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Characters & Themes

Revolt (2017) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 87 min · English
Echo score 60
JustWatch #10,824 8
Directed by
Joe Miale
Starring
Lee Pace, Jason Flemyng, Kenneth Fok, Bérénice Marlohe, Alan Santini, Barileng Malebye
Budget
$4M

Amidst the devastation of war in Africa, a hardened American soldier and a dedicated French aid worker find themselves united by a shared danger. They must overcome their differences and form an alliance to confront an extraterrestrial force threatening all life. Their fight for survival becomes a desperate struggle against overwhelming odds in a landscape of chaos and destruction.

On this page (8)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (4)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (4)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Movies like Revolt
  8. 8 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Revolt (2017)

Where can you watch Revolt? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Hoopla and Amazon MX Player: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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4 main characters · contains spoilers

Revolt Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Revolt (2017), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Bo (Lee Pace)

    An American Special Forces soldier serving in Kenya who wakes with memory loss after a battle with alien machines. He discovers he can absorb, conduct, and discharge electricity, making him central to the resistance though his identity remains fragmented. His journey hinges on reclaiming memory and choosing to help others over personal survival. He evolves from a lone survivor to a beacon for the human resistance.

    • ⚡ Power
    • 🧠 Memory
    • 🗺️ Journey
  • Nadia (Bérénice Marlohe)

    A French foreign aid military doctor imprisoned near Bo who explains the scope of the alien invasion. She brings medical expertise, pragmatic thinking, and a wary optimism that keeps them moving. Her presence anchors their collaboration and reinforces the theme of alliance across borders in a shared crisis.

    • 💉 Medical
    • 🧭 Guidance
    • 🕊️ Hope
  • Roderick (Wandile Molebatsi)

    A Nairobi resistance fighter who reveals the invaders’ plan and aids Bo in navigating to the EMP device. He serves as a strategist and ally, challenging Bo to work within the resistance’s framework. His knowledge and leadership help coordinate the group’s efforts to cripple the machines.

    • 🪖 Leadership
    • 🧭 Strategy
    • 🧨 Plan
  • Photojournalist (Edwin Jay)

    A fatally wounded photographer who passes his camera to Bo and entrusts him with following the digital breadcrumbs. His sacrifice provides a tangible goal and a narrative device that pushes Bo forward. The camera’s dying battery symbolizes the fragility of evidence and memory in a collapsing world.

    • 📷 Witness
    • 💔 Sacrifice
    • 🧭 Breadcrumbs

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:54

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Setting

Where and When Does Revolt Take Place?

The setting of Revolt (2017): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

Location

Kenya, Nairobi

The story unfolds across war-torn Kenya, with Nairobi at its center as a hub of resistance against ruined cities and alien machines. The landscape shifts from urban rubble to open fields and underground bunkers where survivors rally. The proximity of a US military base near Nairobi shapes the conflict, offering a glimmer of pre-invasion order amidst the chaos.

  • 🌍 Africa
  • 🛰️ Sci-Fi
  • 🧭 Post-apocalyptic

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:54

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4 major themes

Revolt Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Revolt (2017) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Survival

    In a post-invasion world, the characters must improvise to stay alive against unpredictable threats. The ruined cities and hostile machines force alliances and quick thinking. Every decision tests resolve, from escaping captivity to navigating dangerous wastelands. The film centers on the human will to endure when systems of safety have collapsed.

  • Memory

    Bo wakes with memory loss and fragments of his past, driving a quest to reclaim his identity. The plot uses memory as both a personal struggle and a narrative tool, revealing clues through experiences and recalled moments. The camera given by a dying journalist becomes a symbolic map of his memories and path forward. Recovered memories reinterpret who Bo is and what he stands to lose or protect.

  • Machines

    Alien machines dominate the conflict, hunting survivors and shaping the landscape of war. The technology is both threat and key, with the ability to be powered or disabled through human action. Bo's electrical abilities connect him to the machines in ways that alter the balance of power. The planned EMP attack on the mothership represents a crucial turning point in the struggle.

  • Resistance

    A Nairobi-based resistance network bands together to confront the invaders, gathering in underground centers and coordinating risky operations. Leadership and strategy, including the EMP plan, emerge from this collective effort. The resistance embodies hope and solidarity in the face of overwhelming odds. Individual sacrifice becomes essential to protecting others and securing a potential victory.

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:54

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Character & theme questions

Revolt Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Revolt (2017): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is the movie set?

The story takes place in war-torn Kenya, with Nairobi serving as the central hub of resistance against alien machines. The landscape transitions from urban rubble to open fields and underground bunkers where survivors gather. A US military base near Nairobi provides a glimpse of pre-invasion order amid the chaos.

  • kenya
  • nairobi
  • setting
  • africa
  • location
Q2

What kind of world does the movie depict?

The world is a post-apocalyptic setting where alien machines have devastated cities and hunt survivors. Ruined urban areas coexist with open fields and underground resistance strongholds. The invasion has collapsed systems of safety, forcing humans to improvise and form alliances to survive.

  • post-apocalyptic
  • alien invasion
  • world
  • survival
  • dystopia
Q3

What is the main theme of survival in the movie?

Survival drives the narrative as characters must improvise against unpredictable alien threats in ruined cities. Every decision tests their resolve, from escaping captivity to navigating dangerous wastelands. The film explores human will to endure when traditional systems of safety have completely collapsed.

  • survival
  • post-apocalypse
  • human resilience
  • endurance
  • adversity
Q4

What role does memory play in the story?

Memory is central to Bo's character arc, as he wakes with amnesia and must reclaim his identity. The camera given by a dying photojournalist serves as a symbolic map of his memories and mission. Recovered memories reveal who Bo truly is and what he stands to protect, reinterpretting his entire existence.

  • memory
  • amnesia
  • identity
  • bo
  • recovery
Q5

How do alien machines factor into the story?

Alien machines dominate the conflict, hunting survivors and reshaping the war-torn landscape. The technology can be both threatened and harnessed through human action. Bo's unique ability to conduct electricity connects him to the machines in ways that shift the balance of power between humans and invaders.

  • alien machines
  • technology
  • emp
  • mothership
  • electricity
Q6

What is the resistance movement in the movie?

A Nairobi-based resistance network bands together to fight the alien invaders, coordinating operations from underground centers. The resistance embodies hope and solidarity against overwhelming odds, with leadership and strategy emerging from this collective effort. Individual sacrifice becomes essential to protecting others and securing victory.

  • resistance
  • nairobi
  • fighters
  • underground
  • rebellion
Q7

Who is the main character Bo?

Bo is an American Special Forces soldier who wakes with memory loss after battling alien machines in Kenya. He discovers he can absorb, conduct, and discharge electricity, making him crucial to the human resistance. His journey involves reclaiming his identity and choosing to help others rather than focusing solely on personal survival.

  • bo
  • lee pace
  • soldier
  • special forces
  • protagonist
Q8

Who is Nadia and what is her role?

Nadia is a French foreign aid military doctor imprisoned alongside Bo who explains the scope of the alien invasion. She brings medical expertise, pragmatic thinking, and cautious optimism that keeps the group moving forward. Her collaboration with Bo reinforces the theme of alliances across national borders in a shared crisis.

  • nadia
  • berenice marlohe
  • doctor
  • french
  • ally
Q9

Who is Roderick and what does he do?

Roderick is a Nairobi resistance fighter who reveals the invaders' plan and helps Bo navigate to the EMP device. He serves as a strategist and key ally, challenging Bo to work within the resistance's framework. His leadership and knowledge coordinate the group's efforts to strike at the alien mothership.

  • roderick
  • wandile molebatsi
  • resistance
  • Nairobi
  • strategist
Q10

What is the photojournalist's role in the story?

A fatally wounded photographer entrusts Bo with his camera, passing on a tangible goal that drives the narrative forward. The camera's digital breadcrumbs become a map guiding Bo's mission. Its dying battery symbolizes the fragility of evidence and memory in a collapsing world.

  • photojournalist
  • camera
  • edwin jay
  • sacrifice
  • evidence
Q11

When is the movie set?

The movie does not specify an exact time period, though the technology and global invasion suggest a near-future scenario. The presence of modern military equipment and digital technology indicates the story takes place in the present or near-future relative to when the film was made in 2017.

  • time period
  • era
  • setting
  • timeline
  • future
Q12

What is the overall message of the movie?

Despite its bleak post-apocalyptic backdrop, the film delivers a hopeful message about human resilience and solidarity. The destruction of the mothership represents a major victory, while Bo's reconciliation with his identity provides a personal triumph. The narrative emphasizes that collective will and sacrifice can overcome even the most overwhelming threats.

  • message
  • hope
  • resilience
  • victory
  • humanity

Movie threads

More Movies Like Revolt, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Revolt tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies like Revolt: Post-Apocalyptic Survival Against Overwhelming Odds

Ordinary people fight for existence against an unstoppable alien force. If you enjoyed the desperate struggle and alien threat in Revolt, explore these movies where humanity fights for survival in a broken world. These stories feature relentless alien invasions, gritty action, and characters pushed to their limits, echoing the tense and heavy survivalist experience of Revolt.

  • tense
  • desperate
  • chaotic
  • survivalist
  • oppressive
  • anxious
  • Tone: tense, desperate, grim
  • Pacing: fast, chaotic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a linear, high-stakes survival mission, often starting with a character's disorientation or isolation. Through a series of dangerous encounters and narrow escapes, they uncover the threat's nature and find a pivotal weakness, leading to a climactic, against-all-odds confrontation that determines humanity's fate.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their shared atmosphere of constant, high-tension danger, a grim and oppressive setting, and a plot driven by a desperate fight for survival. They blend heavy emotional themes of sacrifice and loss with fast-paced, chaotic action sequences, creating a consistently intense and anxious viewing experience.

Amnesiac Warrior Stories like the Hero in Revolt

A soldier with a lost past discovers their destiny in the heat of battle. For viewers who liked the amnesiac soldier's journey in Revolt, this collection features heroes piecing together their past during a larger conflict. These action-driven stories blend personal mystery with high-stakes missions, creating a compelling arc of self-discovery against a backdrop of war or invasion.

  • determined
  • mysterious
  • tense
  • driven
  • identity quest
  • unraveling past
  • Tone: determined, mysterious, tense
  • Pacing: fast, driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The plot revolves around a skilled but disoriented protagonist thrown into a dangerous situation. As they navigate immediate threats using their latent abilities, clues about their true identity and mission emerge. The climax often involves a choice that reconciles their rediscovered past with their present actions, leading to a hard-won resolution.

Why they belong together: These films are united by the specific character archetype of the amnesiac warrior and the narrative structure of a personal mystery unfolding within a high-intensity action plot. The emotional journey of reclaiming one's identity adds a layer of depth to the fast-paced, external conflict, creating a satisfying blend of action and character development.

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Movies Like Revolt

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Every angle

Revolt (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Revolt in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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