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“The Green Knight” Early Buzz Calls it Brilliant, Haunting, & Worth the Wait

July 19, 2021
By The Credits

We’ve been eagerly tracking director David Lowery’s The Green Knight since we first heard about the film’s existence. A director of Lowery’s immense skill taking on an Arthurian legend and casting Dev Patel as a headstrong knight was more than enough to pique our interest. The film was, like so many others, delayed because of the pandemic. (And Lowery told Vanity Fair that he used the time to totally recut it.) Now, the first reactions have arrived online, and we’re here to share them with you. Coming as absolutely no surprise, Lowery’s film is apparently epic, utterly unique, and haunting.

First, let’s review what The Green Knight is all about. The film follows Dev Patel’s Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew, as he accepts a deadly challenge from Ralph Ineson’s Green Knight. The challenge seems deceptively easy—the Green Knight says he will give any man the chance to strike him first, but a year later, he will return the favor. On its face, this seems suicidal—a single blow to the neck with a sword should kill him—but the Green Knight is no ordinary mortal. Sir Gawain, hungry for honor, accepts the challenge and decapitates the Green Knight—he then watches in horror as his victim picks up his head and rides off, laughing, awaiting his turn a year later.

Pretty awesome premise, right? Joining Patel and Ineson are Joel Edgerton, Alicia Vikander, Sarita Choudhury, Sean Harris, Kate Dickie, Berry Keoghan, and Erin Kellyman. The Green Knight hits theaters on July 30. Now let’s check out these early reactions:

Here’s the official synopsis from A24:

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. From visionary filmmaker David Lowery comes a fresh and bold spin on a classic tale from the knights of the round table.

For more on The Green Knight, check out these stories:

Ralph Ineson’s Oral History Of “The Green Knight” is Fantastic

“The Green Knight” Trailer Highlights One of the Year’s Most Intriguing Films

New Images Tease Dev Patel in the Long-Awaited “The Green Knight”

The Green Knight Trailer Reveals Dev Patel in David Lowrey’s Medieval Fantasy

Featured image: Dev Patel in “The Green Knight.” Courtesy A24

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The Credits

The Credits is an online magazine that tells the story behind the story to celebrate our large and diverse creative community. Focusing on profiles of below-the-line filmmakers, The Credits celebrates the often uncelebrated individuals who are indispensable to the films and TV shows we love.