‘Firebrand’ Review –  An Unnecessary Biopic That Lacks Heat And Truth [Tribeca 2024]

If you are going to make (yet another) biopic, it had better be from a new perspective. Most viewers do not want to sit through a standard, birth-to-death historical story, no matter how many times awards bodies reward this tired practice. And Firebrand does indeed avoid those tropes. Focusing on the one wife who survived King Henry VIII (whether through divorce or death), Katherine Parr (Alicia Vikander), this might seem like an interesting jumping-off point. Sadly though, passing this admittedly minimal bar does not necessarily constitute greatness, or even being fully worthy of your time.

The film picks up after Katherine has married Henry and been able to publish a book which was not received well by the religious powers that be. And here begins the problems. With a title like Firebrand, one would think we would be able to see her process of becoming a person who causes social trouble and fights against those powers. Instead, the real provocateur is Anne Askew (Erin Doherty), Katherine’s childhood friend (and possibly more). These scenes are engaging, but only serve to weaken our protagonist in the long run.

All of this occurs in the first quarter of the film, before King Henry VIII (Jude Law) makes his return. He has named Katherine the nation’s Regent in his stead, but when he appears, he certainly makes an entrance. Law is always an engaging performer and he clearly relishes his opportunities to play a pure villain. Moments between him and Vikander, ranging from frank discussion of England’s future to outright sexual assault, are all eminently watchable, even when disturbing. This is certainly not owed to the script (from Henrietta Ashworth and Jessica Ashworth) nor to the direction from Karim Aïnouz, which is frankly boring and uninspired. This is a shock after his previous work on Invisible Life, which provides all of the passion and nuance that this misses.

Additionally, the overall dark tone of the film unfortunately matches the drab visuals. Composition-wise, there is little to gravitate towards and Aïnouz seems mostly disinterested in anything besides the walls closing in on Katherine. That is a necessary component, but he seems to forget the riches and palatial trappings inherent in a royal-based story. The film pays lip service to her accomplishments but, given the change in ending that avoids correct known history, it seems to not trust that those are anywhere enough to see her as a heroine. Katherine Parr is indeed worthy of the cinematic treatment, it is just a shame that they do not show her as the firebrand that the title hints at. 

The kindest thing I can say is that the movie is mostly watchable. It rarely feels like a chore, even if it never reaches the heights of excitement that you would hope. There is plenty of court intrigue in the final third, but even that does not seem to hold the attention, as it feels more like a foregone conclusion. The one saving grace, beyond Jude Law’s animal-like performance, is Vikander’s relationship with Henry’s children from a previous wife. The precious few scenes with her and Elizabeth (Junia Rees), Mary (Patsy Ferran), and Edward (Patrick Buckley) all feel genuine, heartfelt, and is the one reason we actively root for Katherine. Special mention should go to Rees, as the young actress in her first role manages to hold her own with both Vikander and Law. Her presence, vocal quality, and stirring emotion shake the audience out of the usual biopic sterility.

Firebrand is not a bad movie by any stretch of the imagination, but we have choices. Even within the genre, very little is notable here that you haven’t seen numerous times before. The two leads give quality moments, but you have seen them better elsewhere. Unless you have a particular passion of fascination with King Henry VIII and his various health ailments, there is not much to dig into. 

Firebrand held its North American Premiere as a part of the Spotlight Narrative section of the 2024 Tribeca Festival. The film will debut exclusively in theaters on June 14, 2024, courtesy of Roadside Attractions. 

Director: Karim Aïnouz

Screenwriters: Jessica Ashworth, Henrietta Ashworth 

Rated: R

Runtime: 120m