Maxine Peake’s “powerful” historical drama lands new UK streaming home

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The 2018 historical film Peterloo, featuring Maxine Peake and Rory Kinnear, is now available on a new streaming service in the UK. Directed and written by Mike Leigh, the movie tells the story of the Peterloo Massacre of 1819. This tragic event saw government forces violently suppress a peaceful demonstration in Manchester’s St Peter’s Square, leading to 18 deaths and many injuries.

The film debuted at the Venice Film Festival and was also shown at the BFI London Film Festival in 2018, receiving generally mixed to positive feedback from critics.

If you’re interested in a dramatic and impactful film about a significant event in British history, Peterloo is once again available to stream on Prime Video, having been added back to the platform this weekend.

The movie centers on a working-class family – Joseph, his mother Nellie, and father Joshua – who get involved in a campaign for changes to Parliament and the right to vote. At the time, this right was not granted to working-class men, middle-class men, or women.

The film Peterloo features Rory Kinnear as Henry ‘Orator’ Hunt, a key activist who championed the rights of working-class people and played a significant role in the events leading up to the protest and tragic violence.

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The historical drama has received generally positive reviews, earning a 67% score on Rotten Tomatoes. NPR praised it as a beautifully acted and visually impressive film, fitting seamlessly into the director’s broader exploration of British history and society.

Both The New York Times and The Guardian praised Peterloo, calling it a brilliant, demanding, and passionate film, as well as richly intelligent.

Both Sight & Sound and Vulture praised the film. Sight & Sound described it as a strong and direct response for those who have been silenced, while Vulture declared the final act to be the most intensely emotional and impactful work in Mike Leigh’s career.

Critics who didn’t love Peterloo pointed out that Leigh’s directing focused more on teaching the historical context than creating compelling art, and that the characters weren’t developed enough, according to a review on RogerEbert.com.

Critics have noted that Leigh often prioritizes delivering a message over developing compelling characters. According to The New Yorker, he gets so caught up in his speeches that his characters feel underdeveloped. Similarly, The Austin Chronicle pointed out a tendency to present many characters who lack depth, suggesting this approach might be more effective with fewer, more fully realized figures.

Peterloo is streaming on Prime Video in the UK.

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2026-04-21 19:31