'The Green Knight': Release date, plot, trailer and all you need to know about Arthurian horror film
A fourteenth-century Middle English poem about bravery and chivalry being brought to life (on the silver screen) by Dev Patel is not a sentence one hears every day, but here we are. Based on ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’ A24 brings to us the heroic tale of King Arthur’s supposedly reckless nephew Sir Gawain.
Directed by David Lowery, ‘The Green Knight’ looks ambitious and should be one of the more anticipated movies this summer.
Release Date
‘The Green Knight’ will be in theaters on May 29, 2020.
Plot
According to Collider, the official synopsis of the film is: “An epic fantasy adventure based on the timeless Arthurian legend, 'The Green Knight' tells the story of Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), King Arthur’s reckless and headstrong nephew, who embarks on a daring quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight, a gigantic emerald-skinned stranger, and tester of men. Gawain contends with ghosts, giants, thieves, and schemers in what becomes a deeper journey to define his character and prove his worth in the eyes of his family and kingdom by facing the ultimate challenger.”
According to a summary of the poem on SparkNotes, a strange figure referred to as the Green Knight pays King Arthur’s court an unexpected visit during the New Year’s Eve feast. He challenges those present to a game -- he will allow whoever accepts the challenge to strike him with his own axe, on the condition that the challenger finds him in exactly one year to receive a blow in return. Sir Gawain takes up the challenge and cuts off the knight’s head. The now-headless Green Knight, however, picks up his severed head, and away, before the head reiterates the terms of the pact.
As New Year’s Day arrives the following year, Gawain sets off in search of the Green Knight. Gawain, when he comes face to face with the Green Knight, presents his neck to him. He proceeds to feign two blows. On the third attempt, the Green Knight cuts Gawain’s neck slightly, drawing little blood. As Gawain tells him that their contract had been met, the Green Knight laughs. The Green Knight reveals his name as Bertilak and acknowledges that Gawain has proven himself a worthy knight. He then returns to King Arthur’s court.
Cast
The film has boasts an ensemble cast that includes Dev Patel, Joel Edgerton, Barry Keoghan, Ralph Ineson, Alicia Vikander, and Sean Harris
Dev Patel as Sir Gawain
The 29-year-old British actor of Indian origin rose to fame with Danny Boyle’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ where he played the role of the protagonist Jamal Malik. He’s also famous for his supporting role in Aaron Sorkin’s news drama ‘The Newsroom’, where he played the role of Neal Sampat.
Ralph Ineson as the Green Knight
The 50-year-old British thespian is perhaps best known for his role as Dagmer Cleftjaw in ‘Game of Thrones’. In his almost-30-year-long career, Ineson has worked in several films as well as on television. He’s starred in the ‘Harry Potter’ series, ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’, ‘Robin Hood’, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and more.
Sean Harris as King Arthur
The British stage, film, and television actor is best known for his role as Solomon Lane in the 2015’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’ and 2017’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’. He’s also played memorable roles in films like ‘The King’, ‘Prometheus’, ‘Possum’ and more.
Trailer
The teaser trailer that dropped on February 13 looks dark and somewhat creepy. It begins with Patel sitting on a throne, and without warning, his head catches fire. Visually, it has a vibe very similar to Robert Eggers’ 2015 atmospheric horror masterpiece ‘The VVitch’, another movie from A24. The teaser has glimpses of many things including the titular, grotesque-looking Green Knight. It’s stark, dark visuals are accompanied by ambient sounds that only add to the effect of horror.
If you like ‘The Green Knight’, you will also like
‘The King’, ‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’, ‘Knights of the Round Table’, ‘Camelot’ and ‘First Knight’.