Overview
A rookie clerk faces the chaos of conducting elections in a war-torn village, determined to uphold democracy against all odds.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- sardonic
- foreboding
- thoughtful movie night
- social justice film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a timely, sharply written dark comedy with credible performances and an effective critique of democratic and institutional failures.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Newton insists on conducting a free and fair election despite obstruction from officials, security forces, rebels, and local conditions.
The election mission turns routine democratic procedure into a darkly comic confrontation with state cynicism and dysfunction.
The polling station serves indigenous villagers living without access to mainland amenities.
The central Indian forest setting contains both isolated villages and armed Communist guerrillas, grounding the satire in physical peril.
Films like Newton, and why
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro
shared darkly comic political satire, institutional absurdity, and morally serious social critique
Peepli Live
shared political frustration, rural poverty, and bleakly humorous examination of democratic institutions
Court
shared grounded humanism, bureaucratic obstacles, and compassionate critique of social inequality
The Death of Stalin
shared restrained satire, civic idealism, and tensions between official systems and marginalized communities
Movie Details
- Director
- Amit Masurkar
- Release Date
- 2017-09-22
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (155)
Cast
- Rajkummar Rao
- Pankaj Tripathi
- Anjali Patil
- Raghubir Yadav
- Mukesh Prajapati
- Sanjay Mishra
- Krishna Singh Bisht
- Omkar Das Manikpuri
- Danish Husain
- Pistak Gond
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Newton about?
- A fiercely principled election clerk confronts insurgency, bureaucracy, and political cynicism while trying to bring democracy to a remote Indian jungle village.
- What is Newton like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Newton as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Newton violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Newton as moderate.
- What did critics think of Newton?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a timely, sharply written dark comedy with credible performances and an effective critique of democratic and institutional failures.
- Which films are like Newton?
- Films with a similar feel include Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Peepli Live, Court, and The Death of Stalin.
- How long is Newton?
- Newton runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch Newton?
- In United States, Newton streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
