''Edge of the World'' is an

adventure drama film An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, anima ...

directed by

Michael Haussman Michael Haussman is an American director, writer, and artist, living in Rome, Italy. Career Michael Haussman's music videos have won several awards, including six MTV Video Music Awards and a Museum of Modern Art Award. Past films include: ...

and starring

Jonathan Rhys Meyers Jonathan Rhys Meyers (born Jonathan Michael Francis O'Keeffe; 27 July 1977) is an Irish actor, model and musician. He is known for his roles in the films ''Michael Collins'' (1996), '' Velvet Goldmine'' (1998), ''Titus'' (1999), '' Bend It Like ...

as the British soldier and adventurer

James Brooke Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak (29 April 1803 – 11 June 1868), was a British soldier and adventurer who founded the Raj of Sarawak in Borneo. He ruled as the first White Rajah of Sarawak from 1841 until his death in 1868. Brooke was b ...

(1803–1868), the first

White Rajah The White Rajahs were a dynastic monarchy of the British Brooke family, who founded and ruled the Raj of Sarawak, located on the north west coast of the island of Borneo, from 1841 to 1946. The first ruler was Briton James Brooke. As a reward ...

Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...

. The film also features

Atiqah Hasiholan use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates ...

Dominic Monaghan Dominic Bernard Patrick Luke Monaghan (born 8 December 1976) is a British actor. He is best known for playing Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck in Peter Jackson's film trilogy ''The Lord of the Rings'' (2001–2003), and Charlie Pace on J. J. Abram ...

Hannah New Hannah New (born 13 May 1984) is an English actress. She is known for her starring role on the television show '' Black Sails'' in which she plays Eleanor Guthrie, the owner of a saloon in Nassau, and also for her role as Rosalinda Fox in ''Th ...

, and

Josie Ho Josephine "Josie" Ho Chiu-yi (; born 26 December 1974) is a singer and actress from Hong Kong. She is the daughter of the Macao casino magnate Stanley Ho. Acting career She has played many roles, including portraying the parts of prostitutes, whic ...

. The script was written by Rob Allyn, who also produced the film. ''Edge of the World'' is a co-production between Malaysia, China, the US and the UK.

Plot

The film is based on the true story of the Rajah of Sarawak,

, who has been suggested as one of the inspirations for the

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...

story ''

The Man Who Would Be King "The Man Who Would Be King" (1888) is a story by Rudyard Kipling about two British adventurers in British India who become kings of Kafiristan, a remote part of Afghanistan. The story was first published in '' The Phantom Rickshaw and other E ...

'', and Joseph Conrad's novel ''

Lord Jim ''Lord Jim'' is a novel by Joseph Conrad originally published as a serial in ''Blackwood's Magazine'' from October 1899 to November 1900. An early and primary event in the story is the abandonment of a passenger ship in distress by its crew, ...

''. Brooke was a former soldier in the Bengal Army who sailed to

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...

which was still under the control of Bruneian Sultanate in 1839, where he helped the Sultan of Brunei's governor (Pengiran Indera Mahkota, title for the governor) put down a local rebellion and took over as governor of what became the

Raj of Sarawak (While I breathe, I hope) , national_anthem = '' Gone Forth Beyond the Sea'' , capital = Kuching , common_languages = English, Iban, Melanau, Bidayuh, Sarawak Malay, Chinese etc. , government_type = Absol ...

as his own private kingdom. He was knighted by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

of the United Kingdom prior to being appointed Governor of the new

Crown Colony of Labuan The Crown Colony of Labuan was a Crown colony on the northwestern shore of the island of Borneo established in 1848 after the acquisition of the island of Labuan from the Sultanate of Brunei in 1846. Apart from the main island, Labuan consists ...

. Brooke's dynasty lasted three generations and spanned a century.

Cast

as Sir

as Princess Fatimah (Pengiran Anak Puteri Fatimah, the granddaughter of the 21st Sultan of Brunei) *

as Colonel Arthur Crookshank *

as Madame Lim *

as Elizabeth Crookshank *

Ralph Ineson Ralph Michael Ineson (; born 15 December 1969) is an English actor and narrator. Known for his deep, rumbling, Yorkshire-accented voice, his most notable roles include William in '' The Witch'', Dagmer Cleftjaw in ''Game of Thrones'', Amycus Ca ...

as Sir Edward Beech *

Bront Palarae Nasrul Suhaimin bin Saifuddin (born 27 September 1978), known professionally as Bront Palarae, is a Malaysian actor, screenwriter, film director and producer. Early life and education Palarae was born in Alor Setar, Kedah, Malaysia. In 2005, ...

Pengiran Indera Mahkota Pengiran Mohammad Salleh (1790s–1858) or commonly referred to by his title Pengiran Indera Mahkota, was a Bruneian nobleman and politician whom served as the Governor of Sarawak in 1827. In the region that is now part of Sarawak, he founded th ...

(Pengiran Mohammad Salleh ibnu Pengiran Sharifuddin) *Samo Rafael as Pengiran Badaruddin (historically, this character may refer to

Pengiran Muda Hashim Prince Hashim of Brunei (died 1846) or commonly referred to by his title Pengiran Muda Hashim and Raja Muda Hashim, was a Bruneian prince whom was the son of Sultan Muhammad Kanzul Alam, and uncle to Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II. Biogr ...

or Raja Muda Hashim, the Bruneian governor of Sarawak) *

Otto Farrant Otto Farrant (born 13 November 1996) is an English actor. He is best known for his portrayal of the titular character in Amazon Prime's spy thriller series ''Alex Rider'' (2020–present), which received critical acclaim. He previously had supp ...

as Charles Brooke, the nephew of James Brooke, also known as Charlie *

Shaheizy Sam Shaheizy Sam bin Abdul Samad (born 4 September 1982) is a Malaysian actor, singer, rapper, and producer who was known as a young star in the 1990s before rising to fame in the film ''Bohsia: Jangan Pilih Jalan Hitam'' in 2009, and ''Adnan Semp ...

as Subu *Wan Hanafi Su as Sultan

Omar Ali Saifuddin II Omar Ali Saifuddin II (; ; 3 February 1799 – 20 November 1852) was the 23rd Sultan of Brunei, then known as the Bruneian Empire. During his reign, Western powers such as Great Britain and the United States visited the country. His reign saw t ...

, the 23rd Sultan of Brunei *

Peter John Jaban Peter John Jaban is a DJ on Radio Free Sarawak and a human rights campaigner for Sarawak, Malaysia. Early career He worked in the Land and Survey Office in Sarawak's capital Kuching but resigned in 2006. He then worked as a DJ in Cats FM. He wa ...

as Orang Kaya (Traditional Bruneian peerage title) *Kahar Jini as Datu Patinggi Ali (Abang Ali bin Abang Amir) *Yusuf Mahardika as Tujang, from Iban tribe, James Brooke's personal bodyguard

Production

Rob Allyn, the chairman and

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especial ...

(CEO) of Margate House Films, was interested in filming the life of James Brooke, after being introduced to the figure through a footnote in a

George MacDonald Fraser George MacDonald Fraser (2 April 1925 – 2 January 2008) was a British author and screenwriter. He is best known for a series of works that featured the character Flashman. Biography Fraser was born to Scottish parents in Carlisle, England, ...

novel, which he read in 2009. More research on Brooke led him into a fixation. He also came across a coffee table book in a Singapore bookstore, named "The White Rajah of Sarawak" with illustrations of Sarawak tribes and jungles. After thinking about the film for 3 years, Allyn and his production company tried to make the story into film since 2013, initially naming the film as "The White Rajah". Later

Jason Brooke Jason Desmond Anthony Brooke FRAS (born 22 April 1985) is the grandson of the last ruling Rajah Muda of Sarawak, Anthony Walter Dayrell Brooke, and a prominent representative of the Brooke Dynasty in Sarawak. Background Born in London, Brooke ...

, grandson of Anthony Brooke, representing Brooke Heritage Trust, contacted Allyn and invited him to make the film in Sarawak instead of Indonesia. The Trust also gave the Allyn access to various images from the Brooke family for film production. In September 2016,

government of Sarawak The Sarawak Government is an authority governing Sarawak, one of the Borneo states of Malaysia, and is based in Kuching, the state capital. The state government adheres to and is created by both the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, the suprem ...

endorsed the plan and channeled RM 39.01 million through Sarawak Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sports Ministry to fund the project. However, later

cost overrun A cost overrun, also known as a cost increase or budget overrun, involves unexpected incurred costs. When these costs are in excess of budgeted amounts due to a value engineering underestimation of the actual cost during budgeting, they are known ...

increased the cost to RM 48.57 million (US$ 15 million). The project also received 30% cash rebate from "Film in Malaysia" Office, a division of

National Film Development Corporation Malaysia The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia ( ms, Perbadanan Kemajuan Filem Nasional), abbreviated FINAS, is the central government agency for the film industry of Malaysia. FINAS is similar to the Motion Picture Association of America i ...

for choosing Malaysia as a filming location and working with a local production company. Allyn wrote the film and also produced the film with his sons

Conor Conor is a male given name of Irish origin. The meaning of the name is "Lover of Wolves" or "Lover of Hounds". '' Conchobhar/Conchubhar'' or from the name ''Conaire'', found in Irish legend as the name of the high king Conaire Mór and other hero ...

and Jake, along with Josie Ho, and Conroy Chan. In 2019, the film was renamed to just "Rajah" and the list of starring actors was released in September. Principal photography was shot in entirety in Sarawak, starting from 24 September 2019 until the end of October in the same year. All film shots were completed in Siniawan,

Bau District Bau District is a district of Tailevu Province, Fiji. It is coextensive with Bau Island, the traditional fiefdom of the Vunivalu of Bau Turaga na Vunivalu na Tui Kaba is the Paramount Chief of the Kubuna Confederacy, loosely translated the ti ...

. The film was made with the support of the Sarawak Tourism Board. The Brooke Heritage Trust was a technical advisor. In February 2021, the movie was again renamed to "Edge of the World".

Samuel Goldwyn Films Samuel Goldwyn Films is an American film company that licenses, releases and distributes art-house, independent and foreign films. It was founded by Samuel Goldwyn Jr., the son of the Hollywood business magnate/mogul, Samuel Goldwyn. The curr ...

acquired US distribution rights in March 2021. British distributor Signature will release the film in the UK.

Release

''Edge of the World'' was released in the US through

Direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy wa ...

(VOD) and online platforms on 4 June 2021, then in the UK digitally and on DVD on 21 June 2021 During the 5th

Malaysia International Film Festival The Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) is a public exhibition showcasing international and local films in Malaysia. Accompanying this event is the Malaysia Golden Global Awards (MGGA) where the organisation Jazzy Group recognises fil ...

in July 2022, the movie was selected as the opening film.

Reception

Critical response

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, the film holds a 56% approval rating based on 34 reviews, with an average rating of 5.5/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Although it falls short as a biopic of the fascinating figure at its center, ''Edge of the World'' offers a visually and dramatically engaging glimpse of Victorian-era colonialism." On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

, the film holds a weighted average score of 42 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". According to some reviewers, the movie resembles ''

Apocalypse Now ''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius and Michael Herr, is loosely based on the 1899 novella '' Heart of Darkness'' by Joseph ...

'', especially in the clash between Brooke (Captain Willard) and Mahkota (

Colonel Kurtz Colonel Walter Kurtz, portrayed by Marlon Brando, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 film ''Apocalypse Now''. Colonel Kurtz is based on the character of a nineteenth-century ivory trader, also cal ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Edge of the World 2021 films Malaysian historical films 2021 adventure films 2021 drama films Films produced by Josie Ho Films set in the 19th century History of Brunei Films shot in Malaysia