The King

 When I grade films these days, I think in terms of the gradings for university degrees. 60% gets you a 2:1, 70% indicates a First  and anything over 80% means it is seriously good.

In my last entry I gave Turks and Caicos a marginal 2:1. I just can't get past my problem with David Hare, although I am forced to concede that the good and great of British luvviedon disagree with me and seem to utter 'genius' as soon as the man's name is mentioned. Oh well, I don't suppose that Hare will be troubled by my indifference.

And so to a slightly better 2:1 - The King masquerades as an adaptation of Shakespeare's Henriad, concentrating on the kingship of Henry V. That description does the film a minor disservice - it is more accurately a reimagining of the gruesome history. Timothee Chalamet is a slightly fey Henry who learns that being king is tough - I believed in this character. Joel Edgerton (who co-wrote) is a gruff Yoda-like Falstaff, given a rather different ending from the one the Bard allowed him, Merry Wives aside. Definitely worth the deviation into Netflix. 65/100.