Few movies in recent memory feel as enigmatic and endlessly dissectible as The Green Knight, David Lowery’s bold retelling of the Arthurian legend Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Released in 2021, this hypnotic, slow-burning medieval odyssey stars Dev Patel as Gawain, a young knight whose fateful decision to strike down the Green Knight (Ralph Ineson) sets him on a surreal and deeply existential journey.

The story unfolds on Christmas Day at the Round Table, where Gawain, eager to prove himself, accepts a challenge from the mysterious Green Knight. If he lands a blow, he wins the knight’s imposing green axe, but in return, he must seek out the Green Chapel in exactly one year to receive an equal strike. Gawain, rather impulsively, beheads the knight—only to watch in horror as the Green Knight picks up his severed head, calmly reminds him of their pact, and rides away. The next year, despite his anxieties, Gawain embarks on his journey, encountering a series of eerie and symbolic trials along the way.
His travels unfold like an episodic fever dream. He is first waylaid by a scavenger (Barry Keoghan) who robs him of his possessions, leaving him stranded and helpless. He then stumbles upon an abandoned cottage where he meets the ghost of Winifred (Erin Kellyman), who tasks him with retrieving her skull from a nearby spring—an eerie moment that hints at the supernatural forces shaping his path. Later, he finds himself at the home of a Lord (Joel Edgerton) and his Lady (Alicia Vikander, in a dual role), who offer him shelter and tempt him with ambiguous rewards. Each encounter chips away at Gawain’s sense of identity, forcing him to confront his weaknesses and fears as the date with destiny at the Green Chapel looms closer.
By the time Gawain arrives at the Green Chapel, the film’s dreamlike rhythm crescendos into an ambiguous and poetic conclusion. Faced with his final test, Gawain initially flees, setting off a haunting vision of his future—one in which he becomes king, fathers a child with Essel (also played by Vikander), abandons her, loses his son to war, and ultimately sees his reign end in disgrace. It’s a grim, cautionary tale of a life lived without honor, leading him to a realization: true courage is not in running but in facing one’s fate. In the film’s final moments, Gawain removes the protective girdle he had clung to, ready to accept his fate, only for the Green Knight to praise him before uttering the final cryptic line: “Now, off with your head.”
Lowery’s take on the Arthurian legend is as much about mortality, honor, and self-determination as it is about myth and magic. His signature poetic style—lush cinematography, meditative pacing, and hauntingly sparse dialogue—elevates The Green Knight into a hypnotic experience, not unlike his 2017 magnum opus A Ghost Story. Dev Patel delivers a masterful performance, portraying Gawain as both noble and deeply flawed, a man unsure if he’s destined for greatness or doomed to failure.
More than an adventure, The Green Knight feels like an ethereal meditation on fate and choice. Lowery strips away the conventional hero’s journey, replacing it with something far more abstract and haunting. This is a film that refuses to offer easy answers. It’s ambitious, visually stunning, and rich with symbolism—an intoxicating blend of high fantasy and arthouse sensibilities that cements itself as one of the most striking cinematic interpretations of Arthurian lore in recent memory.
Score: 8/10
The Green Knight (2021)
- Cast: Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury, Sean Harris, Kate Dickie, Barry Keoghan, Erin Kellyman, Ralph Ineson
- Director: David Lowery
- Genre: Adventure, Drama
- Runtime: 130 minutes
- Rated: R
- Release Date: July 30, 2021
More Movies Directed by David Lowery
David Lowery has directed the following movies:
- Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (2013)
- Pete’s Dragon (2016)
- A Ghost Story (2017)
- The Old Man & the Gun (2018)
- The Green Knight (2021)
- Peter Pan & Wendy (2023)