Directed by:
David MichôdCinematography:
Adam ArkapawComposer:
Nicholas BritellCast:
Timothée Chalamet, Joel Edgerton, Robert Pattinson, Ben Mendelsohn, Sean Harris, Edward Ashley, Thomasin McKenzie, Lily-Rose Depp, Tom Glynn-Carney (more)VOD (1)
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In 15th-century England, Prince Hal transforms from wayward wastrel to powerful king after he reluctantly inherits the throne and its many conflicts. (Netflix)
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Reviews (12)
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.
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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.
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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%
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The solitude, burden and uncompromising nature of being a ruler. On top of that, the father-son relationships on both sides of the channel torn apart. Undoubtedly, you will recognize Shakespeare's themes, dialogue, characters and speeches in many places. However, this is not a direct adaptation of his Henriad, though the movie was inspired by it. You won’t fail to notice it and that is intentional. In any case, The King is a fine historical film impressively shot in the mud and with excellent acting (especially the Edgerton-Harris-Chalamet trio). The more intimate, the better. And it is more than intimate.
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A masterfully crafted intimate drama about the difficult beginnings of Henry V's reign on the English throne, focusing primarily on revealing various intrigues and the notion that being a king was hardly something to be genuinely grateful for. Timothée Chalamet is beginning to fully showcase his talent, and in various verbal sparring scenes, he demonstrated that he need not fear for his future in Hollywood, as he possesses great skill. In addition to the excellent performances, I was impressed by the cinematography, which, apart from one battle scene, is not very dynamic—a choice that suited me perfectly. The long takes of landscapes and the play with light and shadow convinced me that the creators truly know how to captivate the audience. The final gritty battle only confirmed my positive opinion of the film. I’m not saying it will be a blockbuster that will be discussed in film circles 20 years from now, but as an above-average film with a fresh storyline, it works flawlessly. I give it 79%. P.S. Watch the film just for Robert Pattinson. Although he appears on screen for only about five minutes, in that brief time he convinced me that I’m far less concerned about his portrayal of Batman.
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