The Green Knight review

THE GREEN KNIGHT: 

DEV PATEL GIVES AN ELECTRIFYING PERFORMANCE IN THIS FASCINATING ALBEIT SLOW-BURN FANTASY TALE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** (Maybe *** ½, I don’t know!) out of 4

A24

Dev Patel in The Green Knight

 

            Director, David Lowery (Pete’s Dragon (2016), A Ghost Story, The Old Man and the Gun) reunites with A24after 2017’s A Ghost Story with The Green Knight, a fantasy film starring Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 1 and 2, The Personal History of David Copperfield) and based on the 14^th-century poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. There was a lot of hype surrounding this movie in the world of arthouse cinema, it was scheduled to premiere during the 2020 South by Southwest festival with a wide release for May 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the premiere was canceled, and the release was delayed until July 2021…or in the United Kingdom’s case, pulled completely for some reason! 

            Now that the film has finally been released, how does it hold up? Honestly, I think it’s almost on par with the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Pan’s Labyrinth as one of those fantasy films that pushes the envelope of what to expect from this genre and really gives us something special not like other fantasy features. I should make this perfectly clear, do not expect this movie to be a swashbuckling, epic adventure like The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia, this is more like what Lowery’s own, A Ghost Story was for supernatural films or what Blade Runner 2049 was for science-fiction where it’s much slower-paced, very atmospheric, and heavily character-driven compared to other films in the genre. 

It may and will be an acquired taste, but for those daring enough to venture further will be greeted by a gorgeous, fascinating, and completely unconventional fable helmed by an excellent performance by Patel. Those looking for more action should probably go watch something else.

The film follows Sir Gawain (Patel), King Arthur’s headstrong nephew who embarks on a quest to find the mysterious Green Knight, a giant, emerald-skinned creature and tester of men. Along the way, Gawain encounters ghosts, giants, thieves, and schemers as his journey becomes much deeper to define who he is as a person and prove his worth in the eyes of his family and the entire kingdom. 

The film also stars Alicia Vikander (Ex-Machina, Tomb Raider (2018), Blue Bayou) as Essel and the Lady, Joel Edgerton (Star Wars: Episodes II and III, Zero Dark Thirty, Boy Erased) as the Lord, Sarita Choudhury (Lady in the Water, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Parts 1 and 2, Evil Eye) as Mother, Sean Harris (Prometheus, Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation/Fallout, The King) as King, Ralph Ineson (The Office (UK), The Witch, Chernobyl) as the Green Knight, Kate Dickie (Game of Thrones, The Witch, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) as Queen, Barry Keoghan (Dunkirk, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Eternals) as Scavenger, and Erin Kellyman (Solo: A Star Wars Story, Les Miserables (BBC series), The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) as Winifred. 

Overall, The Green Knight is a refreshing albeit slow burn departure from traditional fantasy movie fare for those looking for something outside of swordplay and epic battles. The film isn’t a straight-up adaptation of the poem, because that would have been like a 5-10-minute-long movie, and instead is more of a deconstruction of the story by giving Gawain a character arc, expanding on the story, world building, and fleshing out the side characters. 

What I really like about the film is that it gives more of a reason as to why Gawain wants to find the Green Knight and similar to Pig, it leaves a lot of things up to the audience to figure out without ever talking down to them. In fact, the movie even has an abrupt ending which leaves the characters fates up to the viewer and I’m sure there will be plenty of debate all over the web, but that’s for another time. 

The film is also gorgeously shot and despite not being as grand or epic like The Lord of the Rings, the cinematography and size of the scenery feel big. From the sweeping shots of the mountains to the dark and mysterious forests and the massive sizes of the castles and buildings and since this is a film that really takes its time, it often leads to some fascinating world building that feels both otherworldly and real at the same time…if that makes any sense! 

As always, Patel gives an excellent performance to the point where I had to remind myself constantly that I was watching the Slumdog Millionaire kid in this movie. He does a solid job portraying this heroic-looking protagonist who is engaging, but also very shady and mysterious, it’s easily one of his best roles and a potential Oscar nomination for Best Actor. 

I was very intrigued by the film all the way through, but it definitely isn’t a movie that will please everyone. I heard the complaint that it was too long and slow and yes, that is true it is a slow journey and at times I did notice the runtime, but I was too wrapped up in the story, characters, and bizarre moments to really care that much. 

It’s one of those films where you really have to know what you’re getting into before you watch it, if you’ve seen the trailers and it sounds like your cup of tea then grab your sword and start your journey. If you’re hankering for a little more action and excitement with your fantasy, then I’d suggest going next door and watching Jungle Cruise instead.