,034,303 | $6,580,254 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 2016 | $3,467,000 | $4,531,658 |
| Digital Purchases ? | 2016 | $3,535,000 | $4,620,540 |
| Physical Rentals ? | 2016 | $3,044,000 | $3,978,762 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 2016 | $8,590,000 | $11,227,846 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 2016 | $2,129,853 | $2,783,896 |
| Total Revenues | 2016 | $25,800,157 | $33,722,955 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 2016 | $15,000,000 | $19,606,250 |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 2016 | $9,849,000 (est) | $12,873,464 (est) |
| Participations | 2016 | $516,000 | $674,455 |
| Residuals ? | 2016 | $1,171,000 | $1,530,595 |
| Interest & Overhead | 2016 | $3,000,000 | $3,921,250 |
| Total Expenses | 2016 | $29,536,000 | $38,606,013 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 2016 | $-3,735,843 | $-4,883,059 |
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 | Ford v Ferrari | 2019 | Shared genres: 4 | 96.0 | $-20,000,191 |
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 | The Blind Side | 2009 | Shared genres: 4 | 92.0 | $158,567,924 |
 | The Fighter | 2010 | Shared genres: 4 | 91.8 | $57,534,301 |
 | Rush | 2013 | Shared genres: 4 | 91.4 | $429,277 |