Movie Review: ‘The Rivals of Amziah King’ is a Southern fried flick with too many ingredients

“The Rivals of Amziah King” is a Southern-fried movie that tries to combine too many genres into one film. Beekeepers are shown stealing from each other, poisoning rivals' insects, and ripping off others. The title character warns that "it's not full of kind people."

Matthew McConaughey stars as the title character, delivering a larger-than-life performance with his signature charm and rascally grin. However, the film's plot quickly shifts away from his character, handing the story off to Angelina LookingGlass for her film debut. The movie's narrative is a chaotic mix of elements, including Quentin Tarantino-inspired brutality, a coming-of-age story, a heist, a revenge fantasy, and a music-filled country hoedown.

The cinematography by M.I. Littin-Menz never settles down, constantly shifting between frozen shots, close-ups, quick cuts, flashbacks, and poetic images of bees. The music is another issue, with loud choirs, banjo, and strings overpowering the scenes, disruptively shifting the genre as the film progresses. Despite some standout performances, including Kurt Russell as a lethal local kingpin and Owen Teague, who plays a meticulously-planned thief, the overlong runtime of 130 minutes leaves the film feeling inauthentic and vinegary.