This is an interesting take on one of the lesser known Arthurian legends, the first notable retelling in popular culture since Tolkien. There are plenty of good things about the film - acting is great, especially Dev Patel, and the score is especially worthy of praise. The supernatural stylistic flourishes of unreality are well-done, though perhaps not quite as ambitious as, say, Neil Jordan's The Company of Wolves or Ben Wheatley's A Field in England.
However, ultimately the film is let down by the weakness of the screenplay. The dialogue is clunky in places, the narrative sometimes feels a bit baggy and the conclusion is ultimately unsatisfactory. The director made a clear choice to avoid the ending of the original poem, but the reworked conclusion was simply not revelatory enough or smart enough to justify itself, and, as a result, failed to reward the viewer for their invested time.
However, ultimately the film is let down by the weakness of the screenplay. The dialogue is clunky in places, the narrative sometimes feels a bit baggy and the conclusion is ultimately unsatisfactory. The director made a clear choice to avoid the ending of the original poem, but the reworked conclusion was simply not revelatory enough or smart enough to justify itself, and, as a result, failed to reward the viewer for their invested time.