King Richard Movie Review

Even if you are not a tennis fan, you have heard of Serena and Venus Williams. Their influence on the sporting world can be felt all over the world. They are great role models for young girls and women all over the planet. The story we didn't know was their rise in the tennis circle and professional circuit and in 2021 we got exactly that with the film 'King Richard'. The film stars now Oscar winning actor Will Smith as Richard Williams, Serena and Venus's father as he coaches the two girls in the early years of their career. So, did 'King Richard' live up to its acclaim and hype?

I am pleased to say yes, yes it did. I had a great time with this film, it follows familiar beats that we have seen before in sports biopics, but is directed in a beautiful way by filmmaker Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men). He does a great job with the material, proving to be a great actors director, with Will Smith giving a career best performance as Richard and the two young actresses playing Venus and Serena, Sanniya Sidney and Demi SIngleton who are just fantastic here. 

The story of King Richard itself is quite endearing. As I mentioned, it does play on genre tropes that we have seen before, but because the characters are so likeable and the underdog story is so poignant and of course its political and social relevance is handled with care and respect so the messaging doesn't feel forced. The character of Richard is complex and I think that Smith does a great job with the way the character is written. He feels real and the depiction feels very faithful from the archival footage I have seen of Richard Williams. 

Overall, I had a great time with 'King Richard'. The story is familiar and I am sure that tennis fans are aware of the rise of both Serena and Venus Williams, but this story was fresh to me. I was unaware of their rise and was quite surprised with the way the film plays out. The performances are fantastic and I love the way the film was directed. I would highly recommend this one for those looking for something that will pull at your heart strings. Pick up your copy today on DVD from your local Sanity or online today, you won't want to miss this one.

Buy King Richard on DVD here

Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here