‘The Rivals of Amziah King’: Matthew McConaughey Releases the Bees in Honeyed Heist Movie

Tony Sokol

Revenge is bittersweet in director Andrew Patterson’s “The Rivals of Amziah King.” Matthew McConaughey plays Amziah King, a bluegrass-playing beekeeper with a very open attitude about everything but stolen honey. Angelina LookingGlass plays Kateri, a foster child who stays with him after the untimely prison suicide of her mother. They are reconciling over a business both will consider a calling.

John Montague’s screenplay is sensitive to the changes in environment, and the subtle rush to take bee safety seriously soon. Set in rural Oklahoma, where local law enforcement doesn’t keep many pollination experts on their payroll, Officer Sunderland (Bruce Davis) interrupts a jam for help on 20 barrels of stolen honey. Amziah assesses it as a quarter of a million dollars’ worth, and is recruited to identify the original owners.

“The Rivals of Amziah King” is unique in style, execution, and direction. Patterson keeps the atmosphere quirky, but deadly serious. Filled with mirthful music, the film contains one of the most frightening jump scares ever to find its way to celluloid, featuring the banjo prodigy Komar (Tony Revolori). This happens during a simple mechanical demonstration, and comes out of nowhere. The sequence encapsulates the realism of the film. Every syllable feels like real conversation, including, and possibly most importantly, veteran honey-worker Chimmy’s (Scott Shepherd) indecipherable vocalizations.

Amziah is a widower with a heart condition. He is a born-again Christian, which he announces whenever forced to lapse into foul language. He is also a multi-instrumentalist who leads a group of neighbors who play in the parking lots of fast-food drive-ins, living rooms, kitchens, and porches. They all take turns on every instrument, because they are playing to entertain themselves. The musical sequences are immersive, evocatively shot, and conducted rather than directed. The audio is captured with a beautiful sonic naturalness. The drums played by a duet during a performance sequence contains all the drama of a camera pan.

The musicians, played by Revolori, Owen Teague, Scott Shepherd, Rob Morgan, and Jake Horowitz, double as honey experts, or anything anyone might need in any situation. Rippy (Rob Morgan), a guitar player and Amziah’s legal counsel, brings a complete understanding of the legal wrangles coming out of his client’s mouth, and the steps needed to help Kateri. All-around heist expert, Oat (Cole Sprouse), finds more than a cause to fight for, but one for his own well-being, regardless of jail time.

“The Rivals of Amziah King” plays with pacing like it’s a fiddle sting. The first half is elongated, allowing characters to take their leads, and move into the background like instruments. They leave their resonance as the film picks up speed and intensity in the second half, even performing as the lucky band to win a chance to play an anniversary dinner with Dob McCoy (Kurt Russell), the villainous local honey baron taking over all the hives, in attendance. But even in the tensest scenes, with buildups based on quick movements, the vantage point can change to a more relaxed, open space.

Amziah appears a natural fit for McConaughey, even occasionally sliding into the voice he’s adopted to sell cars. A laid-back philosopher with down-to-earth charm and a recognized face, Amziah is the center of all things fun in the tight-knit community’s events. McConaughey delivers his tastiest performance during an early potluck dinner, explaining the backstories of every entrée, and warning Kateri off the mashed potatoes. (There’s something not right about the family that makes them. They have a child who is nine years old but has the face and upper body of a 50-year-old.) Amziah is a natural father figure. LookingGlass’s connection with McConaughey is spontaneous and immediate.

Kateri appears innocent in her introduction as a waitress, but blends quickly into the extended family Amziah offers. She learns the business fast, and payback, which she has to grasp on her own, even faster. Drones and workers are very protective of the queen bee in the hive community. LookingGlass allows Kateri to grow, stretching towards the light, while bending into the darkest corners of a cut-throat business. As the noose tightens, LookingGlass brings subtle humor to every encounter. The consequences come as minor shocks, offsetting the tone with cynical darkness. LookingGlass holds the transition together. As the second half opens, Dob McCoy appears on hand as if to restore balance in Amziah’s absence. But the focus stays tight on Kateri’s rise into the Queen Bee she needs to be to grow the hive. 

Displaying the independent filmmaking flag like it is tied to a makeshift pirate ship floating on metal barrels, “The Rivals of Amziah King” is innovative and honest, by a twisted default. It works, but could go over a dozen edges, which must be Patterson’s point. The film nods to crime thrillers and family dramas, Westerns and thrillers, farces, and Americana, with slapstick sequences often acting as bridges over the genre-hopping. The journey is entertaining, and the depths of the darkness provides honey-sweet catharsis.

“The Rivals of Amziah King” releases Aug. 14 in select theaters.