The King (2019) (Review)


Timothée Chalamet continues his Hollywood domination with a leading role in The King, a Netflix Original adaptation of several plays from William Shakespeare's Henriad. While the historical epic genre was once the industry's bread and butter, with the likes of Braveheart and Gladiator swooping up Best Picture gold in their respective years, they appear to be a fading from cinema. Can David Michôd's moody effort revive a dying genre?

When Hal ascends the British Throne upon his father's death in 1413, he inherits a kingdom of war and chaos. Despite his reluctance to rule, Henry V is forced to navigate a political minefield that leads him to the famous Battle of Agincourt. With Chalamet starring as the titular ruler, The King's ensemble is rounded out by Joel Edgerton, Sean Harris, Robert Pattinson, Ben Mendelsohn and Lily-Rose Depp.

Intelligent and surprisingly contemporary, The King's Shakespearean influence are embraced but it mostly looks to our times to deliver a piece with both meaning and relevance for modern audiences. It would be foolish, given the political climate brewing in almost every corner of our world, not to recognise the jostle for power, dangerous treachery and political unsteadiness that Joel Egerton and David Michôd have embedded within their script. It takes on a slower pace as it documents Henry V's rise and his attempts to change the world he has inherited, but once those wonky first 20 minutes are out of the way, it's difficult not to be gripped until the close of this slow-burning yet sharply-pointed and engaging feature-length.

With the quieter intimacy of the character arcs contrasted well by the scale of the production, Michôd's visceral and immersive direction instils The King with a brooding energy that Nicholas Britell's atmospheric score serves very well. Particularly when the film reaches its Agincourt pièce de résistance, a technically skilled and heart-racing final act that rivals some of the best screen battles of recent years, the film's darkly grim execution powers the film to great heights in its concluding stretch. With Michôd's direction enriched by solid production design across the board, captured by Adam Arkapaw's strong cinematography, it's a crying shame that most audiences won't get to experience this impressive feat on the big screen.

A lot of the success is down to Timothee Chalamet, who is rather magnificent in his first real period role. His boyish charm serves the character superbly, with a quiet complexity building towards a thoroughly earned, chest-clutching speech before the film's big battle that cements Chalamet's brilliance for anyone foolish enough to still doubt his talent. Chalamet's characterful supporting cast featuring Egerton and Ben Mendelsohn (alongside Robert Pattinson, whose accent could not be more french if it were dressed in a garlic garland and singing La Marseillaise) are serviceable, but Chalamet towers above them all, registering one of the year's most captivating performances worthy of all the recognition in the land.

It's not a particularly daring genre interpretation, but The King's thoughtful script smartly recalibrates a centuries-old tale by viewing it through a contemporary lens that results in a historical epic with biting relevancy. A number of well-executed elements across the board support Michôd's viscerally-charged genre effort, but it is Timothée Chalamet's excellent lead performance - easily one of the year's best - that ensure Netflix's latest is a crowing achievement. Long live The King.

8/10

Summary: All hail, Timothee Chalamet! It isn't until his King Henry rises to the regal titular position that The King finds its footing - but as soon as the crown is secured, David Michôd's visceral and brooding film reigns supreme.