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In My Country

In My Country

A South African Story of Truth, Love and Reconcilliation

2004105 minRMidcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Director
John Boorman
Starring
Samuel L. Jackson, Juliette Binoche, Brendan Gleeson, Langley Kirkwood

An American reporter and an Afrikaans poet meet and fall in love while covering South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings.

Where to watch

Where can I watch In My Country?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists In My Country streaming on The Roku Channel (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about In My Country?

In My Country earns 3 badges, led by Guilty pleasure and Award Winner.

  • Reception
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is In My Country worth watching?

In My Country's Midcredits score is the 39th percentile of all films, from 4.1K ratings across 5 sources. 41% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

39th percentile

Better received than 39% of films

36th percentile among Drama38th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)39th
Approval (how many liked it)39th

58 /100

39th percentile of all films

36th percentile among Drama38th percentile among 2000s

Critics 44 · Audience 60

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.1 — solid but not unanimous.

41% liked it

39th percentile of all films

35th percentile among Drama37th percentile among 2000s
41% rated it 7–1059% rated it 1–6

Critics 23% · Audience 56%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 2 noms overall

63rd percentile

4.1K ratings across platforms

66th percentile among Drama55th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 2% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$12M
Opening weekend$22K
Domestic gross$164K
Worldwide gross$1.5M

Returned 0.1× its budget — 65th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film centers on South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, with a romantic subplot between two journalists.

Fans praised

  • powerful testimonies from TRC victims
  • thought-provoking exploration of forgiveness vs. justice
  • strong performances by Binoche and Jackson

Detractors panned

  • clunky, preachy dialogue
  • fake romance cheapens serious subject
  • flat, one-dimensional characters

What stands out

ActingDivisive68

Binoche and Jackson praised as compelling; detractors call Binoche miscast, Jackson sullen

AtmosphereDivisive60

effective sense of place and weight of history

Emotional impactDivisive55

moving TRC scenes for fans; manipulative and hollow for detractors

CharactersDivisive35

characters seen as wooden, one-dimensional, or poorly drawn

Plot and storyDivisive30

romantic subplot derails powerful TRC material

Originality30

formulaic Hollywood treatment of a unique historical event

DialogueDivisive25

overwritten, didactic, unnatural exchanges

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 9 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is In My Country like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something to think about afterwards.

It leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
TenseMelancholicCathartic
Heaviest: middle
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Melodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its subject matter relatively straight, aiming for solemnity and emotional weight, though the fictional romance and melodramatic side-story blunt its seriousness.
The rideThe hearings create sustained tension, while the personal stories add melancholy; catharsis comes from moments of truth and reconciliation.
StructureThe story follows a conventional arc: the journalists arrive, clash over the TRC, and are drawn together while uncovering the regime's crimes.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingDevastating · 3% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves the viewer contemplating the possibilities and limits of reconciliation after atrocity, while the harrowing testimonies linger.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Mystery
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% (this title) · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Investigation: A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).

7% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeWhile nominally a drama about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the film is driven by the journalists' investigation and exposure of the crimes of the apartheid regime, particularly Colonel de Jager.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsGuilt · 3% of filmsRedemption · 6% of films: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores whether justice can be achieved through truth and reconciliation in the aftermath of apartheid, and examines the personal guilt and need for redemption of both perpetrators and bystanders.
StanceThe film questions whether the Truth and Reconciliation process can truly heal the wounds of apartheid, presenting both hope and skepticism through its dual protagonists.

The world

Late 20th centuryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernFolkSupportive music · original score
SettingSouth Africa during the post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings

Content guide

Is In My Country okay for kids?

R

In My Country is rated R: “Rated R for language, including descriptions of atrocities, and for a scene of violence” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (83/100), sexual content at mild (33/100) and drug and alcohol content at moderate (56/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 2 other countries
  • Germany12
  • Sweden15
Overall
Intense · 3 of 5 categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Severe
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
too few votes to rank (3 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (6 votes across 3 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does In My Country have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in In My Country?

Cast

At least 2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Samuel L. Jackson
as Langston Whitfield
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Juliette Binoche
as Anna Malan
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Brendan Gleeson
as Col. de Jager
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Langley Kirkwood
as Boetie Malan
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Harriet Lenabe
as Albertina Sobandla
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Warona Seane
as Translator
Robert Hobbs
as Van Deventer
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Fiona Ramsay
as Felicia Rheinhardt
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Charley Boorman
as Adam Hartley
Aletta Bezuidenhout
as Elsa Malan
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

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What are movies like In My Country?

Movies like In My Country include Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013), The First Grader (2010) and Cry Freedom (1987). Of the 12 closest matches, most are political thrillers, and most are films set in sub-Saharan Africa.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

8 of these 12 share its world: political. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with In My Country?

1.1K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: political thriller. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.