Film

The King's Man

Name: The King's Man
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Released: 2021
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander

Spy action
Thriller
Relentless

A prequel to the Kingsman spy franchise that treats early-20th-century history as a playground for outlandish action set pieces. Ralph Fiennes plays a pacifist nobleman drawn into espionage during WWI. It's stylish, deliberately silly, and sustained by a performer who seems aware of the absurdity. For people who want their period dramas to explode.

TMDb rating

3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy gleefully over-the-top action comedy-adventure with stylish, cartoonish violence and a prequel that treats real history as a playground for pulp villains.

Skip it if you want grounded, sober historical drama, since this one swaps weight for slick set pieces and its tone bounces between brutal fights and tongue-in-cheek camp.

What it asks of you: It runs just over two hours and keeps moving through flashy stunts and bickering interludes, so it wants your attention for the chase and the gags more than for quiet character work.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Kingsman: The Secret Service2015

The film that started it all—a spy thriller that treats gadgets, violence, and social satire with infectious glee. Matthew Vaughn's best balancing act of style and substance.

But If you don't like heightened action and cartoonish villains, this will feel exhausting rather than fun.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle2017

Doubles down on the irreverence, adding American excess and the always-brilliant Channing Tatum. It knows exactly what it is and commits fully. Pure entertainment.

But The plot is thin, the runtime bloats, and some jokes land softer than intended. It prioritizes spectacle over sense.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.2015

Guy Ritchie's Cold War spy film with similar period-action DNA and visual flair. Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer have real chemistry. Slick, smart, and criminally underrated.

But It's less comedic than Kingsman—more style over humor. Pacing can feel languid if you want constant momentum.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The King's Man

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb1964

Both use exaggerated melodrama and slapstick to depict history's worst actors playing with global annihilation. The King's Man borrows its moral structure—good men must stop idiots with power.

Kubrick's blackest comedy about powerful men blundering toward apocalypse. Peter Sellers is transcendent. It found the exact register for treating historical catastrophe as farce without losing the horror.

But The humor is pitch-black and relies on knowing Cold War politics. Made in 1964, it shows its age in pacing. Not everyone finds existential dread funny.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb poster

Atomic Blonde2017

Charlize Theron as an MI6 agent in 1980s Berlin. Stunning fight choreography, a killer soundtrack, and genuine wit. Proof that spy action can be both gorgeous and brutal.

But The plot twists feel familiar and the story takes a back seat to the visual set pieces. Some will find it slight.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout2018

Tom Cruise at 56, running full tilt through impossible stunts. Beautifully constructed action where you can always tell what's happening. A masterclass in how to make spectacle coherent.

But If spy thrillers feel generic to you, this won't change your mind. The plot is serviceable rather than surprising.

Twisters2024

A recent action film that remembers to be fun and silly alongside the carnage. Great ensemble chemistry and willingness to laugh at itself. Pure popcorn movie satisfaction.

But It's aggressively lightweight. Anyone seeking substance or character development will feel the lack immediately.

The Gentlemen2020

Guy Ritchie and Matthew McConaughey having the time of their lives with a crime caper that's all energy and style. Witty, well-cast, and narratively clever in a way that rewards attention.

But The plot is complex enough to lose you, and some accents push into parody territory. Not everyone finds Ritchie's particular brand of swagger appealing.

Rocketman2019

Taron Egerton in a musical biopic that refuses to be dull or reverent. Colorful, bold, and genuinely moving beneath the spectacle. Proof that genre films can have real heart.

But It's a musical, which automatically excludes some viewers. The emotional beats sometimes feel rushed around the production numbers.

The Librarians2014

A scrappy ensemble adventure series about ordinary people protecting magical artifacts. Pure fun, inventive mythology, and no pretense of seriousness. Perfect if you want weekly adventure without stakes.

But The budget shows, and the tone is deliberately campy. If you need polished production values or character arcs with weight, this won't satisfy.

The Death of Stalin2017

Both treat real historical atrocity as an occasion for farce. The King's Man mines WWI for action thrills; this mines Stalinist USSR for political comedy. Same idea inverted.

Armando Iannucci's satirical take on the power struggle after Stalin's death. Black-and-white, chaotic, genuinely hilarious about bureaucratic horror. A historical comedy that respects neither the genre nor the subject.

But The rapid-fire dialogue and overlapping chaos can be exhausting. It's cynical about everyone and everything. In black and white, which some find alienating in a modern film.

The Prestige2006

Both hide a deeper operating system beneath surface spectacle. Where The King's Man uses action to explore duty and legacy, The Prestige uses magic tricks to explore the cost of ambition. Both films are about powerful men trapped by their own rules.

Nolan's twisty Victorian thriller about obsession and deception, with David Bowie as Tesla. It rewards close watching and respects the audience's intelligence. The ending reshapes everything you've seen.

But The plot complexity can feel labyrinthine on first viewing. Some find the trickery cold and emotionally remote. Rewatchability isn't for everyone.