The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

Warner Bros. | Release Date: April 10, 2019

6.8	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 46 Ratings

USER RATING DISTRIBUTION

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Review this movie

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Please sign in or create an account before writing a review.

Check box if your review contains spoilers

0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

hnestlyontheslyOct 7, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My Friend has been nagging me to sit down and watch this film about Don Quixote with him for weeks and weeks, and I was skeptical. I don’t have a really good bead on his taste, beyond original, standalone sci-fi and action films. He doesn’t like art house pictures or indie movies about quirky teens most of the time, so I assumed that he was trying to watch this one to prep for one of his classes. This is probably the last time that I’ll underestimate his ability to sniff out the perfect weekday movie.

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is a dream, a pet project of many years from the mind of Monty Python’s own Terry Gilliam, and starring the world’s most gangly Adam Driver alongside “that guy who was the bad guy in that Bond movie” aka Jonathan Pryce (apparently he’s also in GoT, but I have no idea). The female leads Olga Kurylenko and Joana Ribeiro are electric and dynamic, emotional whipsaws and excellent facsimiles of sexy sheep (at one point). Without giving too much, or any of the plot, I can just say that my image of the film without ever having seen the trailer and barely having seen a poster for this film (which has apparently been living in production purgatory for months if not years?), was that of the image above, a simple retelling of the Don Quixote story with maybe some big name actors to draw an audience. Within the first two minutes of the movie, that expectation was turned on its head and that head was split open, as if by a windmill.

At the one hour mark, Friend’s colleague asked how much more time there was for the movie and we checked and both of us were speechless. What had felt like the first two thirds of the film had barely registered as the first act–“What more could happen?” I cried. “How many more places could they go?” he screamed. “They’ve already been taken in by secret Muslims,” I shouted, at which point his colleague told us to quiet down or we’d wake the baby. We weren’t lamenting how slow the movie’s pacing was. I think we just couldn’t picture in which direction it could be gaining momentum.

We sometimes describe this element of plot unknowability as “tumbly,” as in “I like how the storyline tumbled along,” as opposed to one that sits within the tight confines of a genre film. The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is fully in control of its free-fall, and I’m sure that if I were to give it a second viewing that it would seem a lot more organized than it felt on first watch.

The elements of magical realism and unreliable narration were well-crafted and alternately humorous and disquieting. Adam Driver’s triumph was finding a dozen different ways of using the phrase “holy **** **** Pryce speechifies trippingly in his grandiloquent screenplay patois and his final scene is gripping cinema.

Whenever this film makes it to your theater/festival/streaming site of choice, give it a look see. It’s more than it first appears.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

All this user's reviews

jfrisbyJul 11, 2019

Really enjoyed this - feels like one of the only films trying to be imaginative and challenging in the last few years (at least in English).. a reminder of what film can be. Thanks Terry!

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

Beowulf4862Apr 11, 2019

Wonderful, frustrating, amusing film. Despite hearing of its long gestation, I really knew very little of the actual plot. The movie is confusing at times and overlong, but is nonetheless delightful fun. Twenty-five years of waiting may haveWonderful, frustrating, amusing film. Despite hearing of its long gestation, I really knew very little of the actual plot. The movie is confusing at times and overlong, but is nonetheless delightful fun. Twenty-five years of waiting may have pumped expectations too high, but the film--while no masterpiece--delivers the goods.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

RalfbergsOct 13, 2020

I like it. Even though at the beginning seemed like it will end up being a bit boring or felt like it is a bit misleading, but later got sucked into the story and it got interesting and overall I liked it, even though nothing so impressive toI like it. Even though at the beginning seemed like it will end up being a bit boring or felt like it is a bit misleading, but later got sucked into the story and it got interesting and overall I liked it, even though nothing so impressive to give it higher rating… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

alejandro970Aug 14, 2021

As in the classic play, it combines reality and fantasy with the hallmark of director Gilliam. The only downside is that for some viewers it becomes confusing or overwhelming. It is not the best of the director out of the Monty Python but theAs in the classic play, it combines reality and fantasy with the hallmark of director Gilliam. The only downside is that for some viewers it becomes confusing or overwhelming. It is not the best of the director out of the Monty Python but the effort is noticeable.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews