Director: Andrew Patterson
Writer: Andrew Patterson
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Angelina LookingGlass, Jake Horowitz
Synopsis: Amziah King, beekeeper, musician, and anchor of his community, reunites with former foster daughter Kateri after many years apart, and fends off threats to his honey business.
We put a lot on directors early in their career. This is especially true if their debut feature catches the zeitgeist, or at least cinephile zeitgeist. This was absolutely true of Andrew Patterson. His first film (even though he was oddly uncredited), The Vast of Night, was impeccably directed and took a simple story, using few effects, and made it immediately memorable. Unfortunately for us, that was almost 7 years ago, in 2019. Those of us who watched that film have been aching for more from Patterson. For years, there was nothing. But fortunately, Patterson has returned with one of the best movies of 2026, The Rivals of Amziah King.
The Rivals of Amziah King is a difficult film to quantify. In a lesser director’s hands, it would be aimless, cruel, and a complete misfire. Patterson introduces Amziah (Matthew McConaughey) in a calm moment, playing an instrument with his friends outside of a fast food joint. This sets the stage importantly. Music, food, and especially community will be repeated themes that Patterson returns to with increasing effect. After this, the actual story begins. Set in Oklahoma, there has been a theft and the police turn to him because the theft is a great deal of honey. Yes, you read that correctly. Amziah is brought in because he has his own company, which bottles and sells honey from his bees. The Oklahoma setting is also desperately important. Patterson resides there and has a clear connection with these people and surrounding communities. He provides an authenticity which avoids pitfalls that others might find themselves falling into.
McConaughey, throughout the film, is a presence that the film desperately holds onto. This is his best performance in many years, second in my mind only to Mud. It feels like a role built for him, that only he could play correctly. He brings down home charm, slightly manic energy, and a comfortability with the surroundings that brings us in like we are family. But the music, that is where the heart of The Rivals of Amziah King resides. In an extended scene, a small community of players perform for one another in a kitchen and, normal as it is for them, this will be an indelible image of both McConaughey and 2026 film for this reviewer.
Importantly, he is just as impressive in the quiet moments, something that has been a challenge for him at certain points of his career. Early in the film, we are introduced to Kateri (Angelina LookingGlass), who was, for a brief period before the death of his wife, Amziah’s foster child. The look on his face when she returns is nearly beatific, all occurring before we are allowed to see her. The camera is trained on him and his eyes tell us of his love before he can ever vocalize it. This fosters our connection to her, because we already love him. That is not to remove any praise from LookingGlass however who, in her debut role, holds her own with one of the most charming actors in recent history. But more than that, as the film moves forward, she becomes a dual lead with McConaughey and portrays an effervescent energy that propels the film forward. She is able to embrace the silence in between words just as she devours dialogue effortlessly. This is hopefully just the beginning of a long, fruitful career for LookingGlass who should be on your list to watch from now on. The screenplay from Patterson asks quite a lot of LookingGlass and she delivers in spades.
However, maybe the most impressive thing in the film is Patterson’s patience and understanding. This easily could have been a much more streamlined crime thriller that reaches its solution in 90 minutes. Instead, like the populace he is representing, Patterson chooses to linger. He understands that, to Southern people, who face constant media mockery; community, music, and food are the connective tissue that tie us all together. In one particular moment, Amziah imparts the history of each dish at a potluck that provides not only comedy (without mockery), but stories that are not often told outside of their small town. This is Amziah bringing Kateri back home, while inviting us in, as well.
The Rivals of Amziah King is not a film to be quantified or measured. It is a film about family. It is a film about our preconceived notions. It is the untold story of small towns with big personalities. It is all of these things, but it is also a film in which we would want to live, warts and all. Yes, there are small leaps in logic in the second half of the film, but the performances are so excellent that all of these are easily forgiven and forgotten. Patterson’s pen is impressive, yes, but so is his eye. He, along with cinematographer M.I. Littin-Menz, craft imagery that is lasting and almost ethereal. Watching a makeshift raft float down a river in low light could easily have been lost in the dark hues. Yet, the glow that the film creates makes us, just for a moment, hope and believe. We believe in the small people standing up against large corporate boots threatening to squash them like a troublesome insect.
The Rivals of Amziah King is a film that outstretches its arms and welcomes us all in. It doesn’t matter how educated we are, how checkered our pasts are, how well we can sing or play an instrument. We are all part of its fabric and we are all welcome.
