King Richard

King Richard has built a devoted audience in Australia on HBO Max, and in the US on YouTube TV among viewers who want their drama to earn its emotional beats. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 2,884 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Will Smith's performance alone is worth the time investment. Available now on HBO Max — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, King Richard earns its spot. King Richard trusts its audience to sit with discomfort instead of resolving it too quickly. The story of how Richard Williams served as a coach to his daughters Venus and Serena, who will soon become two of the most legendary tennis players in history. Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor lead a cast doing genuinely serious work here. It was released in 2021. The performances in King Richard do a lot of work in the silences between the dialogue. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

King Richard is what you recommend to people who say they do not really watch much. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Will Smith's work here is the kind that gets referenced in career retrospectives. It makes everything else feel thin by comparison.