Overview
A gripping tale of survival and moral ambiguity in a war-torn prison camp.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- bleak
- cynical
- oppressive
- classic cinema viewing
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film’s realism, cinematography, and performances, especially George Segal and James Fox, while some found its composite character-study structure thematically muddy.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Corporal King prospers by bartering with Japanese guards while other prisoners endure hunger and ruined clothing.
The conflict between King, Grey, and Peter Marlowe reveals tensions between American individualism and the British class system.
King’s clean clothes, good food, and camp network come from wheeling and dealing rather than military status.
Changi operates without walls or fences yet develops rules, markets, hierarchies, and competing authorities among the prisoners.
Films like King Rat, and why
The Bridge on the River Kwai
shared world war ii prisoner-of-war setting, moral ambiguity, and institutional power struggles
Stalag 17
shared wartime imprisonment, psychological pressure, and bleak examination of military hierarchy
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
shared world war ii realism, class conflict, and morally compromised survival under military authority
Movie Details
- Director
- Bryan Forbes
- Release Date
- 1965-10-27
- Runtime
- 134 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (83)
Cast
- George Segal
- James Fox
- Tom Courtenay
- Patrick O'Neal
- James Donald
- John Mills
- Denholm Elliott
- Leonard Rossiter
- Joe Turkel
- Todd Armstrong
Where to watch in United States
- 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 King Rat about?
- In a Japanese prison camp without fences, a resourceful American corporal builds a precarious kingdom that exposes the hypocrisies of military rank and British class.
- What is King Rat like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of King Rat as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is King Rat violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in King Rat as mild.
- What did critics think of King Rat?
- Critics broadly praised the film’s realism, cinematography, and performances, especially George Segal and James Fox, while some found its composite character-study structure thematically muddy.
- Which films are like King Rat?
- Films with a similar feel include The Bridge on the River Kwai, Stalag 17, and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.
- How long is King Rat?
- King Rat runs 134 minutes.
- Where can I watch King Rat?
- In United States, King Rat is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
