My colleagues at SpoilerFreeReviews are wrong about David Lowrey’s film, THE GREEN KNIGHT. In my review, I’ve captured their thoughts and debunked them.
Tavish: THE GREEN KNIGHT is a visual masterpiece. With the opening shot, you feel as if you have fallen into the pages of a classic Arthurian storybook.
Aaron: Yes, this is true. It’s a visual masterpiece but with zero story to tell. Whatever happened to the classic saying, “thou shall not bore thy audience?” Even with visuals, there has to be somewhat of a meaningful story. Heck, even a Terrence Malick movie has more plot than THE GREEN KNIGHT.
Tarush: What THE GREEN KNIGHT does so well is not just the epic scale of adventure but also the oddities and weirdness of “historic” retellings of the time.
Tavish: Yes! David Lowery, once again, demonstrates his strength in world-building, and every shot feels carefully and flawlessly constructed.
Aaron: Weird and flawlessly constructed? Sure. But again, not much happens. The story and that weird world could’ve been told in a compelling thirty-minute short, not a two-plus hour misguided visual opus. This movie felt longer than the “one year hence” Gawain spends waiting for the Green Knight to return.
Tavish: Dev Patel (Gawain), Alicia Vikander (Essel), Sarita Choudhury (Mother), and Sean Harris (the King) each give distinctly powerful performances that add new dimensions to these century-old characters.
Aaron: The actors in this film would give a powerful performance even if it were in a McDonald’s commercial. They’re just that talented. It’s not the source material that makes them so good. It’s because they’re some of the best working in their field today.
Tarush: THE GREEN KNIGHT is my favorite type of movie -one that pulls you as deep as possible into the world that it builds.
Tavish: Thank you, A24, for delivering yet another visually stunning and immensely thought-provoking piece.
Aaron: Thank you, A24, for making the first Oscar-click bait film of 2021. The one that critics love and audiences (50% on Rotten Tomatoes) hate. If this film wins the Best Picture, I’ll summon the Green Knight to chop my head off.
If looking to “rest your bones,” THE GREEN KNIGHT is currently playing in theaters.
