★★★★☆
Set against the hum and heat of the Deep South, The Rivals of Amziah King follows Matthew McConaughey’s Amziah as he drifts back into the life of Kateri, his former foster daughter, played by Angelina LookingGlass.
What follows is a loose, unruly blend of music, crime, and community, a story that stumbles between mischief and tenderness while circling the question of where and with whom a person belongs.
Director Andrew Patterson approaches the film with a playful, kinetic sensibility, blending musicality with visual experimentation. His style leans into movement, rhythm, and tonal shifts, allowing the story to feel as if it is being discovered in motion rather than carefully laid out.
As often those great tales do, we begin at the appropriately named Ulysses Steak Sandwiches. In a mesmerising performance, McConaughey’s Amziah steps forth in a whirlwind of banjo, guitar, ukulele, and beat, swathed in harmonised voices.
The tones of chaos erupt as the camera slides and freezes upon something often unexpected. Cinematographer Miguel I. Litten-Menz moves fast with the camera, sporadic cuts and unyielding pans as witty dialogue flows seamlessly and hilariously.
The music comes and goes and threads throughout. Composers Erick Alexander and Jared Bulme intertwine their own blend of southern folkish music that is never missing some soft strum of various string instruments. Slow and mellow to fast and sporadic, it all adds to the shifting and swivelling scenes and stories, the turning of events and the pulse of the characters.
Coupled with this are the chaotic and hilarious stories that unfold, layered upon each other and then those of the community. Amziah understands the community with both instinct and empathy, seeing in it a reflection of his bees: their journeys, their roles, and the delicate balance of a larger system. Food and music are the lifeblood of this community, and no one understands that better than Amziah.
A distinct tonal shift follows, as the chaos settles into something quieter, almost deceptively calm. But beneath it lies a growing threat. Crime and the systematic crushing of small businesses by Kurt Russell’s tycoon, striking at the heart of the community Amziah holds dear.
Kateri charges into a series of heists and schemes with a headstrong determination, driven by a newly entrenched desire for revenge. While some of the film’s earlier fast-paced chaos returns, the ending leaves her emotionally unresolved, with a lingering sense of unease.
What remains is the living community, where each individual plays a small but essential role. Like Amziah’s bees, they form parts of a greater whole, something sustained through connection rather than control.
The Rivals of Amziah King proves that when the storytelling is fresh, inventive, and alive, the subject can be anything. Even bees.
Yet there is no clean resolution, only the sense that life continues in its own uneven way. Kateri carries something forward with her, not quite healed; a breath of southern air that is warm and full of life, but not without its sting.
The Rivals of Amziah King runs 23 – 29 March as part of Lotterywest Films and Perth Festival. Somerville Auditorium, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Godroo / Crawley WA 6009.
Website: https://www.perthfestival.com.au/program/season-2026/the-rivals-of-amziah-king
Website: https://www.perthfestival.com.au/program/season-2026/lotterywest-films
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/perthfest/ and https://www.instagram.com/lotterywest/
Watch the trailer below:
Film details:
Title: The Rivals of Amziah King
Director: Andrew Patterson
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Kurt Russell, Angelina LookingGlass, Jake Horowitz, Scott Shepherd, Rob Morgan, Tony Revolori, Owen Teague, Bruce Davis, Cole Sprouse
Country of Origin: USA
Duration: 131 mins
Rating: M
