A scene from ‘The Rivals of Amziah King’

The Rivals of Amziah King review: Music, mercy and a mystery that stings

‘The Rivals of Amziah King’ is a beautiful story that takes a sharp turn when someone injures the pillar of the community.

Living in a community is natural for many species. There is power in numbers. Individuals have designated roles and everyone contributes to the survival of the society. Animal groups typically have more defined jobs and work more effortlessly as a unit than humans. There are rules and each member abides by them, for better or worse. However, when something attempts to disrupt this collective order, the repercussions can be tenfold. They take threats to the society very seriously. In The Rivals of Amziah King, a single act devastates two communities overnight.

Amziah King (Matthew McConaughey) is a beekeeper. After decades of dedication, he has several productive colonies. He processes their honey in his plant and bottles the nectar for sale. Amziah knows everyone in his small community, and plays in a bluegrass band with a group of friends and neighbours. Reuniting with his former foster daughter, Kateri (Angelina LookingGlass), makes his heart a little fuller. With fond memories of her temporary guardian, she’s happy to be invited back into his home and to help him in the bee yards. But when Amziah’s life’s work disappears overnight, it threatens more than their livelihood. So, Kateri decides to seek reparations — one way or another.

The film is deeply rooted in Southern traditions, which puts McConaughey in his element. Amziah is the epitome of Southern hospitality. He is always willing to lend a hand and help someone get back on their feet. He loves and respects bees, fascinated by their well-ordered societies. McConaughey seems genuinely inspired when philosophizing about their dynamics and the importance of each bee’s role. It’s this combination of expertise and good will that leads others to call on him for help.

The narrative trajectory is very unexpected. It does not follow the conventions of any similar story or genre. The opening 10 minutes actually contains one of the most shocking moments in a movie. It’s entirely unpredictable and a surprising source of humour, launching the picture’s unique journey.

The first half of the movie is lively and heartfelt, focusing on love, community and music. Bringing Kateri back into the fold and making her feel at home again becomes Amziah’s top priority. It’s obvious Kateri sees Amziah as a safe place, which is a feeling he instils in many people. When he teaches her the wordless part of a song so she can sing along, viewers swept up in the camaraderie will want to join in to be a part of the beautiful, carefree moment. Music is their life blood and its incredibly uplifting, whether they’re playing a gig or a spontaneous jam session.

Then it all comes to a crashing halt. Music becomes secondary, pushed to the sidelines when a series of events makes the community unwhole. But Kateri determines she will put the pieces back together, turning the second half of the picture into a cold and calculated investigation. The more she digs around, the more she realizes beekeeping is a cutthroat industry with a lot of money to be made or stolen. At the centre of her inquiry is local, nefarious business magnate, Dob McCoy (Kurt Russell).

Although the plot may conjure the title of a recent action picture, no one is going off Jason Statham-style in this movie. But the upheaval Kateri’s search for revenge causes has a ripple effect that may help the community heal. After all, there’s nothing worse than taking advantage of someone with a big heart. And nothing brings a community together like helping a friend in need. As a result, the conclusion wraps up the story nicely with the ending they all worked for and a fitting bee metaphor.

Just remember to be careful around machinery and never steal another man’s pickup truck. Also, stay away from this picture if bees make you squeamish. There’s a couple of horrifyingly tranquil moments that’ll have viewers applauding or praying for the actors.

Director: Andrew Patterson
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Angelina LookingGlass and Jake Horowitz

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