King Henry V is a very complex and unique individual and this allowed Timothee Chalamet to give a stunning performance.

The King is a film that displays honour and truth in the Kingdom of England, from the perspective of a young boy, who attempts to navigate his way to the throne without craving everything that goes with it. It’s a character piece that showcases the trials of doubt and the circle surrounding the kingdom. As the Prince rises to the challenge, he faces his comrades and finds that many of his people wanted to win for clout and not to unify the people.

This may have been a period piece but it definitely deals with themes that resonate with people. The reason I was so invested with Chalamet’s performance was because of his subtle yearning for honesty and loyalty. The complexity of his performance plays the line between logic and emotional understanding of what it means to be a ruler. It’s difficult to have someone so close to you betray that trust.

The casting was great and I was impressed that Joel Edgerton co-wrote this script. The standout was Robert Pattinson, even though he had a very small role, his accent and performance was completely mad but it worked for the French ruler. Timothee Chalamet gives his “Braveheart” speech before going into battle and it was brilliant! He truly is such a dynamic actor and I’m beyond excited to see him grow.

The King has a a simple narrative, the dialogue isn’t filled with medieval political jargon that can sometimes get lost and the casting was lovely. Even though the runtime is tedious (for some) it did not feel long at all because the pacing of the story was good. The combat choreography was different and the camerawork that went with it was refreshing and brought it together nicely. The score by Nicholas Britell was well designed and it became more significant during Henry’s emotional scenes and during battle.

The ending of this film struck me because of all the information being thrown around. He becomes King Henry, not because of his conquests, the unity between kingdoms or the triumph of finally being on the throne BUT because he stays true to himself and honours this truth within his castle walls.