Good, but Forgettable

Rating: 6/10 (10 May 2020)

The King is another middle age war story, that's impressing visually, but offers nothing new to the table. These types of movies that Netflix are producing are becoming a lot more common, but Netflix is doing nothing to make them stand out. The King and Outlaw King have different plots, but both feel the same to me. They're alright when it comes to the screenplay, and they both have amazing visuals and war scenes; I've already forgotten most of Outlaw King, and since The King is so similar, I think this movie is just going to slip out of my memory in about a year.
The screenplay is a major factor as to why this movie is so forgettable; there's nothing to talk about, it's simply plain. They should've put more into it and make it more unique, even if it makes The King not true to history. The way the characters were written felt really lazy. Why does Hal hate war so much and try to avoid it? Why does Hal not want to be king even though he doesn't want his father in charge? What battle did Falstaff take part in and why is he in such a good friendship with Hal? It's like all the characters were written to feel or be something but without reason. The screenplay in general is lazy, and the runtime is over two hours, I think they could've put in a lot more to improve the characters.
The acting was great, but the way Timothée Chalamet acted Hal felt cold and emotionless most of the time. Timothée Chalamet probably had to act Hal in that way, but it does the character no justice. If Hal was acted more in a compassionate human way, then I might've cared if Hal would die or not. In fact, since all the characters are so one dimensional, if they all died, I would wouldn't care at all.
The best part are the visuals, battles, and music, which is what holds up The King from getting a rating that is lower than a five. The visuals is what you'd expect from a Netflix film; it has stunning cinematography and excellent filming locations. The action is realistic and I like how they mention the fact that fighting in full knight armor is going to tire you out quickly. The music is my favorite part; it's sad and droopy which adds to the entire mood of the film.
The King is pretty much standard in the genre and it's not going to be memorable in the years to come. The acting and aesthetics can only go so far when the screenplay adds no context to any of the characters. The King is not a bad movie, but it's not a necessary watch, just watch it without any high expectations.