THE RIVALS OF AMZIAH KING Review: Crime and Comedy Collide in Oklahoma

Steeped in atmosphere, The Rivals of Amziah King is a strikingly original drama set in a contemporary but still timeless Oklahoma. Anchored by an enthusiastic Matthew McConaughey, the movie skips from genre to genre without losing its focus or heart.

McConaughey is the larger-than-life Amziah King, a farmer and musician with a dark past. He bottles the best honey in his rural county and leads an ad hoc bluegrass group that performs in drive-ins, church socials, and living rooms. The actor jumps into a role that fits him like a glove.

James Montague's script introduces King in a bravura passage that spans an intense night filled with crimes, honey processing, bloody accidents, and emergency rooms. Dawn finds King sipping coffee in a diner, where he recognizes the waitress, Kateri (Angelina LookingGlass), as one of his former foster kids.

Kateri enters back into King's life, giving viewers a privileged look at an exotic world where everything feels foreign, even food. With a truckload of honey worth up to $250,000, it isn't long before the story takes a dark turn.

King's rivals include Dob McCoy, a wealthy businessman who controls the local cops. Kurt Russell gives an excellent performance as an appealing but dangerous villain confident in his ability to destroy his opponents with impunity.

The second half of The Rivals of Amziah King turns into an extended revenge drama as Katerli tries to recover stolen bees. If she doesn't, McCoy will take over the honey processing plant. Thwarted at every turn, she is forced into decisions that question her faith and loyalty.

Director Andrew Patterson, whose The Vast of Night was a cult favorite, isn't afraid to test viewers with narrative digressions, confident that he will eventually pull everything together. Cinematographer M.I. Littin-Menz, who also shot The Vast of Night, makes some daring choices that pay off brilliantly.

About the only element that might disappoint viewers is the music, mostly folk-tinged bluegrass played with more energy than skill. Maybe you have a high tolerance for Mumford & Sons.

It's rare to find an original voice in today's increasingly homogenized indie world. Patterson has made a film so fresh it's easy to overlook its minor flaws.

The film opens Friday, August 14, only in movie theaters, via Black Bear Pictures. Visit their official site for more information.