Directed by David Michôd — Screenplay by David Michôd and Joel Edgerton.
Loosely based on William Shakespeare’s so-called Henriad plays, David Michôd’s The King follows the future King Henry V, “Hal” (played by Timothée Chalamet), as the once ne’er-do-well Prince of Wales inherits the throne to then go into war with France. In the film, at the Battle of Agincourt, Henry V relies on his chief tactician and companion Sir John Falstaff (played by Joel Edgerton) to lead his army to victory against the much larger French army led by Louis, the Dauphin (played by Robert Pattinson).
So, why am I reviewing this random 2019 Netflix release in 2023? Good question. Well, over the summer, I plan to take care of a significant chunk of my watchlist, and, as I was watching The King, the notes that I took eventually became so extensive that it felt like a waste to not actually expand on them in a full review. The other reason why I’m reviewing this is that I was surprised by how much I liked it. I really ought to have watched this sooner and not just because it’s pretty good. I like epic historical war dramas. I am fascinated by Shakespearean adaptations, even when they don’t follow his language closely. I like these expansive royal battles. I absolutely love the cast. So, what gives? Why did I wait so long? Frankly, I think it was a mix of the so-so word of mouth upon its initial release, as well as the fact that it, for a while, was most known for a French accent that was ‘off’ or ‘over-the-top.’ It also didn’t help that I was massively disappointed by the other straight-to-Netflix David Michôd film, War Machine.
I think the weaknesses of The King are its blatant inaccuracies (it doesn’t fully swear by history or even the Shakespeare Henriad), the fact that a fair number of scenes are so dimly lit that it may become difficult to watch at home in daylight, how familiar parts of it is, and, frankly, how Michôd and Edgerton deliberately chose not to have their actors speak in the iconic Shakespearean dialogue that often helps to elevate the characters to an extent that some of Michôd and Edgerton’s slightly more modern masculine dialogue cannot. But make no mistake this gloomy historical epic is quite good and significantly better than War Machine. It boasts an enormously talented cast doing interesting work, some really great battle scenes (both one-on-one and an all-out brawl), outstanding production design, and some solid cinematography (that pairs well with Nicholas Britell’s score). This claustrophobic and muddy Game of Thrones-esque take on the Battle of Agincourt is amazing to watch with characters looking like they’re drowning from the sheer claustrophobia of it all. That said, I do think the film sort of limps across the finish line after the peak at Agincourt, in spite of a fascinating brief performance from Lily-Rose Depp.
I think it was a bit of a masterstroke to hire Timothée Chalamet as Henry V given that he is bilingual. I say this because even though his English accent is perhaps not 100% there when paired with the more naturally accented supporting cast, his French scenes are quite impressive and feel more genuine than your average American lead speaking French would. Speaking of French, there is no denying that Robert Pattinson’s French accent is, ahem, out there. I’ve seen people refer to him as being off, over, or even vampiric, and, yeah, his almost Transylvanian affectation certainly sticks out like a sore thumb. But Pattinson is nonetheless undeniably entertaining to watch as the Dauphin (see The Devil All the Time for another wildly impressive Pattinson doing a crazy accent).
Pattinson is relatively entertaining, Chalamet’s boyish looks but insistent and brooding intensity works well for this interpretation of the character, and actor/co-writer Joel Edgerton is another standout. Actors like Sean Harris and Ben Mendelsohn also deliver credible performances in less prominent roles. I also got a bit of a kick out of seeing Queen Phillippa of Denmark portrayed by Thomasin McKenzie here. It is a teeny tiny appearance in maybe two or three scenes, but it’s always fascinating to see a little bit of Danish history in English-languaged major motion pictures.
Would this perhaps have been better as a limited series? Yeah, perhaps it would’ve flowed somewhat better if it were broken up (and certain characters given more of a sustained presence), but, even as it is, it is quite gripping in its most important developments and sequences. Also, it should be noted that if it were a mini-series it would be compared to The Hollow Crown even more than I suspect it already is. Frankly, even as it is, it has no right to be as good as it is given that it was merely dumped onto a streaming service on which it has since been forgotten and fallen into the background of a sea of mediocrity. It is better than its reputation and better than its position in the ever-expanding Netflix content library would lead you to believe.
7.5 out of 10
– Review Written by Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen.
I'm Jeffrey Rex 