“The Green Knight” Early Buzz Calls it Brilliant, Haunting, & Worth the Wait
We’ve been eagerly tracking director David Lowery’s The Green Knight since we first heard about the film’s existence. A director of Lowery’s immense skill taking on an Arthurian legend and casting Dev Patel as a headstrong knight was more than enough to pique our interest. The film was, like so many others, delayed because of the pandemic. (And Lowery told Vanity Fair that he used the time to totally recut it.) Now, the first reactions have arrived online, and we’re here to share them with you. Coming as absolutely no surprise, Lowery’s film is apparently epic, utterly unique, and haunting.
First, let’s review what The Green Knight is all about. The film follows Dev Patel’s Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew, as he accepts a deadly challenge from Ralph Ineson’s Green Knight. The challenge seems deceptively easy—the Green Knight says he will give any man the chance to strike him first, but a year later, he will return the favor. On its face, this seems suicidal—a single blow to the neck with a sword should kill him—but the Green Knight is no ordinary mortal. Sir Gawain, hungry for honor, accepts the challenge and decapitates the Green Knight—he then watches in horror as his victim picks up his head and rides off, laughing, awaiting his turn a year later.
Pretty awesome premise, right? Joining Patel and Ineson are Joel Edgerton, Alicia Vikander, Sarita Choudhury, Sean Harris, Kate Dickie, Berry Keoghan, and Erin Kellyman. The Green Knight hits theaters on July 30. Now let’s check out these early reactions:
I was lucky enough to see David Lowery’s hypnotic ‘The Green Knight’ on a big screen recently & am already planning a return visit when it is released this month. It’s a beautiful Arthurian head trip & frankly a treat to luxuriate in. I highly recommend you venture out to see it. pic.twitter.com/UDbrXPZdZZ
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) July 13, 2021
THE GREEN KNIGHT: David Lowery is starting to become of my favorite working directors with this surreal, Bergman-inspired fantasy epic. A mesmerizing, transporting, magnificently bizarre journey that is one of the rare movies to really appreciate how sexy Dev Patel is
— Hoai-Tran Bui (@htranbui) July 19, 2021
#TheGreenKnight is nothing short of magnificent. With visuals that belong in a museum for all to admire and a career-defining performance by Dev Patel, THE GREEN KNIGHT is a slow-burn tale about mortality and the journey of finding oneself. It’s a truly stunning piece of cinema. pic.twitter.com/GJFDBsW0ol
— Shannon 🎃🍭 @ Screaming into the Void (@shannon_mcgrew) July 19, 2021
Hello I’m here to FINALLY tell you how completely obsessed I am with #TheGreenKnight I have been thinking of little else since I saw it. It’s at once a nostalgic throwback to 80s fantasy, a creepy A24 horror movie, AND a classically challenging David Lowery story. I am OBSESSED. pic.twitter.com/eZH8WzPZYu
— Joanna Robinson (@jowrotethis) July 19, 2021
#TheGreenKnight is every bit as hauntingly beautiful as you’re hoping.
A heady (!) mood piece and morality tale unlike any take on Arthurian legend before it.
Dev Patel continues to astound.
Go in open-minded (and not expecting tons of swordplay) and let it wash over you. pic.twitter.com/TJXHsCbWB2
— Joel Meares (@joelmeares) July 19, 2021
THE GREEN KNIGHT: The 16-month wait to see David Lowery’s epic of blood, sex and magic/magik was worth it. Chaos reigns, as one furry and Lars von Trier-y character might (but regrettably does not) say. Dev Patel can cut off my head any time he likes. Opens in Cdn cinemas July 30 pic.twitter.com/AdNkaqKbdj
— Barry Hertz (@HertzBarry) July 19, 2021
Friends, #TheGreenKnight is a sumptuous, haunting bit of Arthurian legend, showcasing the creepiness in a lot of those stories. Outstanding costumes, and Daniel Hart’s music is terrific. Lowery asks you to intuit a lot, both text and subtext, worth it if you open your mind. pic.twitter.com/z4O9Pkzn4k
— Kyle D. Anderson (@KyleDAnderson) July 19, 2021
#TheGreenKnight is everything I could have hoped for in an adaptation of Arthurian legend. It’s simultaneously dreamy and sensual, brutal and bleak. Dev Patel is more than up to carrying Gawain’s solo hero’s journey in David Lowery’s best work yet. Absolutely mesmerizing stuff.
— Alisha Grauso (@AlishaGrauso) July 19, 2021
Here’s the official synopsis from A24:
An epic fantasy adventure based on the timeless Arthurian legend, The Green Knight tells the story of Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), King Arthur’s reckless and headstrong nephew, who embarks on a daring quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight, a gigantic emerald-skinned stranger and tester of men. Gawain contends with ghosts, giants, thieves, and schemers in what becomes a deeper journey to define his character and prove his worth in the eyes of his family and kingdom by facing the ultimate challenger. From visionary filmmaker David Lowery comes a fresh and bold spin on a classic tale from the knights of the round table.
For more on The Green Knight, check out these stories:
Ralph Ineson’s Oral History Of “The Green Knight” is Fantastic
“The Green Knight” Trailer Highlights One of the Year’s Most Intriguing Films
New Images Tease Dev Patel in the Long-Awaited “The Green Knight”
The Green Knight Trailer Reveals Dev Patel in David Lowrey’s Medieval Fantasy
Featured image: Dev Patel in “The Green Knight.” Courtesy A24
