The Rivals of Amziah King
Matthew McConaughey, Angelina Lookingglass; directed by Andrew Patterson
Matthew McConaughey and Angelina LookingGlass in “The Rivals of Amziah King.” (Black Bear)
Andrew Patterson’s “The Rivals of Amziah King” unfolds as a sprawling, genre‑blending Southern crime fable, mixing mystery, dark comedy, revenge, and heist‑thriller elements into one unruly package. The film centers on Amziah King, a rural Oklahoma beekeeper and folk‑rock musician whose calm, charismatic presence steadies a tight‑knit community even as trouble begins to ripple through it. McConaughey plays him in a heightened, preacher‑like mode — charming, philosophical, and quietly magnetic — giving the film its gravitational pull.
The story shifts when Amziah reconnects with Kateri, his former foster daughter, played by newcomer Angelina Lookingglass. Midway through the film, she effectively takes over the narrative, delivering a striking debut that deepens the emotional stakes and reshapes the film’s momentum. Their relationship unfolds against escalating danger, community tensions, and a series of wild tonal swings that Patterson embraces with confidence and ambition.
Beneath the genre clutter, the film ultimately becomes a tale about community, shared values, and the fragile work of holding people together. Its excesses — the overstuffed structure, the stylistic flourishes, the chaotic mix of tones — are inseparable from its charm, resulting in a messy, inventive, and unexpectedly warm Oklahoma-rooted epic.
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