Matthew McConaughey is back on the big screen. The Oscar-winning actor stars in ‘The Rivals of Amziah King’ , a crime thriller set in rural Oklahoma. This marks his first live-action movie role in five years. The film, written and directed by Andrew Patterson, officially hit US theaters on August 14, 2026.
The movie blends crime, comedy, music, and family drama. It tells the story of a beekeeper who reunites with his former foster daughter. The honey business turns out to be more dangerous than anyone expects.
The Story: A Beekeeper, His Foster Daughter, and a Dangerous Honey Business
Amziah King (Matthew McConaughey) is a charismatic man living in the backwoods of rural Oklahoma. He runs the best honey-making operation in town. He also plays in a bluegrass band with his friends.
The story takes a turn when Kateri (Angelina LookingGlass) returns. She is Amziah’s former foster daughter. Years ago, she and her brother spent two years with Amziah and his wife. Now, after her mother’s death, Kateri comes back. Amziah sees this as a chance to reconnect. He wants to build a family business with her.
But the honey game is not sweet. Amziah’s rivals want to destroy everything he has built. The movie follows their fight to protect their business and their family. The official synopsis describes the film as set “within the deep backwoods of rural Oklahoma,” where Amziah “herds a bluegrass-playing band of misfits while overseeing the premier honey-making operation in town”.
Director Andrew Patterson explained that the idea for the film started with Kateri’s character. He wanted to center the movie around a Native American woman who uses her intellect and resourcefulness. The Amziah character came later.
“I was excited to put that kind of character into the world. That was quite literally the germ of an idea that made me want to go.”
– Andrew Patterson, director
The Cast: McConaughey Leads a Stacked Ensemble
Alongside McConaughey, the film features a strong cast. Angelina LookingGlass plays Kateri. This is her film debut. She is a 22-year-old Native American actress. LookingGlass said she loved playing a character that people underestimate.
“Her being this really strong Indigenous woman, and this person that goes under the radar, but then bites at the end.”
– Angelina LookingGlass on her character
Kurt Russell also stars in the film. He plays a local kingpin. Cole Sprouse, Owen Teague, Scott Shepherd, Rob Morgan, Tony Revolori, and Jake Horowitz round out the cast. They play the friends, rivals, and competitors drawn into the conflict.
McConaughey’s Return to Acting: Why He Chose This Film
McConaughey stepped away from movies after Guy Ritchie’s 2019 film ‘The Gentlemen’ . He focused on writing his memoir ‘Greenlights’ . He also did voice work during this time.
So why did he choose this indie film for his comeback? McConaughey told AFP it was because of “the joy, the soul, the humor, the music, the poetry, the mythology, original time, place, and space”.
He felt a connection to the characters and the community in the story.
“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.”
– Matthew McConaughey
McConaughey described Amziah as someone who gives people a sense of belonging. He said that in hindsight, it is “a nice thing to put out there into the world, and share with people”.
Although movie-goers saw him last year in ‘The Lost Bus’ , that film was shot after ‘The Rivals of Amziah King’ wrapped. So this is technically his first film back.
The Director: Andrew Patterson’s Oklahoma Story
Andrew Patterson is the writer and director of the film. He previously made ‘The Vast of Night’ (2019), a sci-fi mystery set in the 1950s. That film received three nominations at the 2021 Critics’ Choice Super Awards.
For his second feature, Patterson wanted to tell a story set in his home state of Oklahoma. He wrote the script in the spring of 2018. The film is packed with references that locals will recognize.
Patterson did not originally plan to cast McConaughey. He was just a filmmaker in Oklahoma writing scripts. But over time, the project gained momentum. Patterson said he and McConaughey were “on a collision course”.
The director also added Kurt Russell to the cast. The film is produced by Black Bear Pictures.
Behind the Scenes: Live Bees and Practical Filmmaking
The movie features real bees. The cast and crew worked with live bees during filming. McConaughey learned one week before filming that his body parts could swell dramatically after a sting.
The actor and director came up with a practical solution. They scheduled the bee-heavy scene for the last day of filming. Patterson also shot an empty version of the scene as a backup.
McConaughey picked up the queen bee, and the swarm covered him. He finished the day without getting stung.
LookingGlass also had to let a live swarm cover her. She admitted to being nervous but loved the experience.
“Such a surreal thing to kind of know that you’re going to be covered. I really do love those bees. It taught me a lot about just how wonderful nature can be.”
– Angelina LookingGlass
Music and Genre: A Film That Defies Easy Description
The movie is hard to put in one box. It is a rural comedy, a musical, and an agricultural crime drama. It has been described as a “genre-defying” film. The movie blends a western, a beehive heist story, a bluegrass musical, comedy, and a father-daughter drama.
Music plays a big role. McConaughey plays the banjo in the film. The movie features musical interludes where Amziah and his friends jam together. The great T Bone Burnett contributed to some of the Americana tunes.
Patterson’s visual style is also notable. The film uses freeze-frames, quick cuts, and flashbacks. The cinematography has been described as kinetic.
Release Information: Where and When to Watch
‘The Rivals of Amziah King’ had its world premiere at the SXSW Film & TV Festival on March 10, 2025. It received a standing ovation.
The film opened in US theaters on August 14, 2026. It started with a limited release and went wide on August 21, 2026. The runtime is 2 hours and 10 minutes.
As of now, no South African release date has been set. International release dates may vary. The film is distributed by Black Bear Pictures.
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Critical Reception: What Reviewers Are Saying
The film has received generally positive reviews. It holds an approval rating above 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Critics have praised McConaughey’s performance. One review called it “Matthew-McConaughey-turned-up-to-11 mode”. Another said the film is “one of the best movies of the year”.
However, some reviewers found the movie overwhelming. The Seattle Times called it a “maddening mishmash of genres”. They noted that McConaughey’s character leaves the movie at the hour mark, handing it off to LookingGlass.
Despite mixed reactions to the genre blending, many agree that McConaughey’s return is a win. Vulture called the film “pretty damn wonderful”.
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