The King is a Netflix produced medieval, 15th century, drama that follows disgraced, Prince Hal, the Prince of Wales as he must unwillingly turn from drunken philanderer to warrior king. Starring Timothée Chalamet, Joel Edgerton and Robert Pattinson, this movie showcases the politics and hostilities Hal faces from those close to him inside his castle and those from outside the castle in the battle for the respect to claim English reign.
The plot was interesting and easy to follow. The script was well written and had a good mix of character driven dialogue along with a significant amount of action sequences. The fight scenes were intense at times, bringing a gritty, dirtiness that felt historically accurate. The costumes and the sets were also perfect for the movie, properly transporting you to this archaic, ruthless world.
I thought that the acting throughout the film was great. I especially enjoyed Timothée Chalamet’s portrayal of King Henry V. He was really able to carry this movie by bringing to life this smart and calculated king with strong military prowess. He was able to showcase his evolution from a drunken black sheep, to a naïve ruler who just wanted peace, to a powerful, merciless king. Joel Edgerton also did well playing the military expert and loyal friend whose guidance was meant to steer Hal in a righteous direction. The only actor I wasn’t completely on board with was Robert Pattinson. His acting was good, as an almost French reflection of the drunken disappointment that Hal used to be, but his French accent was terrible, as it kept fading in an out thought out each scene that he was in. Honestly, they should have just hired a French actor to play the role. They also could have elaborated more on his character development as he was a bit too one dimensional.
Even though Pattinson was a bit of a damper he couldn’t derail this movie for me. I was still engaged throughout and could have easily enjoyed this film in a theatre. Netflix can be hit or miss with the quality they put out but this one, for me, was definitely a hit.
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