The Last King of Scotland

After finishing medical school, a young Scottish doctor named Nicholas Garrigan heads to Uganda hoping for excitement. He finds himself in a country convulsed by upheaval as the aging government collapses and a flamboyant military figure rises to power. Drawn by a chance of trust, Garrigan becomes Idi Amin's personal physician, moving from village clinics to palace corridors. What begins as a glamorous opportunity quickly spirals into a dangerous maze, where loyalty, ethics, and the doctor's own thriving ego are tested against Amin's volatile rule. The story follows Garrigan's perspective as ordinary medicine collides with extraordinary brutality, exposing the seductive charm of power and the costs paid by those in its orbit.

Directed by Kevin Macdonald, The Last King of Scotland adapts Giles Foden's novel with a screenplay by Jeremy Brock and Peter Morgan. The 2006 drama blends intimate, character driven scenes with dense political context, and was produced on a modest budget of about $6 million.

Globally, the film earned about 48.6 million dollars against a 6 million dollar budget, signaling strong reception for a historical drama. Its solid box office helped elevate a tightly focused biographical tale to mainstream audiences and demonstrated broad international appeal.

Forest Whitaker earned the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal. The film drew attention from critics and award bodies alike, highlighting its intense study of power and the moral strain on a physician caught in Idi Amin's regime.

Forest Whitaker's performance entered popular culture as one of the defining depictions of Idi Amin, drawing attention to Uganda's history and to the dangers of charismatic tyranny. The film sparked discussions about colonial attitudes and the complicity of outsiders in abusive regimes, and remains a reference point in debates about political biopics and the ethics of representing real figures. Its stark moral questions linger after the credits.