Since the start of his career with 2013’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, David Lowery has made a name for himself directing thought-provoking films, which has made him one of the most exciting filmmakers working today. Lowery’s films consistently explore new kinds of stories, which make his films feel fresh. In his first film with A24, A Ghost Story, Lowery crafts a masterful meditation on grief and exploration of finding peace even in the afterlife. Therefore, the anticipation for his second A24 film, The Green Knight, was high, and to the surprise of no one, the film delivers in every facet imaginable. It’s haunting, cerebral, and downright masterful.
Based on the poem of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Green Knight tells the story of Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), the nephew of King Arthur (Sean Harris). The latter believes that he has something to prove and is anxious for his opportunity to have a defining moment that will cement his legacy. That opportunity arrives in the form of a Green Knight, who on Christmas day appears and proposes a “Christmas Game” in which his ax would be offered to anyone who could strike a blow against him and in return must seek him 12 months later at The Green Chapel, where the impact would be reciprocated.
From the moment Gawain completes his half of the game, cinephiles fully understand why Lowery took on this Arthurian legend. Lowery’s meditative imagery is sprinkled throughout the film as Gawain’s adventure leads him to examine his purpose in life when death is at the end of that journey. Like A Ghost Story, The Green Knight focuses on the afterlife and what the world will be like when we no longer inhabit it. Lowery’s examination of these themes will leave cinephiles thinking about their very own mortality at the end of the film.
Along with the film’s rich themes, Andrew Droz Palermo’s cinematography may be the best of the year thus far. The film is rich with colors and because of that makes every stop in Gawain’s journey distinct yet unique with the overall landscape of the world we are exploring.
Similar to the cinematography, the score is nothing short of spine-bending. David Lowery’s go-to composer Daniel Hart is back, and his work in the film is haunting, chilling and sets the mood for the world Lowery is creating.
While the technical aspects and Lowery’s direction/writing are brilliant, the glue holding the film together is Academy Award nominee Dev Patel’s career-best performance. With his performance, Patel shows a complexity to Gawain that makes him neither a hero or villain, but an individual who wishes to be good-hearted and noble, but, with aspirations to leave a legacy. Despite knowing he may be on the way to death, Patel beautifully blends in that fear with a continued eagerness to meet the Green Knight. While this performance may go unrewarded, it should not be unspoken about.
The supporting cast is also formidable in the film. Seeing Academy Award winner Alicia Vikander doing great work again was quite the delight, along with Joel Egerton, Barry Keoghan, and Ralph Ineson as the Green Knight. This ensemble understands Lowery’s goal and flawlessly executes it on the screen.
In all my reviews, I make sure never to spoil any significant aspect of the film, and while that trend continues, it’s hard not to praise the movie’s ending. During the film’s unrelenting finale, I had flashbacks of 2016’s La La Land, one of my favorite film epilogues of the past decade, and have no problem saying The Green Knights finale is that good!
The Green Knight is not for the faint of heart. Its methodical pacing will challenge viewers, but its execution will warrant cinephiles accepting that challenge. As a result, it’s not just one of David Lowery’s best films, but it’s also one of the best films of 2021.
