Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- awkward
- wistful
- lazy sunday
- reflective evening
What critics said
Critics found the film an amiable but uneven comic drama whose narrative meanders, with Tom Hanks's performance providing its strongest source of charm and momentum.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Alan Clay travels abroad after business failure and mounting financial and family pressures make his sales career feel like his last chance.
Alan’s attempts to sell American technology in Saudi Arabia repeatedly expose his unfamiliarity with local institutions, routines, and expectations.
The wealthy monarch Alan must reach remains unavailable, turning the promised sales meeting into a source of prolonged frustration and suspense.
The film places corporate technology, laptops, and holographic salesmanship against Saudi landscapes and rapidly developing modern spaces.
Films like A Hologram for the King, and why
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Shares an amiably uncomfortable blend of workplace anxiety, personal reinvention, cross-cultural displacement, and understated comedy.
Lost in Translation
Combines a beleaguered middle-aged protagonist, international travel, romantic possibility, and warm dramatic comedy.
Up in the Air
Features an ordinary professional navigating alienating institutions and unexpected human connection through a bittersweet comic-drama tone.
Movie Details
- Director
- Tom Tykwer
- Release Date
- 2016-04-22
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (1255)
Cast
- Tom Hanks
- Sarita Choudhury
- Sidse Babett Knudsen
- Ben Whishaw
- Tom Skerritt
- Tracey Fairaway
- David Menkin
- Omar Elba
- Jane Perry
- Amira El Sayed
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Hologram for the King about?
- A financially ruined American salesman finds his last corporate gamble in Saudi Arabia complicated by cultural dislocation, bureaucratic delay, and an unexpected chance at renewal.
- What is A Hologram for the King like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Hologram for the King as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is A Hologram for the King violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in A Hologram for the King as mild.
- What did critics think of A Hologram for the King?
- Critics found the film an amiable but uneven comic drama whose narrative meanders, with Tom Hanks's performance providing its strongest source of charm and momentum.
- Which films are like A Hologram for the King?
- Films with a similar feel include The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Lost in Translation, and Up in the Air.
- How long is A Hologram for the King?
- A Hologram for the King runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Hologram for the King?
- In United States, A Hologram for the King streams on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel.
