This is a movie for believers. It’s for people who so need to believe something is true when the world regards it otherwise that they go to passionate lengths to defy others in search of their truth. In days past, they might be called “dreamers” or “pioneers.” Now, of course, they’re called “conspiracy theorists” or “assholes.”
Let me be perfectly clear here: this is the exact wrong time in history to laud a conspiracy theory. In addition, this film references people who have done genuine honest-to-God research, not “this site I found said vaccines cause autism” or “my Russian neighbor’s dog has a twitter account that says the 2020 election was rigged.” The VAST majority of people spouting conspiracy theories right now are either liars or lazy or both. This film describes neither.
Was Richard III the victim of libel? Was he the victim of a posthumous smear campaign? Was Shakespeare in on it? Sure, why not.
Philippa Langley (really, Steve Coogan, writing another female lead character named “Phil?” What’s wrong with you? Wait. Don’t answer. I’ve seen your movies; I know exactly what’s wrong with you.) Moving on. Philippa (Sally Hawkins) hates her life. Her job sucks, but she can’t quit. Her estranged husband (Coogan) is kind of a jerk.` She seems stuck and passionless. Gee, Shakespeare will cure that, right?
Inspired by a local performance of Richard III, Philippa starts sympathizing with the maligned monarch. Did he really usurp the throne? Did he really kill children? Does Philippa have a hump that she’s hiding from the neighbors? In Philippa’s mind, these things don’t make sense … There are certain things that happen when you kill children, when you usurp a throne. These things did not happen.
Let me put it in modern terms – conservatives at some point accused Trump’s enemies of the violence on January 6. Some still do. Ok, so the pix say this is an obvious lie, but suppose there weren’t any pix? Well, we know from the behavior of both Trump and the Secret Service that this isn’t true, because if violent enemies had been that close to the idiot President, Trump would have been forced to hide and gladly would have done so, cuz he’s a huge coward. As he did not do this, we can but conclude these are lies.
The same could be said of the behavior surrounding Richard III if he were the monster we imagine him to be. And that was Philippa’s conclusion upon months and months of historical research following the play. Oh, and get this – she National Treasured the research as well, claiming that –with patience and funds- she will be able to find Richard’s grave. That would be quite a feat, no? Finding the lost grave of a well-known English monarch. I almost feel like we should hide Queen Elizabeth II somewhere weird just so 2523 will get a decent motion picture out of the deal.
One of the problems of film like this is lack of villainy; it has to take the form of bureaucracy or society 
pushing back or some other fool thing. Here it’s personified as an obstructionist deputy registrar in the form of Lee Ingleby, who comes off as a doughy English Luke Wilson.
Aiding Philippa is a ghost of the actor playing Richard III. He’s pretty useful … so does this film believe in ghosts as well? You see, the biggest problem with conspiracy theories is that for every one that turns out to be on the money, there are literally one thousand “the Earth is flat”s. Hence, I’m loathe to give credence to any one of them.
The Lost King winks and blows a kiss to conspiracy theorists: WE SEE YOU! WE BELIEVE YOU! And therein lies the film’s biggest problem: timing. Right now, conspiracy theorists have a megaphone like they never have had before in human history. There are literally millions of people who believe the 2020 election was stolen despite having zero (0) actual proof of such. All they have is a belief, a “feeling” based exactly upon their skewed worldview. Philippa Langley did lots and lots and lots of research. I don’t think the film makes that clear enough; for entertainment purposes, The Lost King emphasized her group of would-be nutjobs, passing them off as normal. But, but, but do you see how you can transplant election fraud and Jewish space laser and holocaust deniers into the same roles and get the same effect? It’s very possible I would have given The Lost King three stars a decade ago. Right now, however, I’m on the fence about recommending it to anybody.
There was a woman who –out of the blue-
Believed Richard III never got his due
So she wailed and tarried
And claimed where he’s buried
Now all she needs is a clue
Rated PG-13, 108 Minutes
Director: Stephen Frears
Writer: Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope
Genre: Real life conspiracies?
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Genuine historians
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Poseurs
