Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- brooding
- tense
- violent
- late night thriller viewing
- crime movie marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film a straightforward but watchable revenge thriller carried strongly by Chadwick Boseman's lead performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jacob King arrives from South Africa in Los Angeles to find his missing younger sister and pursues those responsible.
King pieces together his sister's final movements through evidence involving a morgue, motel, money, drugs, and criminal associates.
King is an outsider in Los Angeles who refuses warnings to leave and imposes his own form of justice on the city's violent criminal network.
The investigation moves through the City of Angels' drugs, sex, secrets, and criminal violence beneath its polished surface.
Films like Message from the King, and why
John Wick
shared revenge-thriller structure, urban crime setting, and relentless protagonist
The Equalizer
shared neo-noir atmosphere, criminal underworld investigation, and violent pursuit of truth
Blue Ruin
shared mystery-driven revenge narrative, morally compromised city environment, and hard-edged action
Movie Details
- Director
- Fabrice Du Welz
- Release Date
- 2017-05-10
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (509)
Cast
- Chadwick Boseman
- Luke Evans
- Alfred Molina
- Teresa Palmer
- Natalie Martinez
- Chris Mulkey
- Drew Powell
- Jonno Roberts
- Dale Dickey
- Jake Weary
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Message from the King about?
- A determined outsider turns a missing-sister investigation into a brutal reckoning with Los Angeles's criminal underworld.
- What is Message from the King like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Message from the King as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Message from the King violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Message from the King as brutal.
- What did critics think of Message from the King?
- Critics generally found the film a straightforward but watchable revenge thriller carried strongly by Chadwick Boseman's lead performance.
- Which films are like Message from the King?
- Films with a similar feel include John Wick, The Equalizer, and Blue Ruin.
- How long is Message from the King?
- Message from the King runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch Message from the King?
- In United States, Message from the King streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
