Review: Message From The King (2016)
Written by: Brian J. Sumner
The thing about tragedy and sadness that becomes lost on most people is the beauty of remembrance. A person’s memory can be a powerful tool in the fight against sadness brought on by tragedy, in the regard that your memory can help you push through the sadness and get to all the really great, wonderful, good memories. Memories filled with joy and a longing for a better, safer time in our past. I look back over the past few years of film with a deep level of sadness due to the shocking passing of Chadwick Bozeman, but I also smile with gratitude for the wonderful on-screen artistry the man left behind with not only his established filmography but also film projects that were released after his passing.
Message from the King is a film I only recently discovered (despite it being released in 2016) and having spent a lot of time in recent memory reflecting over the career that was and could have been of Chadwick’s, I felt it was necessary for me to add this film to the mountain of movies I must see. If anything, as a tribute to the wonderful actor who gave us brilliant performance after brilliant performance up until he succumbed to his illness.
the Official Netflix Trailer
The film follows Jacob King, a man who travels to the US from Cape Town, Africa after receiving a frantic voicemail from his sister in Los Angeles asking for help. After not receiving any further calls, Jacob assumes the worst as he sets out to find his sister, only to discover a dark, nasty underworld his sibling got herself mixed up in. Right off the jump, the film pulls you in and you’re more than amped up to follow along for the ride.
Chadwick does not disappoint in this film,
however, other aspects do, in fact, disappoint.
The story itself, on the surface, is a suspense/thriller that constantly unfolds different layers of this seedy underbelly of L.A. that spans from the inner city all the way up to the Hollywood Hills. But at its heart, this movie is a straight-up revenge tale that makes you question, “How far is this character willing to go to satisfy his thirst for vengeance?” The movie starts off strong, but soon thereafter the script gets weak and the plot becomes muddled with some of the scenes and story points just not adding up or making sense. Alfred Molina has a sizeable role in this film, lending some credibility to the story with a very corrupt character, but his performance wasn’t enough to make this movie great.
“The pain He carries with him is real and palpable”
The only real bright spot of this film is the performance of Chadwick Boseman. Message from the King is the perfect example of a weak script being elevated by a fantastic performance from a brilliant actor. The pain his character carries with him as the story progresses is real and palpable. You can see it and feel it. His memories of his childhood with his siblings periodically flash across the screen giving you access to his pain and his longing for a simpler time. This remembrance allows him to work through the tragedy that has befallen him but also fuels him in his quest for some kind of personal justice.
The cinematography is excellent in this movie and has a very believable feel to it that is bookended by some really good music. I suggest watching this film just one time for the performance of Chadwick Boseman. Beyond that, the weakness of the script will have you feeling like something was off with the overall vibe of the movie. My official ranking for Message from the King would have to be a 3 out of 5, and I hate that because Chadwick was so good in it, but much like Alfred Molina, the brilliance of Chadwick Boseman wasn’t enough to rectify sketchy plot points and odd choices within the script for characters developments and character interaction. I will say this, I found the final scene very interesting and very telling about the Jacob King character that gave a vastly different viewpoint of who and how that character is as a person. I just wish they had expounded upon that further within the script.
Brian J. Sumner is the Host of Dude, What?!, author of The Secrets of Dr. Killiecrankie, loves movies and is a huge fan of Chadwick Boseman.
