The King (2019)

Director: David Michôd
Stars: Robert Pattinson, Timothée Chalamet, Lily-Rose Depp
Runtime: 140 minutes

Synopsis: Hal, wayward prince and heir to the English throne, is crowned King Henry V after his tyrannical father dies. Now the young king must navigate palace politics, the war his father left behind, and the emotional strings of his past life.

Performances: 3/5
Screenplay: 3/5
Costumes/Makeup: 4/5
Editing: 2/5
Cinematography: 3/5
Score/Soundtrack: 3/5

Verdict: The reason why I'm not a big fan of historical dramas is the fact that it's nearly impossible to  emotionally relate to the characters or atmosphere of the era in which they take place. Most of  the time, they consist of famous actors dressed in expensive costumes and talking using a fancy vocabulary for over 2 hours, and it's very easy to get bored of it very quickly. David Michôd's newest Netflix original based on several plays from Shakespeare's "Henriad", despite tackling a few interesting themes here and there, unfortunately doesn't escape that unwritten rule. In it, a French actor (Timothée Chalamet) plays the King of England and an English actor (Robert Pattinson) plays a French Dauphin, and while they both do a pretty decent job, I found the casting and accent of the latter to be a little distracting at times. But the main issue with "The King" is its crying lack of personality. Everything in it is incredibly stale and monotonous, making the watch feel at times like a chore. And a long one, too. With a runtime of 140 minutes, I kept asking myself why Michôd decided to glue together so many plays when he easily could've cut a few to make the pacing a little faster.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate "The King" and I'll admit that it had more than a few interesting moments as well as gorgeous costume and set designs. But will I remember in a couple of weeks time? I highly doubt it.

FINAL GRADE: 5/10