Kurt Russell's New R-Rated Western Thriller Earns Stellar Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
Kurt Russell's new Western thriller gains supporters following its theatrical release.
While the veteran actor launched his acting career in television with The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, Russell became one of Hollywood's leading stars, especially through his collaboration with John Carpenter. That partnership spawned iconic movies like The Thing and Escape from New York, in which he portrayed the antihero Snake Plissken. While Russell has his fair share of heroes and romantic leads in four decades, he's now playing a corrupt villain in the new Western crime thriller, The Rivals of Amziah King.
The Western thriller is slowly rolling into theaters, as audiences share their thoughts about the new release. As of writing, The Rivals of Amziah King has a solid 75% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, whereas the critics' score is 89%. However, there are just 50 verified reviews since the movie is only available in select theaters and will go wide the following weekend. Thus, the audience rating may change over time.
The thriller first premiered at SXSW in 2025 before it slowly opened up in theaters this month. The Rivals of Amziah King reviews were very positive, with praise for the depiction of the Southern setting and unpredictable, yet satisfying story. In addition, the cast's performances were a highlight, especially the chemistry between Matthew McConaughey's eccentric, yet charming Oklahoma beekeeper and Angelina LookingGlass's raw and resilient Kateri.
However, critics and audiences are divided over a narrative structure that shifts from a hearty drama between a surrogate father and daughter to a dark revenge quest. While some moviegoers thought the unpredictability brought intrigue, others felt that the sudden shift hurt the pacing and tone built in the first half.
Nevertheless, the reception for The Rivals of Amziah King was generally positive, marking a win for Russell's first R-rated movie in nearly seven years. He now has a Rotten Tomatoes streak, as audiences rated his last three movies favorably. Unlike the new Western, however, Smurfs and F9: The Fast Saga left critics and audiences divided, but the latter were receptive to those movies.
|
Kurt Russell's Last 3 Movies |
Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|---|---|---|
|
F9: The Fast Saga (2021) |
59% |
82% |
|
Smurfs (2025) |
21% |
64% |
|
The Rivals of Amziah King (2026) |
89% |
76% |
Meanwhile, it doesn't appear that Russell has any upcoming movie projects, but he is busy on television. The Madison season 2 is expected to return soon on Paramount+, with Russell reprising Preston Clyburn. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters concluded season 2 earlier this year, but Apple TV has yet to renew the series for a third installment.
The Rivals of Amziah King follows the titular character who cares for bees and runs a honey business. After mentoring and giving new life to his former foster child, a tragic event occurs, leading his protégé to seek justice and save the business from a corrupt tycoon, played by Russell. Andrew Patterson wrote and directed the Western crime thriller. The remaining cast includes Scott Shepherd, Rob Morgan, Tony Revolori, Owen Teague, and Cole Sprouse.
The Rivals of Amziah King is now playing in select theaters before going wide on August 21, 2026.