King Richard – Film Review

Armed with a clear vision and a brazen, seventy-eight-page plan, Richard Williams (Will Smith) is determined to write his two daughters, Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton), into history. Training on tennis courts in Compton, California, Richard shapes the girls’ unyielding commitment and keen intuition. Together, the Williams family defies seemingly insurmountable odds and the prevailing expectations laid before them.

Sports drama biopics are honestly some of my favorite films out there and I don’t know why. For starters, the only sport I’m heavily into is basketball and I have been ever since I was about nine or ten years old. As a matter of fact, when I was thirteen, I was absolutely determined to make it into the NBA but, as you can see, that didn’t work out.

I do enjoy other sports such as soccer and ping pong, but I’m not nearly into them as much as I am basketball. Tennis, however? I kind of love it. I’m not a professional tennis player by any means (I’ve only ever played for fun against classmates in school and against my parents and friends), but I do think it’s a total blast, and I also acknowledge just how hard it is. By simply watching a match, you may think it looks like the easiest sport in the world but it’s really not because you have to be constantly moving around and hitting the ball to make sure that it gets over the net.

And those who regularly follow tennis or really just sports, in general, know that Serena and Venus Williams are two of the best in all of sports. Their athleticism, willpower, courage, and stamina are absolutely remarkable and they both singlehandedly changed how people view tennis – it’s hard, it takes skill and a ton of effort. But who was the one that truly helped inspire them and helped them grow to where they are today?

Well, that would be their father – Richard Williams. Although they did have proper coaching with professionals, they wouldn’t have been the same people had it not been for their father’s guidance, reassurance, and persistence. Of course, when you are a kid and you desperately want to accomplish something, it can be a bit difficult to keep your head on and believe in yourself, which is where parents or others close to you step in to encourage you, and Richard did that while also juggling so many things in his life.

One of this film’s greatest strengths is definitely its wonderful script by Zach Baylin who does an absolutely marvelous job at injecting some true heart, love, and passion into this project. Every scene feels meaningful, and by the time the unbearably tense third act comes into play, it’s almost impossible not to be totally swept away by Baylin’s script and Reinaldo Marcus Green‘s stunning direction.

But easily the most impressive element on display here is without a doubt Will Smith’s dynamite performance as the titular King Richard. Smith is definitely best known for his more comedic and absurd performances – for example The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and the Men in Black series – but people seem to forget that Smith can actually be a terrific dramatic actor when the time rolls around.

Honestly, Smith’s performance as Richard Williams just may be the best of his career. He is so charismatic and lovable here. Flawed yet skilled. He feels like the type of guy you’d love to sit down and have an hour-long conversation with about life, sports, and the world around you, and Smith couldn’t have done a better job portraying this man. Don’t be surprised if you see Smith’s name on the Best Actor nominee list in the coming months.

King Richard does follow some tried-and-true formulas of sports biopic dramas, and that’s to be expected. Sometimes, you just have to include some of these ingredients in order to complete the recipe. This movie does utilize the painfully tired montage sequence where we watch somebody start off iffy before they ultimately become great, and it’s a bit frustrating. But, the ending did take me by surprise because of how unpredictable it was. It’s not the best movie of the year, but it is one of them, and it reminded me of how much I love sports biopics.