The Fragile King

Writer and director Tristan Holmes’s dramatic feature The Fragile King uses the South African desert as its backdrop. The film is about Michael (Alex de la Ray), an emotionally distant 15-year-old with a surprisingly mature demeanor. He is quiet and only shares his thoughts or feelings when necessary. Michael’s mother, Rachel (Antoinette Louw), on the other hand, is often loud and expressive, with a lot of love for her son, but she is also a lost soul.

Rachel doesn’t seem to have her responsibilities adequately figured out. She skips work for the day to go bowling with Michael. On top of a poor work ethic, she drinks excessively and is loose with men. The result is a stressful upbringing for Michael. After a night of sleeping in their car, Michael and Rachel are back on the road. While driving late at night, the two get in am accident. Rachel ends up dying, and Michael’s estranged grandfather, Gerald (Andrew Buckland), comes to pick the boy up from the hospital and bring him home.

Gerald doesn’t live a healthy lifestyle and appears to be suffering from an undisclosed illness. Though Gerald isn’t the ideal legal guardian for Michael, he’s the only known relative with whom he can stay. From there, the story takes some turns as grandfather and grandson bump heads, drive through South Africa, and explore options to determine what is best for the boy’s future.

“Rachel ends up dying, and Michael’s estranged grandfather, Gerald, comes to pick the boy up…”

The Fragile King is a beautifully understated film about relationships and the responsibility of family. The South African roadsides are the perfect setting for this tragic tale. As the sun sets on the landscape, the rich colors that paint the evening sky evoke tragic but beautifully memorable feelings of the characters on screen. The open road traveled by Gerald and his grandson serves as a metaphor for Michael’s future, curving and winding into the unknown.

The cinematography is superb. When the camera pulls back and frames Michael in extremely wide shots, as a viewer, you feel the distant loneliness of the character with the city buildings surrounding him. Deep blues and cool tones fill many of the shots, an element of the visual design that works so well to enrich the melancholic narrative. At its heart, this is a coming-of-age story wrapped in a family tragedy. Great performances from Buckland and Louw bring believability and weight to their characters. Alex de la Ray is fantastic, making Michael as both reserved and confident. 

So is this film for everyone? Without giving away too much of the story, admittedly, there aren’t many feel-good scenes. This is a thoughtful film with several intimate moments, but it might leave you feeling gloomy. On the other hand, if you are like me and enjoy movies that leave you with something to chew on and don’t necessarily have happy endings, The Fragile King is for you.