This was an incredible movie. It does not hide the brutal realities of life as an African farmer. As someone who was born and raised in the continent, I can tell you that everything is legit. They even went the extra mile and incorporated the local language into the majority of the dialogue instead of having it be all in English. This is a powerful and inspirational film. I highly recommend it.
214 Reviews
A great movie based on the book wrote by The real life man
MaryKathleenSpangenberg2 March 2019
Ignore the review that says the story is not true. The book is an autobiography and the movie has Michael speaking at the end. There is pretty much massive amounts of documentation verifying his education. He went to school, several in fact, including Dartmouth and worked for varied non profits.
I am sure the movie might be a tad Hollywoodized as the "based on" ones all usually are but does not detract from this great Netflix film or facts.
I am sure the movie might be a tad Hollywoodized as the "based on" ones all usually are but does not detract from this great Netflix film or facts.
A film that is about something and makes you care about the people
ron-newbold12 September 2020
As someone who was born in Zambia, grew up in Zimbabwe and lived in the short-lived Central African Federation of those 2 countries plus Malawi, this film meant a great deal. It felt and sounded very authentic, the characters spoke and behaved like real people facing problems that make many of ours (speaking as an Australian) seem minor in comparison. Like how to get a decent if elementary education and avoiding the lure of ready cash at the expense of the environment and future agricultural productivity. When you have to sell the tin roofing of your house and replace it with thatch. Beautifully filmed, acted and directed.
Loved every moment of this film
SarahJaneHeath2 March 2019
What a great movie - powerful acting, cinematography and story line. Heartwarming, powerful and emotional - it brought tears of sadness and joy! Thoroughly recommend.
This is the kind of film awards were made for. I hope it wins many.
This is the kind of film awards were made for. I hope it wins many.
An outstanding Oscar-worthy film about an incredible true-story.
Top_Dawg_Critic18 March 2019
Wow, what a refreshing change from all the Hollywood blockbusters! A true-story about the real-life William Kamkwamba's determination to save his village from starvation.
This film was perfect in every aspect. Chiwetel Ejiofor hit this one out of the ball-park with his directing (debut), writing (debut), and acting.
The entire setting/visuals were incredible and the cinematography could not have been any better. The sound/score perfect. The young Maxwell Simba as William was stellar in his first ever acting role. The entire cast was excellent.
I'm not a fan of slow paced or long movies, by the 113 mins just flew by as I was in such awe with the story, visuals and acting.
I sure hope this film is nominated for the 2020 Oscars in many categories. This is one of those must-see rare gems that will open people eyes on how great we all have it in the modern world - unable to decide which iPhone to buy, while others are struggling to eat.
See this film, it will move you... it's outstanding! A perfect well deserved 10/10 from me.
Again, WOW.
This film was perfect in every aspect. Chiwetel Ejiofor hit this one out of the ball-park with his directing (debut), writing (debut), and acting.
The entire setting/visuals were incredible and the cinematography could not have been any better. The sound/score perfect. The young Maxwell Simba as William was stellar in his first ever acting role. The entire cast was excellent.
I'm not a fan of slow paced or long movies, by the 113 mins just flew by as I was in such awe with the story, visuals and acting.
I sure hope this film is nominated for the 2020 Oscars in many categories. This is one of those must-see rare gems that will open people eyes on how great we all have it in the modern world - unable to decide which iPhone to buy, while others are struggling to eat.
See this film, it will move you... it's outstanding! A perfect well deserved 10/10 from me.
Again, WOW.
Really good
Gordon-112 March 2019
This film tells the story of a young boy who saves his village from starvation.
The film is well made. The story is gripping and heartbreaking. The scene where people chase a food truck reminds me how incredibly fortunate I am. Acting is very strong, and the production is very good too. I enjoyed watching this, though the story is hard to watch.
The film is well made. The story is gripping and heartbreaking. The scene where people chase a food truck reminds me how incredibly fortunate I am. Acting is very strong, and the production is very good too. I enjoyed watching this, though the story is hard to watch.
Kept My Attention
deanuc17 March 2019
"Slow" movies put me to sleep, and I usually turn them off after ten or fifteen minutes. I found the characters compelling enough for me to "hang in there". I think the absence of the usual Hollywood cliche's and techniques kept my attention, also. The story itself is worth your time, but the attitudes and customs from a side of the world I have had very little contact with was quite educational. I would recommend seeing this movie. For me, it was enlightening. I would think there is something in there for you.
Powerful, real and moving....
iampeaceful3 March 2019
Incredible heart wrenching powerful family movie. This to me was gut wrenching and sad but in the end beautifully written about a boy whom saved his family. I cried lots but I also felt relief. This story humbled me and made me realize that I too need to be grateful daily for those around our world have less but make the best out of each day. Incredibly written and told. I am so glad Netflix had this incredible, well written story.
All should view this and take a step back to see we can do more for others.
All should view this and take a step back to see we can do more for others.
Good but a bit too long
pinkpab8 January 2020
We all know how the movie is going to end, whether because we know the true story behind it, or because we have read the title.
In my opinion, the time it takes to reach the final scenes before the ending is too long. Some scenes could be shortened or just eliminated.
In the top 5 movies list that i have watched in the last 54 years.
david-161-283903 March 2019
I have just copied what another reviewer stated verbatum because it was perfectly phrased and exactly my thoughts:
"This film is absolutely great, and I recommend everyone to just watch it right now on Netflix. This needs to be seen and supported. It is full of interesting and powerful themes that are rarely portrayed like this in cinema, and teaches a lot of important lessons without ever being preachy about it. It's one of these based on a true story movies that are actually really good and achieve what they are going for, and also match the importance and beauty of the real tale.
All of the acting, the cinematography, the score, and the directing are working so well together, which makes for an excellent watching experience, and one that will actually stick with you for a bit.
Please give The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind a chance."
All of the acting, the cinematography, the score, and the directing are working so well together, which makes for an excellent watching experience, and one that will actually stick with you for a bit.
Please give The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind a chance."
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind review
JoeytheBrit28 June 2020
An earnest account of how one 13-year-old boy rescued his African village from drought by harnessing windpower to operate an irrigation system. A rather dry subject (pun not intended) which is filled out with a large amount of backstory regarding the boy's home life and sometimes difficult relationship with his father. Both Chiwetel Ejiofor and Maxwell Simba give strong performances as father and son. Ejiofor also writes and directs.
This movie will make you think about it!
mjdevries3 March 2019
Absolutely a great movie!
However, be aware. This title is not suitable for 'watching an ordinary movie on an ordinary night'. Because it will let you thinking about it.
First, it will make you realize how fortunate you probably are - just as I am. I'm born in the same year as this kid (being the late 80's), but here in Western-Europe, I didn't had to fight in order to get to school or to beat other people in order to get my food. But what did I do to deserve this?
Secondly, it will probably let you think about the boy's invention which is so strong in it's simplicity and yet so life-saving. It will almost make you want to buy at least 1000 dynamo's and sent them to Malawi.
And thirdly, it will make you realize how the characters were just acting like human beings - even his dad. It's so easy to say, at least here in Western-Europe, that those people in Africa shouldn't come here to our continent because who knows what they will do - and so we build walls and let them drown at sea. But this just makes us very similar as the person who wants to become president in this movie. Maybe not even different at all.
Because in the years when the events of this movie were taken place (being 2001/2002), people in Western-Europe were more interested in watching MTV, Friends and the latest news on Afghanistan, while no one heard of Malawi and what happened over there. Now, 17/18 years later, Chiwetel Ejiofo confronts us with it.
Movies like these are exactly what this earth needs.
However, be aware. This title is not suitable for 'watching an ordinary movie on an ordinary night'. Because it will let you thinking about it.
First, it will make you realize how fortunate you probably are - just as I am. I'm born in the same year as this kid (being the late 80's), but here in Western-Europe, I didn't had to fight in order to get to school or to beat other people in order to get my food. But what did I do to deserve this?
Secondly, it will probably let you think about the boy's invention which is so strong in it's simplicity and yet so life-saving. It will almost make you want to buy at least 1000 dynamo's and sent them to Malawi.
And thirdly, it will make you realize how the characters were just acting like human beings - even his dad. It's so easy to say, at least here in Western-Europe, that those people in Africa shouldn't come here to our continent because who knows what they will do - and so we build walls and let them drown at sea. But this just makes us very similar as the person who wants to become president in this movie. Maybe not even different at all.
Because in the years when the events of this movie were taken place (being 2001/2002), people in Western-Europe were more interested in watching MTV, Friends and the latest news on Afghanistan, while no one heard of Malawi and what happened over there. Now, 17/18 years later, Chiwetel Ejiofo confronts us with it.
Movies like these are exactly what this earth needs.
If we build it, water will come
kevin c28 April 2019
Movie night with Gertie.
Accomplished directorial debut from Ejiofor. It works on many levels - a coming-of-age tale, an eco-fable; and ingenuity to overturn a disaster.
The storyline is predictable, but it's a deeper tale of the relationships between the family members. It is grim stuff at times, even though we all know how the film will end. This is good stuff.
Accomplished directorial debut from Ejiofor. It works on many levels - a coming-of-age tale, an eco-fable; and ingenuity to overturn a disaster.
The storyline is predictable, but it's a deeper tale of the relationships between the family members. It is grim stuff at times, even though we all know how the film will end. This is good stuff.
Everything but harnessing the wind...
danield1010113 July 2022
OK, I'm not a typical viewer -- but as a scientist and engineer, I wanted to see the story of a boy figuring out how to make a working electrical system from scrap. But every time we see William start to think about anything involving engineering, we immediately jump to some other place in the story. One has the impression that whoever wrote the script hated science class and doesn't ever want to think about how anything works. It's fine to tell the story of the drought and its impact on the town, but the two stories should run in parallel, with us learning with William as he figures out how to make a working wind-driven pump. In (film making) technical terms, the first act lasts almost the whole movie -- we spend the whole time setting up the problem and the solution then appears by magic. Disappointing.
A beautiful film that has the power to match its own story.
Dev19991 March 2019
This film is absolutely great, and I recommend everyone to just watch it right now on Netflix. This needs to be seen and supported.
It is full of interesting and powerful themes that are rarely portrayed like this in cinema, and teaches a lot of important lessons without ever being preachy about it. It's one of these based on a true story movies that are actually really good and achieve what they are going for, and also match the importance and beauty of the real tale.
All of the acting, the cinematography, the score, and the directing are working so well together, which makes for an excellent watching experience, and one that will actually stick with you for a bit.
Please give The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind a chance.
All of the acting, the cinematography, the score, and the directing are working so well together, which makes for an excellent watching experience, and one that will actually stick with you for a bit.
Please give The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind a chance.
Perspective
khagen-898502 March 2019
Incredible film really; helps one see how truly blessed and how we have an abundance of everything we could ever want and/or need. Further illustrates how supporting each other and thinking of the greater good will propel us further as a people. And really redefined what the definition of hardship is. Life is hard in general but some individuals are dealing with issues that most don't have to think about.
Such a beautiful and powerful film
kitcatch10 April 2019
Chiwetel Ejiofor knew exactly what he was going for with this film. You knew there was a happy ending to this and it still beats you into an emotional pulp by the end. Terrific performances across the board, with an absolute gem from young Maxwell Simba. There are so many scenes in this that are powerful, heartbreaking, beautiful, and in one case, terrifying, that by the end you will be so invested and a little saddened that you can't help but be overjoyed when the predictable happiness finally arrives.
A Must See Movie
srigging6 March 2019
Impressed malawian
anyob5 March 2019
Great film. Shout out to William Kamkwamba and am glad the world gets to know about him and his greatness!! I'm particularly moved emotionally with how well the film depicts the sufferings of the early 2000's in Malawi. I'd also say bravo for the effort made by british and american actors to learn chichewa, though the pronunciations are generally below par, as expected from such actors. Nevertheless the effort to make the film truly malawian by filming in malawi, speaking chichewa, amazing cinematography, etc, shows a bravery and respect for the story.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
jboothmillard8 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I had heard the title of the film at some point, I didn't know anything about it previously, but I became interested when I heard it was the writing and directorial debut of actor Chiwetel Ejiofor. Basically, in Kasungu, Malawi, William Kamkwamba (introducing Maxwell Simba) is a young schoolboy who comes from a family of farmers who live in the nearby village of Wimbe. William has a talent for fixing radios for his friends and neighbours and spends his free time looking for salvageable electronic components in the local junkyard. Due to his parents being unable to pay his tuition fees, he is soon banned from attending school. William blackmails his science teacher (who is in a secret relationship with William's sister) into letting him continue attending his class and have access to the school's library. He starts reading a book called Using Energy and learns about electrical engineering and energy production. The village is hit by drought, causing the family's crops to fail, the resulting famine and devastation leads to riots over government rationing. William's family is also robbed of their already meagre grain stores. Soon people start abandoning the village, and William's sister marries his former teacher to leave her family with "one less mouth to feed". Seeking to save his village from the drought, William devises a plan to build a windmill, starting with a successful prototype. But to build a bigger windmill, William requires his father, Trywell (Chiwetel Ejiofor), to allow him to dismantle the family bicycle for parts, the only bicycle in the entire village and the family's last major asset. His father believes the plan to be futile and destroys the prototype, forcing William to toil in the fields. After William's dog dies of starvation and hope seems lost, William's mother, Agnes (Aïssa Maïga), intervenes and urges Trywell to reconsider. William and his father reconcile after William buries his dog. With the help of his friends and the few remaining members of the village, they build a full-size wind turbine, using blue gum trees and the dismantled bicycle. The windmill is successful, with the wind rotating the blades and bringing much needed water from the well and spreading it down constructed tubes to water the seeds and grow crops. In the end, the village are saved from starvation, and word of William's windmill spreads. He is awarded a scholarship to attend school, ultimately receiving a degree from Dartmouth College. Since then, William Kamkwamba has built a solar-powered water pump that supplies the first drinking water in his village and two other wind turbines. Also starring Lily Banda as Annie Kamkwamba, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's Joseph Marcell as Chief Wimbe, and Noma Dumezweni as Edith Sikelo. Newcomer Simba carries the film with his convicted performance as the boy who overcame school expulsion and parental mistrust to create a crop-saving wind turbine, and there is good support from Ejiofor as the strict father. The location filming and dialogue in Chichewa add to the authenticity, it has terrific cinematography and a good gentle score by Antonio Pinto, it is a refreshingly unpatronizing view of the challenges facing communities in 21st-century Africa and about the importance of education, a worthwhile drama based on a true story. Very good!
Inspirational and a breath of fresh air
kandiejiofor21 February 2019
Completely blown away by the artistry and skill of this film! As Ejiofor's directorial debut he has not failed us. He delivered a story which is heartwarming but let's not forget how much he's overcome; learning a new language, filming in Malawi, writing, directing and acting all at the same time- pure genius! Simba is a fantastic actor, quite frankly they all are! Can't wait to watch again and look forward to more, from all!
S T I L L
alirizaatan18 March 2021
It's a still movie. I was bored in most parts. More could be mentioned about the construction phase of the Wind Turbine. Chiwetel Ejiofor's acting is good, but I did not like the others. I think most of their high scores are due to the fact that the story is true. 1 hour 53 minutes is a lot of time for a movie like this. Again, what William has done is a great success. Congratulations.
Great Movie
onesunsetfound3 March 2019
Amazing story poorly executed
maccas-5636730 November 2019
Too slow. Takes over 80 minutes for anything to happen. Some films take 15-20 minutes at the start to set things up but this took 3/4 of the whole film.
I really felt for their plight and it was hard, frustrating and down right heartbreaking to watch. There were some tough scenes. But I just had trouble feeling invested. The slow pacing tested my patience and attention span, and I couldn't engage with the characters as much as I would've otherwise liked to.
The performances are good, and the story is an amazing tale, but the execution was off and I didn't buy it. I even felt guilty for snacking on chocolate while watching the famine unfold.
Falls short of being something truly remarkable. The story deserved something more. Bit of a disappointment.
I really felt for their plight and it was hard, frustrating and down right heartbreaking to watch. There were some tough scenes. But I just had trouble feeling invested. The slow pacing tested my patience and attention span, and I couldn't engage with the characters as much as I would've otherwise liked to.
The performances are good, and the story is an amazing tale, but the execution was off and I didn't buy it. I even felt guilty for snacking on chocolate while watching the famine unfold.
Falls short of being something truly remarkable. The story deserved something more. Bit of a disappointment.
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