The Green Knight

David Lowery adapted the 14th century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, producing and editing it as well. Shooting began in Ireland in March 2019: Ardmore Studios, Cahir Castle in Tipperary, Charleville Castle in Offaly, and the Wonderful Barn as the crooked tower. The world premiere was set for SXSW on 16 March 2020; the pandemic cancelled the festival. Lowery said he would not have been happy with that cut, and spent six months of the shutdown recutting it; A24 opened it on 30 July 2021, in cinemas only. The Green Knight of the Round Table scene is no digital creation: Ralph Ineson wears wood-like prosthetics designed by Barry Gower and is raised on platforms to read larger, and a wheeled dummy mount came in when the horse would not cooperate. Digital work arrives in the hibernation scene. Lowery shot a more explicit and definitive ending, then left it out; the close stays open and one further scene follows the credits. Reviews were strong, yet the CinemaScore audience grade came back at C+. A good fit if you want a talking fox, a saint’s missing head and one blow deferred by a year, laid out chapter by chapter. Not for anyone short of patience for an open ending, or for stretches where Gawain is less than brave.