In writer / director Richard Bates Jnr's ironic, low-budget, indie comedy "King Knight" Matthew Gray Gubler & Angela Sarafyan run a small LA coven of nerdy modern witches (ie harmless everyday folk into herbs, crystals, tarot & the like) inc Kate Comer & Johnny Pemberton. When tho it's discovered that Gubler used to be a cool kid (ie the enemy) back in high school he's cast out, running to his Vegas school reunion to face humilitation there alone... or will the coven relent & stand by him? It's a one-joke movie (nerdy modern witches) and that joke quickly wears thin. Fans of the "Napoleon Bonaparte" style may like it - others may be left bemused.
15 Reviews
A great concept with some rough....rough execution
tim_higham168 April 2024
The other day I explained the main plot tension of this movie and I found myself laughing hysterically when talking about some of the reveal scenes.
It really is a great concept, and I can imagine being in the room during the pitch for this.
I love the earnestness Matthew brings to this movie, and I do think the humor almost makes it. It's an absurdist movie with a great comedic cast.
But man, it's a rough time for a lot of the movie. I suspect this movie got ravaged by production woes during the pandemic, so I have a lot of empathy for the cast and crew.
It feels like a real movie, held back by budget or restrictions (unlike a lot of "covid" movies, where you can see the 6-ft rules in place)
I think with another pass on the script, and some more extras (bruh moment when you see the cardboard extras at the end), this would be a really good indie comedy/anti-comedy
I appreciate this movie. It's fun to talk about, but I can't recommend it unless you love the cast or noticing production mistakes in movies (digital extras with green-screen effects)
It really is a great concept, and I can imagine being in the room during the pitch for this.
I love the earnestness Matthew brings to this movie, and I do think the humor almost makes it. It's an absurdist movie with a great comedic cast.
But man, it's a rough time for a lot of the movie. I suspect this movie got ravaged by production woes during the pandemic, so I have a lot of empathy for the cast and crew.
It feels like a real movie, held back by budget or restrictions (unlike a lot of "covid" movies, where you can see the 6-ft rules in place)
I think with another pass on the script, and some more extras (bruh moment when you see the cardboard extras at the end), this would be a really good indie comedy/anti-comedy
I appreciate this movie. It's fun to talk about, but I can't recommend it unless you love the cast or noticing production mistakes in movies (digital extras with green-screen effects)
Charming and wholesome
fulciobeans15 July 2022
King Knight is a film that might have a very niche audience. Being (falsely) marketed as a horror film it is perhaps better described as a surreal & quirky indie flick - somewhere between rom-com, mumblecore and horror-comedy, while being neither of those things.
But there is no need to classify this into any genre, but those expecting this to be a horror film will be disappointed. It's more fantastical than anything, telling a coming of age story for adult wizards and witches.
A very low budget film that compensates it's shortcomings with a lot of heart and fun characters.
But there is no need to classify this into any genre, but those expecting this to be a horror film will be disappointed. It's more fantastical than anything, telling a coming of age story for adult wizards and witches.
A very low budget film that compensates it's shortcomings with a lot of heart and fun characters.
Boring and pointless...
paul_haakonsen22 February 2022
Right, well the 2021 movie "King Knight" is listed as a horror comedy. I beg to differ. "King Knight" is actually neither. It is a rather pointless and less than entertaining movie. But of which genre? Well, I suppose that comedy is actually what comes the closest to labeling the movie, but it is a rather devoid of humor type of comedy.
The storyline, as written by writer and director Richard Bates Jr. Was just a swing and a miss. The entire movie was trying too hard to be avantgarde whilst keeping a twist of humor and comedy to it. It failed, though, on all accounts. And yet, I managed to sit through this blasted ordeal of a movie, hoping the movie would eventually pick up its pace and produce some properly entertainment.
It just never happened.
I have to say that with the likes of Matthew Gray Gubler, Barbara Crampton and Ray Wise on the cast list, in bigger or smaller roles, then you would assume that there would be just an ounce of entertainment and enjoyment to be had from watching "King Knight". How wrong I was!
The acting performances in "King Knight" were lukewarm. So don't get your hopes up.
"King Knight" was a swing and a miss of a movie. It fell entirely short of entertaining me. And the whole avantgarde approach to the otherwise boring and rather mundane storyline didn't really spice up things, though it was in severe need of spicing.
My rating of "King Knight" lands on a generous two out of ten stars, and that is based on the production value mostly.
The storyline, as written by writer and director Richard Bates Jr. Was just a swing and a miss. The entire movie was trying too hard to be avantgarde whilst keeping a twist of humor and comedy to it. It failed, though, on all accounts. And yet, I managed to sit through this blasted ordeal of a movie, hoping the movie would eventually pick up its pace and produce some properly entertainment.
It just never happened.
I have to say that with the likes of Matthew Gray Gubler, Barbara Crampton and Ray Wise on the cast list, in bigger or smaller roles, then you would assume that there would be just an ounce of entertainment and enjoyment to be had from watching "King Knight". How wrong I was!
The acting performances in "King Knight" were lukewarm. So don't get your hopes up.
"King Knight" was a swing and a miss of a movie. It fell entirely short of entertaining me. And the whole avantgarde approach to the otherwise boring and rather mundane storyline didn't really spice up things, though it was in severe need of spicing.
My rating of "King Knight" lands on a generous two out of ten stars, and that is based on the production value mostly.
Very bland and uninteresting...
ncere21 February 2022
Not funny, not scary and not at all interesting...Why this is labeled as horror by genre category is beyond me...People that work at IMDB site should rectify this and replace horror with fantasy maybe ( because of a few trippy sequences ) .
Anyway, with this movie I'm officially done with Richard Bates Jr. ( I've watched everything of his except Trash Fire ) . The only movie of his that I liked was Excision, but that was obviously beginners luck.
Nothing to see here and a real waste of time...
Anyway, with this movie I'm officially done with Richard Bates Jr. ( I've watched everything of his except Trash Fire ) . The only movie of his that I liked was Excision, but that was obviously beginners luck.
Nothing to see here and a real waste of time...
Not royal
kosmasp4 April 2023
No pun intended either - sometimes when you know or have seen an actor in a really good movie or role you attach him with a positive vibe. Same is true for the main actor in this. Suburban Gothic being one of the other movies I have seen him in. I preface my review with this, so you know where I am coming from.
Maybe you feel different, but I feel the movie walks the fine line quite ... well fine. The humor is always a thing - well it is in the eye of the beholder. I think it introduces the characters in a good way ... and then takes them apart the only way possible. Including our main guy .... who has more to him than meets the eye in the beginning.
Well told and acted ... but kind of niche ... so has to be your thing to actually like it ... watch the trailer beforehand I reckon.
Maybe you feel different, but I feel the movie walks the fine line quite ... well fine. The humor is always a thing - well it is in the eye of the beholder. I think it introduces the characters in a good way ... and then takes them apart the only way possible. Including our main guy .... who has more to him than meets the eye in the beginning.
Well told and acted ... but kind of niche ... so has to be your thing to actually like it ... watch the trailer beforehand I reckon.
Billed as "Horror Comedy" DON'T BE FOOLED
cocainebeehole28 February 2022
Sat through the whole thing waiting for the horror aspect to take place and next thing you know the credits started rolling. I get that this movie is more of a parody / tongue in cheek type of film but it wasn't entertaining in the slightest. It had a decent B list cast and the music and cinematography were pretty good. The over saturated blue light at the high school reunion was distracting and completely unecessary. Could've been so much better with the cast they had. Skip this movie if you are on the fence.
If you've ever been in a coven and discovered your leader was prom king, this one is for you
wickedhealthyshop1 August 2022
Writer-director Richard Bates Jr.'s latest indie is both his least interesting and most enjoyable. At just under eighty minutes with credits, King Knight is an unabashedly modest effort, but at just under eighty minutes with credits (déjà vu,) it is also a cute little movie about contemporary witches whose coven leader attends his high school reunion. Think The Craft meets Romy and Michele's High School Reunion with several seriously inspired moments of psychedelic cinematography... Also, Aubrey Plaza makes a cameo as a pine cone (just saying.)
Grade: B-
Grade: B-
Neither funny or scary.
Dodge-Zombie12 June 2022
In a good horror comedy there are only a couple of rules to stick to. Be funny, which this movie fails to do on the most basic levels, be scary, which this movie doesn't even try to do.
It pretty much comes across like the director wants to either shock or offend but frankly it's not even good enough to do that either.
Dismissed.
It pretty much comes across like the director wants to either shock or offend but frankly it's not even good enough to do that either.
Dismissed.
Lacrosse!!!
nogodnomasters29 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Thorn (Matthew Gray Gubler) and Willow (Angela Sarafyan) are life partners who lead a coven of witches in California. There are three other couples and they take pride in being non-conformists. Thorn also sells 1 star reviewed bird baths on line. Willow discovers that Thorn's real name is Thornton and in his past life he was class president and Prom King, all the things she loathes about people and to make matters worse she RSVP him to the 20-year class reunion!!!!
This is a fun film about people acting as non-conformist in a very conformist manner. Knowing odd-beat comedian Aubrey Plaza was the voice of the pine cone added to the comedy. "B" horror movie star Barbara Crampton stars as the very conformist mother.
Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.
This is a fun film about people acting as non-conformist in a very conformist manner. Knowing odd-beat comedian Aubrey Plaza was the voice of the pine cone added to the comedy. "B" horror movie star Barbara Crampton stars as the very conformist mother.
Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.
A movie for pagans
nina-364-80759327 March 2022
It's not surprising most people didn't get this movie. Because I'm pagan I loved it and thought it was excellent comedy. Anyone who has been around other pagans, either through a coven or a solitary like me that's just met lots of fellow pagans will recognize everyone in this coven. The humor is very specific, and for people outside paganism it's unlikely to land. I've met someone like every person in this coven. I've been at celebrations like the Beltane one. So many people will look at these practices in the movie thinking they're silly without being able to recognize that any religions practices look silly to outsiders. Iloved this, it was fresh, light, and it's awesome to see witches portrayed in a positive light for once!!
"I am a work in progress!" - Brilliant!
athelia-4416515 July 2022
Like many reviewers, I too question the fact that this movie is listed under Horror. There's nothing horrific about it, unless you count a certain parental figure's behaviour. It's definitely a comedy, though!
I'm Pagan and it was refreshing to see the Wiccan way being shown in a more accurate and positive light than has been shown in the past. My husband and I both appreciated/understood the humour and truly enjoyed watching the characters interact in ways we are all too familiar with! From the seasonal celebration to coming out of the broom closet to family, and coven group dynamics, Richard Bates Jr. Nailed it. Every single member of the coven seems to be an archetype of so many Pagans I've met over the years.
"King Knight" is a light, refreshing, and humourous movie for those who understand modern Paganism. You will totally feel for the characters and the situation they get into!
The only downside of this movie is that it is likely to be misunderstood by those unfamiliar with Pagan practices, and seen as ridiculous as many religious practices are to those not in the faith. If I was not a practitioner, this would have made no sense to me at all. (And, no, we are not as concerned about the functions of our large intestine as this movie seems to suggest.)
This movie is best enjoyed with an open mind, along with some mulled wine and perhaps some oatcakes.
I'm Pagan and it was refreshing to see the Wiccan way being shown in a more accurate and positive light than has been shown in the past. My husband and I both appreciated/understood the humour and truly enjoyed watching the characters interact in ways we are all too familiar with! From the seasonal celebration to coming out of the broom closet to family, and coven group dynamics, Richard Bates Jr. Nailed it. Every single member of the coven seems to be an archetype of so many Pagans I've met over the years.
"King Knight" is a light, refreshing, and humourous movie for those who understand modern Paganism. You will totally feel for the characters and the situation they get into!
The only downside of this movie is that it is likely to be misunderstood by those unfamiliar with Pagan practices, and seen as ridiculous as many religious practices are to those not in the faith. If I was not a practitioner, this would have made no sense to me at all. (And, no, we are not as concerned about the functions of our large intestine as this movie seems to suggest.)
This movie is best enjoyed with an open mind, along with some mulled wine and perhaps some oatcakes.
It's definitely a good movie, in my opinion, it's just not for everyone
lvivianazg19 July 2022
The humour is peculiar, I did find it funny, but I'm sure some people may not as it isn't really common humour. I definitely found the movie not as what you normally would see, there were some parts which where really unexpected, but all the scenes had background explanation and I could feel invested into what could happen next. I already mentioned, this movie may not be for everyone, I mean that as it has a really strange humour and scenes sometimes, even though it's still a good movie and it maybe have become one of my favorites. Don't watch the movie if you're expecting everything you see usually when you think of a comedy, like basic humour you see in American bland comedies, in my opinion people who find it boring and pointless, just don't really understand the movie at its fullest by just thinking of it as another typical American movie in which they just make mysoginistic jokes and cheating jokes, it really is invested in paganism, but it's definitely understandable. Last but not least, this movie isn't for everyone as it really is progressive and definitely doesn't show any of the classic stuff you would see, there's inclusion, if you think it's just forced and just a teenage movie of people who don't know what "classics values" are you just are really old and should embrace our reality. Watch it if you aren't expecting for a typical bland, boring comedy, it's really interesting, funny and well done, not just the effects but generally the cinematography is good.
Serious quirky Comedy with great imagery
doblernikoletta3 January 2024
I don't get what is people's problem with this movie. It has everything that a low budget artsy weird comedy movie can give; funny, witty, good actors who does not take themselves too seriously but give everything,and even offer some great thoughts about society and growing up trying to blend in and finding yourself apart from being perfect as society expects. That is it.
I laughted the whole time, it was so witty and funny. MGG is great at the blank face comedy, it was trully a treasure to watch, I honked so much.
Not to mention the vibe of the movie and the imagery, the colours and drawings were so expressive in every sceen, always well in sync with the atmosphere and emotions represented at any given moment.
Just enjoy it, that was the intention. Best, N.
I laughted the whole time, it was so witty and funny. MGG is great at the blank face comedy, it was trully a treasure to watch, I honked so much.
Not to mention the vibe of the movie and the imagery, the colours and drawings were so expressive in every sceen, always well in sync with the atmosphere and emotions represented at any given moment.
Just enjoy it, that was the intention. Best, N.
I think most pagans will love it
skullaria3 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This contains a lot of Pagan humor. It is definitely not a horror movie but more of a coming-of-age movie. I think anyone expecting an occult type of horror movie will be extremely disappointed and that might be the cause of some of the bad reviews this movie gets.
There's a theme of conformity versus non-conformity in the movie that's predominant, but it's also a bit of an exploration about becoming family, both in a coven sense, and in the literal sense.
This movie might only appeal to a certain niche audience. Matthew Grey Gubler was phenomenal in this role.
I do hope people know that this is not a 100% accurate representation of all pagans though. I really kind of wish they would have left the upside down cross off his neck as it's really not a good representation of Wicca, but it helps set up some jokes later on.
I think a lot of Pagans will appreciate the aspect of religious persecution shown, often from one's own family. I really felt for his character at times, which I didn't really expect for such a light-hearted quirky comedy.
I liked it enough to buy it. I'll watch it again. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Pagan humor.
There's a theme of conformity versus non-conformity in the movie that's predominant, but it's also a bit of an exploration about becoming family, both in a coven sense, and in the literal sense.
This movie might only appeal to a certain niche audience. Matthew Grey Gubler was phenomenal in this role.
I do hope people know that this is not a 100% accurate representation of all pagans though. I really kind of wish they would have left the upside down cross off his neck as it's really not a good representation of Wicca, but it helps set up some jokes later on.
I think a lot of Pagans will appreciate the aspect of religious persecution shown, often from one's own family. I really felt for his character at times, which I didn't really expect for such a light-hearted quirky comedy.
I liked it enough to buy it. I'll watch it again. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Pagan humor.
See also
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