Moxie Flix: Queen of Katwe (2016)
A young girl overcomes her disadvantaged upbringing in the slums of Uganda to become a Chess master. (PG, 124 min.)
Showtimes
Saturday, February 14, 2026
12:00 PM
These FREE screenings are part of MOXIE FLIX, a monthly series focusing on essential films for kids to see before they turn 13. This series was made possible by a grant from the Missouri Arts Council and the Springfield Regional Arts Council.
A thorough, spoiler-filled Parent’s Guide can be found here.
Queen of Katwe is the colorful true story of a young girl selling corn on the streets of rural Uganda whose world rapidly changes when she is introduced to the game of chess, and, as a result of the support she receives from her family and community, is instilled with the confidence and determination she needs to pursue her dream of becoming an international chess champion. [Disney]
Starring: Kadina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong'o
Director: Mira Nair
Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Sports
"Entertaining and engrossing and funny and heartwarming."
— Alissa Wilkinson, Vox
"The film as a whole conveys a strong sense of discovery, and humanity."
— Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
"Nair has a great eye, and a great gift for creating vibrant, layered, wonderfully inviting communities on screen."
— Nell Minow, Movie Mom
"As feelgood stories of empowerment go, this has a ring of authenticity and mixes intelligence with irreducible emotional immediacy."
— Jonathan Romney, Observer (UK)
"Queen of Katwe is remarkable in its characters, narrative, and world-building, an example of unexpected storytelling that transcends its chess origins."
— Roxana Hadadi, Chesapeake Family Magazine
"If there is anyone out there capable of remaining unmoved by this true-life triumph-of-the-underdog sports story, I don't think I want to meet that person."
— A.O. Scott, New York Times
"It's a fantastic, feelgood story; one that neatly conforms to the beats of a classic sporting underdog movie: think Rocky and the Rooks or The Bad News Bears with Bishops."
— Tara Brady, Irish Times
"Oyelowo and Nyong'o's performances temper the film with heart-wrenching emotion. And Mira Nair's touching portrait of Katwe's inspiring young queen with a dream is one to remember."
— Candice Frederick, Reel Talk Online
"Mira Nair's inspirational chess drama Queen of Katwe is remarkable in the simplest but most profound way: it's an American film about Africa that doesn't feel like it was made by tourists."
— Tasha Robinson, The Verge
"Directed by the great Mira Nair, the film hits you like a shot in the heart. Nyong'o and Oyelowo are both extraordinary, giving newcomer Nalwanga a chance to shine as Phiona grows into her own woman."
— Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
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