The Rivals of Amziah King (dir. Andrew Patterson)

By: Nick Zednik

The Rivals of Amziah King is the kind of cinema that seems determined to resist being neatly categorized. Part Southern Ggothic, part crime thriller, part coming-of-age drama, part musical, and part modern Western, the film throws an abundance of ideas at the wall and somehow makes many of them stick. Set in rural Oklahoma, the story follows Amziah King, a charismatic beekeeper, musician, and community figure whose carefully constructed life is disrupted when his estranged foster daughter, Kateri (Angelia LookingGlass), returns home. What begins as an emotional story about reconnecting with family gradually expands into a tale of criminal rivalries, revenge, and survival. Director Andrew Patterson intricately follows up his excellent feature debut, The Vast of Night (2019) by displaying unmistakable confidence behind the camera, filling the scenery with eccentric characters, striking compositions, and a wonderfully lived-in sense of place. While messy and unconventional, there is an undeniable charm to its ambition.

Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club, Interstellar) feels completely at home in this role. Amziah is an unusual character: equal parts eccentric patriarch, small-town businessman, musician, and potentially dangerous wildcard. The character wholly represents the blue collar lifestyle, someone whose flaws are fully present yet, there’s a warmth to the character’s ability to appreciate the finer things in life. Amziah’s chemistry with his foster daughter, Kateri, serves as the backbone by revealing their uncheckered pasts through music and fondness towards bees. LookingGlass, makes an impressive feature debut and more than holds her own. Kateri initially feels like someone searching for a place to belong, but her evolution into a fiercely independent force gives the second half of the film much of its momentum. The rest of the ensemble adds plenty of colorful personality, particularly the legendary Kurt Russell, (Tombstone, The Thing) a smooth-talking agricultural kingpin as a formidable adversary with emotional depth.  

The film occasionally feels like several movies fighting for control of the same runtime. Patterson’s willingness to jump between genres is initially exhilarating, particularly during the film’s energetic first half, where bluegrass performances, dark comedy, criminal intrigue, and family drama coexist in surprisingly entertaining fashion. However, the 130-minute runtime starts to become noticeable as the film’s tonal shifts can sometimes feel less like deliberate experimentation and more like a lack of restraint. Yet, even when the storytelling loses its footing, the film's beating heart keeps everything afloat. M.I. Littin-Menz’s cinematography captures the rugged beauty of the Oklahoma landscape, while the bluegrass-heavy soundtrack gives the  a distinctive personality that separates it from more conventional rural crime dramas.

Ultimately, The Rivals of Amziah King is an ambitious swing that doesn't always connect, but its willingness to take risks makes it difficult to dismiss. There is an infectious sincerity behind the film’s celebration of community, family, music, and the people who find a sense of belonging in unlikely places. McConaughey’s on-screen presence adds an irresistible charm, while LookingGlass emerges as a major discovery worth watching. In an era dominated by recycled formulas, there is something appealing about a film this unapologetically chaotic.

Nick’s Pick: 7.5/10 The Rivals of Amziah King is tonally flawed, wildly eccentric and an entertaining genre mashup anchored by a terrific ensemble, establishing Andrew Patterson as an exciting and unpredictable voice in American cinema.