North Texas Daily

The fantasy genre has always been an amazing way to explore territory we aren’t familiar with. Being submerged in a world where there are no limits can be extremely rewarding if it is done right. A24 manages to make movies enticing with just their company logo, and it seems they always deliver high-quality movies to audiences. It is no surprise “The Green Knight” is the latest addition to an incredibly artistic A24 roster, and there is a lot to unpack from beginning to end. If you are looking for the next great fantasy adventure film, look no further.

An entire paragraph must be dedicated to the amazing performance Dev Patel gives. His character, Gawain, goes through every emotion imaginable. There are moments where you see his eagerness get the better of him, and it would be easy for Gawain to be an annoying character. Patel single-handedly keeps those fears from being true in a way only he could do. A film like this thrives off of its protagonist, and if the audience doesn’t latch on to the protagonist quickly enough, the whole film becomes pointless. There are some times where you see a performance and you have so many thoughts on how it works for you, but then you just can’t put it into words. It is pure magic, and I really hope we see his name pop up when award season rolls around. Alicia Vikander also does a phenomenal job in a supporting role. Acting in a fantasy adventure film can easily come off as corny, but there was not a single ounce of it in this movie. It is worth your attention based on the acting alone.

There have been some mixed feelings towards the film, and I seem to find myself directly in the middle. I am not a huge fan of the fantasy genre, so this film did not scratch the same itch for me that it did for big-time fantasy fans. It may come off as boring to some, but if you let yourself become invested in the world presented, the film almost comes off as calming at times. From a technical level, this is one of the prettiest movies I have ever seen. Gawain exploring this world we know nothing about is mesmerizing and it only comes off as boring if you refuse to invest in the world. By the time the movie ends, there are some strings you have to tie together yourself, but nothing makes you think longer than the movie’s runtime. I have had more fun talking to people about this movie than I did seeing the actual movie, but I promise it is a good thing. When it comes to the movie’s problems, the biggest one I can think of is a lack of interest.

I am not familiar with the source material, and I think I may have gotten more out of this film if I was. I can respectfully understand why people both love and hate this movie. I do plan on going to see this one again, as this is one of those movies you should watch twice to fully digest. It is a long journey, and by the end, you may feel the fatigue, but it is truly something to appreciate on the big screen.

This movie is like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with way too much peanut butter. Fans of peanut butter are going to be all over it, but it can be a little overwhelming for some. I tried my best to fully invest in this movie, but there were still times I could not get fully into it. It is okay to not like something like this, but it is hard to not appreciate what it does. This movie was not made for me, but I do hope the fans of this genre get what they are looking for. Escaping to a world like this was a beautiful experience.

Final rating: 4/5