Fantasy films don’t have to be as big and expensive as ‘The Lord of the Rings’ to fascinate with impressive visuals and a breathtaking atmosphere – director David Lowery (‘Elliot, the Dragon’, ‘A Ghost Story’) only proved this in 2021 “The Green Knight“. Anyone who missed the allegorical fantasy poem in the cinema now only has the opportunity to catch up with a subscription to Netflix until March 31, 2024.
“The Green Knight” is based on the medieval roundtable story “Sir Gawain And The Green Knight”: on New Year’s Eve, a tree-like creature on a green horse rides into the throne room of King Arthur (Sean Harris) and challenges the knights present. One of those present may give him a blow – but only if the mysterious warrior is allowed to return the same blow a year and a day later.
Young Gawain (Dev Patel) takes up the challenge and cuts off the Green Knight’s head – but he just takes his severed head with him and rides away laughing. A year later, Gawain struggles with the question of whether he should keep his promise and eventually leaves for the Green Chapel, where the mysterious knight awaits him…
An unusual fantasy highlight
David Lowery does not make it easy for his audience: ‘The Green Knight’ is anything but a straightforward fantasy adventure or a superficial Disney fairy tale. “The best thing you can do is just let the film wash over you“Being inspired by individual shots, metaphors, or encounters, rather than trying to fully ‘understand’ it (at least the first time you see it),” is the reason for our FILMSTARTS review.
But even those who have difficulty with such films “can still be intoxicated by the impressive images and a breathtaking atmosphere,” writes FILMSTARTS editor-in-chief Christoph Petersen, who gives “The Green Knight” a solid 4 out of 5 stars.