Arthurian legends aren’t called “legends” out of hyperbole; they’ve been passed down for centuries, with dozens of generations passing along these stories and tall tales in a variety of mediums, detailing triumph and tragedy to shine a light on the best, and worst, of what humanity has to offer. Most contemporary adaptations of these legends lean more into the aesthetics of these stories, delivering all manner of swords and shields clashing against one another to the delight of audiences. The Green Knight, meanwhile, manages to take a 2,500-word poem from the 14th century to craft an experience that tackles honor, religion, nature, sacrifice, chivalry, and mortality in both overt and ambiguous ways, all while managing to be hypnotic and visually lush. The film fully falls in line with filmmaker David Lowery’s previous work, yet might prove too enigmatic and existential for audiences merely hoping to see Dev Patel having sword fights.
