Kirsten and I turned our tech brains off for a couple of hours to treat ourselves to a film, and I gotta say, “The Rivals of Amziah King” is THE PERFECT SXSW film. The movie, which is the first film Matthew McConaughey has been in in six years, has a healthy dose of Southern charm, strong themes of honor culture, heartwarming comedy, and a constant current of live bluegrass music that is so soulful, it’ll challenge anyone who claims they don’t like country.
It also received a standing ovation at the premiere. And, welp, that doesn’t happen every day.
I almost don’t want to tell you anything else about this film. I went in blind, and I was enthralled by every unexpected plot turn and camera angles. All you need to know is, everyone in that theater laughed, cried, jumped, and tapped their feet to the music. I have a newfound respect for both bees and the humble mandolin.
