McConaughey returns to screen in 'The Rivals of Amziah King'

Matthew McConaughey makes his return to the big screen after more than five years with "The Rivals of Amziah King," a honey-themed thriller set in the American Southwest. The Oscar-winning actor cited "the joy, the soul, the humor, the music, the poetry, the mythology, original time, place, and space" as reasons for choosing the indie film for his comeback.

Written and directed by Andrew Patterson, the film stars McConaughey as a charismatic local honey producer who balances tending his beehives with playing banjo in a folk band. "I knew these people. I liked the way they loved each other. I liked the way they fought with each other, I liked the way they cared. I liked the way they use music and humor to survive," McConaughey, 56, told AFP. He added that his character, Amziah, "gives people belonging, helps people belong."

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The joy, the soul, the humor, the music, the poetry, the mythology, original time, place, and space

McConaughey had stepped away from movies after Guy Ritchie's 2019 dark comedy "The Gentlemen" to focus on writing his memoir "Greenlights." Although he appeared in "The Lost Bus" last year, that film was shot after "The Rivals of Amziah King" was completed. The Southwestern tale blends crime, comedy, musical, and drama genres.

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I knew these people. I liked the way they loved each other. I liked the way they fought with each other, I liked the way they cared. I liked the way they use music and humor to survive.

The story gains new purpose when King reconnects with Kateri, played by Angelina LookingGlass, a young Native American woman he had taken in years earlier with his late wife. Through communal dinners, music, and life lessons learned among the bees, King helps her integrate into the community and prepares to pass on his leadership role. However, Kateri soon discovers the honey business is not as idyllic as it appears.

LookingGlass, 22, found the role a perfect fit. "I really loved playing her," she told AFP. "A lot of people would underestimate her just by looking at her. You know, they wouldn't expect the things that she does. Her being this really strong Indigenous woman, and this person that goes under the radar, but then like bites at the end."

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Amziah is a guy who really, at the heart of himself, gives people belonging, helps people belong, and that's part of the thing.

Director Andrew Patterson developed the project after his acclaimed debut, "The Vast of Night" (2019). He aimed to center the film around a resourceful Native American woman. "She just uses her intellect and resourcefulness. And I was excited to put that kind of character into the world. That was that was quite literally the germ of an idea that made me want to go, and then eventually the Amziah character came after that," Patterson explained. He noted that McConaughey was not initially in his plans, and Kurt Russell was also added to the cast.

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This wasn't the reason I did it, but in hindsight, I go: 'That's a nice thing to put out there into the world, and share with people.'