After making its debut at the 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival back in March this year,Matthew McConaughey’s highly rated crime thriller has finally taken a step towards theatrical distribution. The move comes courtesy of Black Bear, with the studio, which only launched a U.S distribution division this year, choosing the thriller as its first release.
Written and directed by Andrew Patterson, the crime thriller in question isThe Rivals of Amziah King, which stars Matthew McConaughey as the titular Amziah King alongsideKurt Russell, Cole Sprouse, Owen Teague, Scott Shepherd, Rob Morgan, Tony Revolori, Jake Horowitz, and Angelina LookingGlass. The movie now boasts a near-perfect score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
There is currently no word on exactly whenThe Rivals of Amziah Kingwill hit theaters, but it’s exciting enough to know that it will (viaDeadline). For now, anyway.The Rivals of Amziah Kingcertainly has all the ingredients necessary for a potential awards push (as doesMcConaughey’s survival dramaThe Lost Buswhich is due for release in September), with McConaughey delivering another stand-out performance that could see him take home several trophies once again in the aftermath of what was once dubbed “The McConaissance” and following a six-year on-screen hiatus. You can check out the official synopsis forThe Rivals of Amziah Kingbelow…
“Deep within the backwoods of rural Oklahoma, charismatic and musically gifted Amziah King herds a bluegrass-playing band of misfits while overseeing the premier honey-making operation in town. When Amziah’s estranged foster daughter unexpectedly returns, Amziah leaps at the possibility to renew connection and create a family business. But the honey game is ruthless, and Amziah’s rivals threaten to destroy everything he has built.”
‘The Rivals of Amziah King’ Has Been Called One of the “Most Crowd-Pleasing Movies of the Year”
Turning toRotten Tomatoes, we begin with Julian Singleton Cinapse, whoawardedThe Rivals of Amziah Kinga perfect 5/5and concluded, “The Rivals of Amziah Kingunfolds as a sprawling, intimate, and entirely unpredictable epic, the kind of movie that sets your heart on fire.” Another perfect rating comes courtesy of James Preston Poole of Discussing Film, who declared the thriller “an early contender for one of the best films of 2025.” Film critic Cody Leach also gave the crime thriller 5/5, saying, “Rivals of Amziah Kingis truly something special that comes around once per generation. A story that you can never predict, characters that you love to be around, and celebration of lifestyles that makes you truly love life. I loved it!”
Owen Gleiberman of Variety calledThe Rivals of Amziah Kingthe perfect vehicle forMcConaughey’s long-awaited comeback, saying, “It’s been six years since Matthew McConaughey starred in a movie, and when you watchThe Rivals of Amziah King, it’s easy to see why this was the one that lured him back. It gives him a role that fits his scraggly aging-bad-boy redneck charm like a glove.” Finally, Nate Richard of Collider applauded Matthew McConaughey, Angelina LookingGlass, and director Andrew Patterson, callingThe Rivals of Amziah King“one of the very best and most crowd-pleasing movies of the year.”
The Rivals of Amziah King
