Overview
A colossal adventure awaits on a mysterious island where danger lurks at every turn.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- thrilling
- eerie
- imaginative
- classic movie night
- monster movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a groundbreaking, thrilling, visually inventive landmark whose pioneering effects and suspense outweigh its dated conventions.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Carl Denham treats Skull Island and Kong as material for his movie, making entertainment industry ambition central to the story.
Kong, dinosaurs, and other island creatures are realized through pioneering special-effects work that remains the film’s defining spectacle.
Kong is feared as a beast yet given emotional and romantic vulnerability through his attachment to Ann Darrow.
The expedition travels to mysterious Skull Island, whose jungle, wall, dinosaurs, and giant ape create an isolated lost-world setting.
Films like King Kong, and why
Godzilla
shared giant-monster spectacle, adventure peril, imaginative effects, and tragic creature pathos
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
shared expedition narrative, exotic wilderness, monster encounters, and classic creature-feature suspense
The Lost World
shared prehistoric creatures, lost-world adventure, and pioneering stop-motion spectacle
Mighty Joe Young
shared doomed romance, island adventure, and tragic conflict between human exploitation and a powerful outsider
Movie Details
- Directors
- Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
- Release Date
- 1933-04-07
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (1671)
Cast
- Robert Armstrong
- Fay Wray
- Bruce Cabot
- Frank Reicher
- Victor Wong
- James Flavin
- Sam Hardy
- Noble Johnson
- Steve Clemente
- Roscoe Ates
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 Kong about?
- A reckless filmmaker’s expedition to a hidden island unleashes a colossal ape whose captivity turns adventure spectacle into tragic myth.
- What is King Kong like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of King Kong as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is King Kong violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in King Kong as moderate.
- What did critics think of King Kong?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a groundbreaking, thrilling, visually inventive landmark whose pioneering effects and suspense outweigh its dated conventions.
- Which films are like King Kong?
- Films with a similar feel include Godzilla, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, The Lost World, and Mighty Joe Young.
- How long is King Kong?
- King Kong runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch King Kong?
- In United States, King Kong is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
