You know that feeling when you're watching a massive, muddy medieval epic and everything feels a bit... grey? You’ve got the clashing swords, the heavy breathing, and a lot of guys in chainmail shouting about "freedom." Then, someone walks onto the screen and suddenly the whole room feels brighter. That was Florence Pugh in Outlaw King.
Honestly, before this 2018 Netflix hit, Florence Pugh was a name people were just starting to whisper about after Lady Macbeth. But Outlaw King? It was different. She wasn't just "the wife." She played Elizabeth de Burgh, the woman caught between a King (Edward I) and an outlaw (Robert the Bruce).
The Chemistry That Actually Made Us Care
Most historical epics treat the "love interest" like a checkbox. You have the hero, he has a goal, and he has a lady waiting for him at home. David Mackenzie's Outlaw King takes a slightly different swing. Robert the Bruce (Chris Pine) and Elizabeth de Burgh have an arranged marriage. It’s awkward. It’s quiet.
There’s this one specific scene early on. They’re sitting together, and there is so much unsaid tension. Florence Pugh plays Elizabeth with this incredible, grounded stillness. You can tell she’s sizing him up. She isn’t some damsel; she’s a political asset who decides, on her own terms, to become a partner.
Pine and Pugh had this weirdly electric chemistry. Chris Pine himself later said in interviews that he needed a partner who felt like she "came from the earth." Florence was that. She made a $120 million production feel intimate. Without her, the movie is basically just a series of very well-shot mud fights.
What the Movie Got Right (and Very Wrong) About Elizabeth
If you’re a history nerd, you probably noticed some "creative liberties." In the film, Elizabeth is portrayed as a defiant, almost modern-feeling woman who suffers immensely in a cage.
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Wait. Let’s pause there.
The "cage" thing is a bit of a historical mix-up. In real life, King Edward I was definitely a piece of work, but he didn't put Elizabeth de Burgh in a cage over the sea. That brutal punishment was actually reserved for Robert’s sister, Mary Bruce, and Isabella MacDuff.
The Real Elizabeth de Burgh
- Status: She was the daughter of the Earl of Ulster, one of the most powerful men in Ireland.
- Marriage: She married Robert in 1302. She was likely around 18, and he was 28.
- Captivity: She was held under house arrest in various English manors for about eight years.
- The "Queen of May" Quote: The movie includes her famous (and real) jab where she supposedly told Robert they were just "King and Queen of the May"—meaning their reign wouldn't last the season.
Florence Pugh captures that skepticism perfectly. She doesn't play her as a cheerleader. She plays her as someone who knows exactly how dangerous their situation is.
Why This Role Was a Turning Point for Pugh
It’s easy to look back now, with her Marvel credits and Oscar nominations, and forget that Outlaw King was a massive gamble. This was Netflix trying to prove they could do "Big Cinema."
Critics were a bit split on the movie. Some people hated the pacing. Others thought it was a masterpiece of grit. But almost everyone agreed on one thing: Florence Pugh was a standout.
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She has this voice—that deep, raspy, gravelly tone—that makes her sound about twenty years older and wiser than she actually is. In 2018, she was only 22. Playing a Queen who has to survive years of isolation requires a level of "internal acting" that most young stars can't touch.
You see the seeds of her future roles here. The defiance of Black Widow, the emotional weight of Midsommar, the poise of Little Women. It’s all there in the way she looks at Chris Pine across a flickering fire.
The Brutality of the Set
The production was famously intense. They filmed all over Scotland—places like Craigmillar Castle, Dunfermline Abbey, and the Isle of Skye. If it looks cold on screen, it's because it was.
Pugh has talked about the "sensory" experience of these sets. The wool is heavy. The mud is real. There’s no CGI to hide behind when you’re standing on a windswept cliff in November. That authenticity bleeds into her performance. She looks lived-in.
Is Outlaw King Still Worth a Watch?
If you missed it during the initial Netflix hype, or if you only know Florence from the MCU, you should go back.
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It’s not perfect. The 20 minutes they cut after the TIFF premiere (because the first cut was apparently "too long") left the plot feeling a bit jumpy. You might feel like you're missing some context in the middle.
But for Florence Pugh fans? It's essential viewing.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Next Rewatch:
- Watch the eyes: Pay attention to Elizabeth’s face during the wedding scene. She says almost nothing, but her eyes tell you she’s already planning her survival.
- Spot the locations: If you’re ever in Scotland, check out Blackness Castle. That’s where they filmed the captivity scenes. It’s incredibly atmospheric and looks like a stone ship.
- Check the credits: Look for Aaron Taylor-Johnson's performance too. He goes absolutely feral as James Douglas, providing a wild contrast to Pugh’s controlled elegance.
Florence Pugh didn’t just play a historical figure; she gave a soul to a movie that could have easily been a cold, tactical military study. She reminds us that behind every "outlaw king," there was usually someone much smarter and much tougher keeping the dream alive while the men were off swinging axes in the mud.
If you're looking for more historical deep dives, you might want to check out the actual letters Elizabeth wrote during her captivity—they offer a heartbreaking look at a woman who lost everything but her dignity.