Review of The King (2019) by Bkorras — 23 Nov 2019

The King is a new original feature from Netflix. It stars Timothee Chalamet, Joel Edgerton, Robert Pattinson, and Sean Harris. It's directed by David Michod, who is most known for Animal Kingdom. The movie is about a young prince called Hal, who is more interested in getting drunk and sleeping around then being involved with the crown.

Hal's forced into the role of King after his father dies and must learn to navigate the rocky waters of politics involved in the world of royalty. Timothee Chalamet plays the role well; his ability to go from vulnerable to rageful, to go from uninterested to inspirational, is excellent.

Joel Edgerton plays Hal's friend and mentor Sir John Flagstaff. The dynamic between them is good, but it could've been great if they played it out a little more. Robert Pattinson plays the young French Prince, and he is probably my favourite part of the film.

The scene that introduces his character is very memorable. Sean Harris plays the advisor to Hal; his performance is understated but essential, a scene that takes place later in the film involving him rivals Robert Pattinson's introduction.

The cinematography is excellent, in particular during a scene where the English are unleashing hell on the French Kingdom. The shots of the trebuchets firing through the night sky are downright beautiful.

The fight choreography is excellent too. There is an authenticity to how they shot the fights, not only with the gritty and gory realism but also with how the battles played out with hundreds of men wearing cumbersome and limiting armour.

Medieval battles looked more like a rugby match, with warriors battling it out in a tight huddle, and that's what they captured here. David Michod directs well here, mainly when melds both a stunning visual aesthetic with the dark and gritty.

Unfortunately, the score is generic and forgettable, that and the missed opportunity to flesh out the dynamic between Hal and Flagstaff are my main gripes with the movie. All in all, I recommend the film.

I hope many people watch it, so Netflix continues to make more movies with this quality.