The Rivals of Amziah King – Review

This highly watchable film is very hard to anticipate and features a plethora of interesting topics. A small-town folk musician who also doubles as a beekeeper and honey extractor, Amziah King (McConaughey) is a whirlwind of intrigue. The music is catchy even for those not into the style, and the mood is relatively infectious. Take a look.

Amziah King and his bandmates like Rippy (Morgan), Max (Hoffman), Pirate (Teague) and Stephen (Hardesty) strum their instruments, play harmonicas and sing loudly in a mostly barren parking lot of the drive-up restaurant Ulysse. King orders a plethora of food from Courtney, who mans the small shack. While they wait for food to eat, we get a taste of their musical jams. Then, after food and plenty of sangin’ a cop shows up with hints of the film’s plot.

A situation has arisen. A couple of gentlemen found barrels in a stolen truck which appear to be full of honey. No one is sure who stole it, and the driver ran off after the vehicle was pulled over. The weight alone makes Amziah think it is definitely honey. These barrels could be worth good money after extraction, $1,500 a barrel or so for Amziah, but street values are better. Split into jars, that could be $12,000 per barrel. With 20 barrels on the truck, they could look at almost a quarter million.

Interesting… Well, there is more music incoming too, and King reconnects with a foster daughter Kateri (LookingGlass) who gets into the business herself. Oh, and one of Amziah’s other workers and bandmates Colemar (Revolori) loses his head a bit. Ready for multiple dramas, some crime, songs and characters galore? If you can hang with this film’s slower pacing at the outset, you may be rewarded with some pretty good times.

The Rivals of Amziah King is a hard to define film as it encompasses many feelings, elements and vibes. Mostly it is a very enjoyable experience, but does contain solemn drama and realistic moments. The music grooves and it’s hard not to get swept up into the atmosphere. Then, every few scenes, the film will deliver a surprise, a joke, a twist or an amusing observation.

Performances are knock outs from top to bottom, but it’s hard not to connect with Amziah’s welcoming spirit or Kateri’s growing but reserved nature. As the plot evolves, there are some large turns, yet for the most part the story is cohesive and remains firmly on the rails. It does run long however, so a touch of trimming likely could have enhanced the pacing. That being said, everything from colors used to framing of the camera is a noticeable addition to the story, and this film offers a lot.

“A dark day for this elementary school.”