King Richard

“Depictions of gang-riddled Los Angeles leave much to be desired, but the traversing of two social worlds does feel honest to the Black experience.”

Title: King Richard (2021)
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green 👨🏾🇺🇸
Writer: Zach Baylin 👨🏼🇺🇸

Reviewed by Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton 👩🏾🇺🇸

—SPOILERS AHEAD—

Technical: 4/5

For fans of tennis phenoms Venus and Serena Williams, Warner Bros.’ King Richard set out to offer an inside look at the father who made it all possible. Named one of the best films of 2021 by the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review, this biographical sports drama film directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and written by Zach Baylin follows the life of Richard Williams (Will Smith) as he and his wife Oracene Price (Aunjanue Ellis) raise their four daughters—including the tennis stars—from their humble beginnings in Compton, California through Venus’ arrival as a force on the pro court.

Its setting offers a grim and complicated look at urban life. From Williams’ attempts to train his daughters Serena (Demi Singleton) and Venus (Saniyya Sydney) on the outdated neighborhood tennis court while being heckled by gang members, to struggling to gather the money for a much needed coach, Baylin leans into the harsh reputation of the West Coast of the early ‘90s to depict impoverished Black life. However, while images of blended family structures and low-rider filled streets are depicted as anything but victorious, King Richard does position poverty as a place from which viewers can champion the underdog.

It’s Smith’s portrayal of Williams’ dedication to protect his family and fight for a better life (albeit by unorthodox means) that transforms an otherwise straightforward arc. Where most images of Black fathers in Hollywood leave much to be desired, Baylin and Green use “King Richard” to show the emotional baggage that comes with a family man who is desperate for success. Even it means committing murder to save his daughter, this rage for equity does not merely add color to the script but bleeds through the film’s art direction. The most promising moments take place in vibrant hues, while Williams’ need for control and balance are often kept dimly lit, as if peering into the recesses of his mind.

As Venus and Serena begin to enter the public eye, Williams’ hubris takes over, making him more of a villain in his own home than a righteous protector. While we all know how the story ends, it is Williams’ descent into madness, and a later ascension by Oracene from a doting wife to an exacting mother, that makes room for a different strength to exist. This redirected space allows both the film’s patriarch and the audience alike to learn the value of losing graciously. While he has lost power—and Venus has lost a match during her first pro tournament run—they find redemption in the lens of the community. Above all, Baylin and Green make the brave decision not to highlight the Williams sisters’ long and blushing career, but rather, to let the audience remember them at the height of their hunger.

Gender: 4/5
Does it pass the Bechdel Test? YES

In an intentional effort to carve out more space for a strong female lead, actress Ellis worked closely with videos of the real life Oracene Price alongside screenwriter Baylin to make sure her character’s presence would speak louder than her words. This quiet strength comes to the fore during a confrontation by a neighbor who offers unsolicited child-rearing advice. Where this could have reaffirmed stereotypes of an “angry Black woman,” Oracene’s clear boundaries move beyond rage and offer audiences a look at a dedicated and supportive woman who also doesn't mind challenging people, even the ones she loves most. When Williams forces his family to watch Disney’s Cinderella (1950) a second time in a row to learn more about grace, Oracene puts her foot down and asserts that she can be a force that shapes her children with just as much fierceness as her husband. Ellis may not have the screen time Smith receives, but her character artfully showcases both independent thinking and intense support for her loved ones—a needle that so many women and mothers thread.

Furthermore, female bonds show the full color of this film. From Oracene becoming Serena’s teacher when the family could only afford one coach, to seeing all four Williams sisters bonding in song and dance before dinner, these moments depict how joy and perseverance make their way into the most desperate of places.

Race: 4.5/5

While depictions of gang-riddled Los Angeles leave much to be desired in adding depth to the Black experience, the honesty of traversing two social worlds does allow audiences to see the stark contrast faced by Black people every day. Personal choices made by main characters, such as the use of natural and iconic hairstyles, remind audiences of all the ways that Venus and Serena have held onto their authenticity while attempting to dominate a white-centered sport.

The family’s Blackness is always at the core of the story without being reduced to a monolith. Each daughter has her own talents, even beyond tennis. In addition, the way Oracene shifts between her own athletic accomplishments to braid her child’s hair, and back to coaching a young Serena, celebrates the many shapes and forms that Black excellence takes.

But the most important cultural moment of the film happens with Venus’ loss at the end of the movie. When she is at her lowest, a large group of Black girls cheer and bring her back to herself. The societal pressure to be the best disappears as she is reminded of her incredible accomplishments for her own community. This level of nuanced commentary is needed more in mainstream studio films.

However, King Richard does fall short in one area: completion. The film tackles what it’s like to survive in two conflicting worlds, but fails to show the extent that toll takes on a human being. Though we see Williams unravel after living in survival mode for so long, that journey is never fully fleshed out. The audience is left to wonder if his motives are malicious or simply mistargeted. For a character that seems so deeply complex in so many areas, the lack of information around his past—which has clearly shaped his decisions—proves to be the weakest link in King Richard. Deeper exploration could have given us revelations on mental health, grief, and the weight of carrying Blackness every day. As it stands, the topic feels only half-resolved.

Mediaversity Grade: B+ 4.17/5

King Richard poses a heartwarming story on the perseverance of Richard Williams on behalf of his daughters in a white-dominated sport. While it provides complex characters as a microcosm of Black life, it falls short of examining the toll that surviving in these spaces takes on the individual. Its limited focus on “King Richard” may leave audiences hungry for a fuller examination of tennis culture in the early ‘90s, which in turn could have broadened the film’s reach and included a stronger female perspective. However, its ability to show the internal conflict in the quest for Black success explains the film’s accolades, including its vaunted place as an Academy Awards nominee for Best Picture.

Like King Richard? Try these other sport-centric films.

Grade: BLiMarch 21, 2022