The Rivals of Amziah King Trailer: Matthew McConaughey Leads Andrew Patterson’s Crime Thriller

Following up his impressive debut The Vast of Night, it’s been a long wait for Andrew Patterson’s second feature The Rivials of Amziah King, which premiered at SXSW last year and will finally arrive in theaters beginning August 14. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Angelina LookingGlass, Kurt Russell, Cole Sprouse, Owen Teague, Scott Shepherd, Rob Morgan, and Tony Revolori, Black Bear Pictures have now debuted the first trailer.

John Fink said in his review, “Like the Church potluck to which Amziah King introduces his one-time foster daughter Kateri, The Rivals of Amziah King is a gleeful mashup of genres and tones blending bluegrass music, comedy, revenge, and heist-thriller elements into a tasty homestyle buffet full of eccentric characters and thick Southern accents. It’s a strong follow-up to the promise Andrew Patterson displayed in his resourceful debut feature The Vast of Night––even when this mash-up seems a little uneven and indulgent, with a heavy use of formal techniques, from slow-motion to ironic music.”

Here’s the synopsis: “Set within the deep backwoods of rural Oklahoma, the film follows the charismatic and musically gifted Amaziah King (McConaughey) who herds a bluegrass-playing band of misfits while overseeing the premier honey-making operation in town. When Amaziah’s estranged foster daughter unexpectedly returns, he leaps at the possibility to renew connection and creating a family business. But the honey game is ruthless, and Amaziah’s rivals threaten to destroy everything he has built.”