Overview
A young boy navigates the harsh realities of life alone in a seedy hotel during the Great Depression.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- witty
- intimate
- quiet evening
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's sensitive coming-of-age perspective, sharp contrasts between deprivation and buoyancy, and assured direction.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Aaron fends for himself in a struggling family and seedy SRO hotel after his parents become unable to provide stable care.
The Great Depression shapes the Kurlander family's housing, employment, health, and survival pressures.
Aaron survives abandonment, poverty, and institutional disruption with an enduring buoyancy noted in the critical reception.
The seedy SRO hotel is Aaron's primary refuge and the setting for his self-reliant daily life.
Films like King of the Hill, and why
The 400 Blows
shared coming of age drama, childhood hardship, historical setting, and resilient young protagonist
The Glass Menagerie
shared intimate family drama, economic precarity, and childhood resilience during social hardship
To Kill a Mockingbird
shared Depression-era setting, child perspective, and poignant survival amid adult instability
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
shared lyrical coming of age storytelling, working-class family pressures, and bittersweet warmth
Movie Details
- Director
- Steven Soderbergh
- Release Date
- 1993-08-20
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (172)
Cast
- Jesse Bradford
- Jeroen Krabbé
- Lisa Eichhorn
- Karen Allen
- Spalding Gray
- Elizabeth McGovern
- Cameron Boyd
- Adrien Brody
- Joe Chrest
- John McConnell
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 of the Hill about?
- A resourceful boy struggles to survive alone in Depression-era St. Louis as illness, poverty, and parental absence dismantle his family.
- What is King of the Hill like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of King of the Hill as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is King of the Hill violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in King of the Hill.
- What did critics think of King of the Hill?
- Critics broadly praised the film's sensitive coming-of-age perspective, sharp contrasts between deprivation and buoyancy, and assured direction.
- Which films are like King of the Hill?
- Films with a similar feel include The 400 Blows, The Glass Menagerie, To Kill a Mockingbird, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
- How long is King of the Hill?
- King of the Hill runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch King of the Hill?
- In United States, King of the Hill is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
