‘The Rivals Of Amziah King’ Trailer: Matthew McConaughey Faces Off With Kurt Russell In Small-Town Thriller

Bluegrass, honey bees, and cutthroat business dealings in the boondocks all create the backdrop of Matthew McConaughey-starring indie thrillerThe Rivals of Amziah King from Black Bear Pictures. Set in the sticks of Oklahoma, the 56-year-old leading man plays an affable bluegrass player who happens to oversee the region’s biggest honey-making operation. As the official synopsis reads, “When Amziah’s estranged foster daughter unexpectedly returns, Amziah leaps at the possibility to renew a connection and create a family business. But the honey game is ruthless, and Amziah’s rivals threaten to destroy everything he has built.”

Kurt Russell’s character, one of Amziah’s presumed rivals and the film’s main antagonist, stars opposite McConaughey in what Vulture described as “an agricultural crime drama” in a review. To that end, the most dramatic component of the trailer is a voiceover from Amziah’s foster daughter (Angelina LookingGlass), who says, “Someone loaded up everything he built and took it all away. And I’m going to find them and I’m going to take it all back. I know the weather, I know the bees, I know the point where anyone else would give up, and I won’t.”

This is the second film from writer-director Andrew Patterson following The Vast of Night, a warmly received 2019 sci-fi mystery that he self-funded. Ahead of its theatrical release,The Rivals of Amzikah King has received similar acclaim that’s resulted in an early 97 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. RogerEbert.com was especially fond, calling it “A new classic of the American South that hums with earnest adoration for the people of this region, what they do, and how they celebrate life.”

Also starring Cole Sprouse, Scott Shepherd, Rob Morgan, Tony Revolori, and Jake Horowitz, The Rivals of Amziah King arrives in theaters this August. Watch the trailer below: