The Rivals of Amziah King Review: Charmingly Dull

There’s charisma to be found in The Rivals of Amziah King, even if it’s ultimately a bit dry, which makes it hard to get invested in its core conflict.

Right off the jump, writer-director Andrew Patterson demonstrates a genuine sense of respect and nostalgia for the American South. The bond amongst the people living in the community depicted here is heartfelt with a touch of silly whimsy. A sort of musical number opens the film, where Patrick J. Smith’s editing demonstrates this community through the use of freeze-frames that—paired with the gold glow look of M.I. Littin-Menz’s cinematography—sell the idea that we’re looking at core memories being made by our characters in real time.

The characters, or should I really say caricatures, that occupy The Rivals of Amziah King add to this world of southern whimsy Patterson seeks to explore. Folks like Tony Revolori (Asteroid City) don’t take much screen time but leave enough of an impression because of the ridiculous situations they get themselves in. It makes an otherwise mundane town seem fun. A set piece that highlights this is one involving Amziah and Kateri being called in to deal with a beehive within the walls of an elementary school. Patterson takes a relatively grounded setup and makes it feel big—very Coen brothers of him—through the chaos our duo encounters with the students, teachers, and staff.

Is McConaughey essentially playing himself? Absolutely, but when has that done harm to anyone? If anything, he aids Patterson in realizing his vision of this colorful, energetic, and at times dangerous world. McConaughey sets the tone the rest of the cast should strive for with their performances. While most succeed, undeniably he is the most energetic presence in the movie, which is why The Rivals of Amziah King takes a bit of a dip once it shifts focus from Amziah to LookingGlass’s Kateri.

LookingGlass, in her feature debut, holds her own opposite McConaughey. There is a natural charisma she carries that immediately endears her to us. When Kateri is off on her own trying to live up to Amziah’s legacy, she’s easy to root for. However, as the film transitions away from Amziah and to Kateri’s perspective, the movie trades genres as well. Patterson embraces this heist-revenge thriller narrative that is at odds with its lighter tone established earlier. So, The Rivals of Amziah King ends up having a bit of an identity crisis.

What this transition in protagonist and genre reveals is that Patterson doesn’t really know what to do with Kateri. She’s got a sad backstory and is determined to save Amziah’s business. Beyond that, though, LookingGlass doesn’t have much to work off of from a scripting standpoint; she’s completely codependent on Amziah’s teachings. It never feels like she’s her own person. As a result, the violence Kateri inflicts later on feels unearned and completely driven by the fact that the plot requires her to do the actions she commits. It’s hard to get invested in a conflict that is forced and that clashes with the film’s oversentimentality.

Although there is a cool car chase scene and a fun heist in the river, I found myself mostly bored by what transpires in The Rivals of Amziah King, which is odd and maybe contradictory to say, as I praised the earlier tone and cast. Yet, its mundanity in the first half and its spectacle in the second half never come together to form anything thematically compelling. The cast is fun, and there are set pieces to get a laugh from or gasp at. I’m glad somebody like Patterson is making these small-scale, adult dramedies. Though I fear that isn’t enough to make The Rivals of Amziah King sing to the highs it aims for.

The Rivals of Amziah King will be released in select US theaters on August 14, 2026 and nationwide on August 21.