After Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes, this next one couldn’t be more of a contrast. King Knight is a comedy; not of a raucous style like Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse or anything, but rather a laid back and deadpan satire. It’s the story of Thorn (Matthew Gray Gubler) who leads a Wiccan coven with his lovely Willow (Angela Sarafyan) in sunny, suburban California.
They and their little group are contented, living under Thorn’s guidance and some high expectations of each other, eschewing the judgment of regular folk until they find some random cause to judge each other. And then the life that Thorn led before joining the Wicca way is uncovered and he finds himself taking a journey of discovery. Not very far, mind you.
The dialogue and character writing are sharp and witty all around, with sincere rather than sarcastic delivery from all. Almost everyone is adorable, somehow; and there are some rather imaginative cameos, including Ray Wise as Merlin and Aubrey Plaza as a pine cone! Yet somehow, King Knight felt just a little too pretentious to me: sure, Dawn Breaks was artsy to the max and looked pretentious, but I could feel it in this one like an annoying itch. Still, to each their own, and there is indeed something for everyone in a festival like FrightFest.
King Knight is a 2021 American comedy film written and directed by Richard Bates Jr. It stars Matthew Gray Gubler, Angela Sarafyan, Andy Milonakis, Barbara Crampton, Ray Wise, AnnaLynne McCord, Johnny Pemberton, Ronnie Gene Blevins, Aubrey Plaza and Felisha Cooper. The film was shot in 2019 and made its premiere on August 8, 2021, at the Fantasia Film Festival.
Film Review for King Knight
We enjoy Richard Bates Jr’s movies. Ever since Excision, we’ve longed to return to his twisted world time and time again. His latest, King Knight, has a lighter tone but is still a gem of a production.
Thorn (Matthew Gray Gubler) is a suburban witch who presides over a coven of misfits. However, he has a secret that he is hiding even from his devoted partner Willow (Angela Sarafyan). An email he is dodging holds the key to this dark moment of his past: an invitation to his class reunion. The worst is yet to come as Thorn shamefully admits that he was his year’s prom king.
With King Knight, Bates Jr has crafted a gloriously hilarious, camp masterpiece that pokes fun at both the expected norms of American school life and the sage-burning new age breed that so earnestly embrace their outsider status. Genre royalty Barbara Crampton and Ray Wise pop up in small roles but make their presence felt. Aubrey Plaza even provides the voice of a pinecone. Yep, it’s that sort of film. A lo-fi animated sequence is the topping on the cake.
There’s an in-character voiceover from Gubler – who is understatedly superb – that gives the introduction a Woody Allen feel, and there’s more than enough entertaining lines that you’ll be dying to drop into everyday conversation – well if you’re like us, anyway. King Knight is destined to be a beloved cult classic, adored by those who discover its charms. Don’t let it pass you by.
King Knight (2022)
Directed by: Richard Bates Jr.
Starring: Matthew Gray Gubler, Angela Sarafyan, Andy Milonakis, Barbara Crampton, Ray Wise, AnnaLynne McCord, Johnny Pemberton, Ronnie Gene Blevins, Aubrey Plaza, Felisha Cooper
Screenplay by: Richard Bates Jr.
Production Design by: Leigh Poindexter
Cinematography by: Shaheen Seth
Film Editing by: Brit DeLillo
Costume Design by: Adriana Lambarri, Anthony Tran
Set Decoration by: Grace Surnow
Art Direction by: Cassie Lopez
Music by: Steve Damstra II
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: XYZ Films
Release Date: August 8, 2021 (Fantasia Film Festival), February 17, 2022
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