The King

October's Netflix horror extravaganza is over, but I'm also thankful for this historical flick, which it seems Netflix will serve up every year (last year it was Outlaw King, which I liked a little more, but this one is a blast too). We follow the story of young Henry V, who has recently been crowned king after the death of his father and will have to deal with the war he inherited. Brilliantly filmed, fateful, messy, authentic, historically accurate and above all breathtakingly acted. Timothée Chalamet shows a huge amount of talent on screen and I feel he has a rich future (the King's rage speech before the battle gave me goosebumps like nothing I've seen in a long time), but it was also nice to see Joel Edgerton with a perfect strategic plan and Robert Pattinson playing the sleazy French prince brilliantly. The film climaxes with the solid and glorious Battle of Agincourt, which is properly raw and dirty, and the final rather unexpected twist is brilliant. Even though the film has a slower pace, it doesn't get boring at all and is absolutely riveting. 85% (11/03/2019)

A likeable and sober hybrid of Shakespeare drama and medieval epic that must have been great to watch in the big screen. Everyone took things admirably seriously, the actors fully fused into their roles (besides the excellent Chalamet, the cheerful drunkard Edgerton, the unpredictable Harris and the breathtakingly sly Mendelsohn also deserve praise), the costume designers perfectly recreated the era, the cameramen always found the right angle and lightning and the director tried not to fall into stylistic mannerisms to take the viewer right to the table, or to a battlefield, next to the characters. And everything works so well, and that’s why it’s such a shame how at times it deviates from the captivating old-world notes only because they feared the film would bore a modern audience – if the script had dived deeper into the psychology of the main character and avoided changing his view during one conversation, it could have been an amazing contribution to the half-century old tradition of big narrative movies. This way, it’s “only” a wonderfully executed and valuably authentic historical drama. (01/19/2020)

A bigger budget and a more effectively rendered battle would have elevated The King, but even without those things, this is an outstanding film. The slow-paced, psychologically meticulous narrative follows the transformation of a bohemian pacifist’s way of thinking and attitude into that of a cruel warrior who wants to uphold his honor. Friendship, ambition, intrigue and the loss of something held dear in exchange for something less valuable but predestined by fate. At the same time, the English and French “political nature” is nicely depicted in historical terms. All four of the key roles are played by great actors. As co-writer and co-producer, Edgerton is the father of this work. Excellent. (09/18/2020)

The good old days of honest historical films came back to life for two hours and a bit - The King is great. It's a rough, dirty and cold spectacle, but it is based primarily on the story, the characters and well-chosen actors, although the scenes you expect from such a film also occur (the battle, the battle!). Directing, design... All of it is amazing and as authentic, as if the crew had gone to the 15th century using a time machine. Timothée Chalamet actually plays Paul Atreides here - that's exactly how I imagined him. (09/19/2021)

Netflix has stepped up to the plate and made a grim, dirty and very believable period piece that can stand up to the best in the genre. Although we don't see any lavish battles with Zimmer's thunderous music, nor any camera games with a digital Collosseum, there is still a little bit of action and the filmmakers have not done themselves any shame in this aspect. But The King goes in a different direction and it's obvious from the beginning. It's a quiet, creeping drama about politics, scheming and the dirty Middle Ages, where there are only subjects or enemies. The King stands and falls primarily on the realistic presentation of the material it deals with and on Chalamet, who matures like wine. And when he walks out in front of the soldiers with his speech, it’s brilliant. (10/26/2021)