You’ve either heard of award winning film director Terrence Malick, or your haven’t. Haven’t a clue who I’m talking about? Well then it’s probably best to turn away now because the man is a bit of an acquired taste. However, if you’re in some form familiar with his other aesthetically pleasing works including The Tree of Life, To the Wonder, and Days of Heaven, you already have a distinct advantage. Malick’s directing style is compiled of poetic overtones, hushed voices, and a free-flowing structure; so, it’s basically me. Yes, you’ve caught me. I am award winning film director Terrence Malick taking cover as a high school junior. I’m obviously joking, but in all seriousness, this is where the “acquired taste” part comes in. Being very deep in my own thoughts and very poetic in my own way, Malick’s new film Knight of Cups greatly appeals to me. On the flip side, someone who doesn’t greatly appreciate the beauty of nature, camera angles, and metaphors may have a rough time even understanding this film let alone enjoying it. Knight of Cups gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “to each their own.” Knight of Cups is an art film through-and-through, so action film lovers looking for another groundbreaking performance from A-lister Christian Bale should be warned: this is as far away from Batman as you can get.

The concept behind Knight of Cups is very difficult to describe. The movie begins by showcasing nature in its truest form through the magnificent work of the camera angles. We then flash to our main character Rick, played by Christian Bale. This is where the story begins. The first dialogue of the film is of a man narrating a story about a King who sent his son to Egypt to find a pearl. When the son arrived, the villagers poured him a cup. Upon drinking the liquid, the Prince fell into a deep sleep and forgot everything about himself. The King has since sent messengers, hoping that someone will guide him home. This is the metaphor for which the entire movie will be based upon. Present day, we meet Rick, who is working as a screenwriter in Santa-Monica. However, he longs for something more, something that his life doesn’t know, but without knowing how to find it, Rick doesn’t know where to turn. After the reality of his depressing life sends him spinning, he searches for the one thing he knows will distract him: women. Women seem to know him more than he does. Because of this, he moves to LA to spend more time with Della; Nancy; a physician he was once married to; a model named Helen; Elizabeth; a married woman he made pregnant; Karen; and a woman who’s helping him see his way forward, Isabel. However happy he may seem, nothing adds up. All the parties, the career, the dalliances—nothing has satisfied his thirst for this thing he desires most, but still each woman he meets has served him in some way as some sort of messenger. The film ends with either euphoria or heartbreak, but that’s for you, the audience, to decide. In this movie, you create your own storybook ending.

Like I said in the beginning, this film is most certainly not for everyone. There is no direct plot apart from the metaphor you receive in the beginning, there is very little direct dialogue, and it’s very introspective and emotional. I encourage anyone to see Knight of Cups because why not give it a chance? This film can be accessed through sites such as putlocker.is or clickplay.to. Hopefully it’ll leave you as enlightened and starstruck as it did me.