Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- bemused
- warm
- lazy sunday
- character driven movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an idiosyncratic, bemused American fable elevated by Michael Douglas's strong performance and its portrait of nonconformity.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Charlie organizes an increasingly improbable search for an ancient Spanish treasure buried beneath a Costco.
Miranda, an emancipated teenager, is drawn into her recently institutionalized father Charlie's quest.
The film combines bemused humor with Charlie's idealistic refusal to accept conventional explanations of his world.
The sought Spanish treasure is hidden beneath a local Costco, turning an ordinary commercial site into a fantasy-historical excavation.
Films like King of California, and why
Little Miss Sunshine
idiosyncratic father daughter bond, offbeat comedy drama, and an impossible quest driven by idealism
The Royal Tenenbaums
eccentric outsider protagonist, contemporary American fable, and bittersweet pursuit of an unlikely dream
The Fisher King
Don Quixote-like nonconformity, comic mental instability, and a determined search for hidden treasure
The Darjeeling Limited
warm but dysfunctional family relationship shaped by idealism, eccentricity, and an unconventional adventure
Movie Details
- Director
- Mike Cahill
- Release Date
- 2007-01-24
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (397)
Cast
- Michael Douglas
- Evan Rachel Wood
- Willis Burks II
- Kathleen Wilhoite
- Arthur Santiago
- Anne L. Nathan
- Ashley Greene
- Ian Hopps
- Paul Lieber
- Laura Kachergus
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy 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 King of California about?
- A newly released psychiatric patient recruits his wary teenage daughter into a wildly improbable treasure hunt beneath a suburban warehouse store.
- What is King of California like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of King of California as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is King of California violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in King of California as mild.
- What did critics think of King of California?
- Critics broadly found the film an idiosyncratic, bemused American fable elevated by Michael Douglas's strong performance and its portrait of nonconformity.
- Which films are like King of California?
- Films with a similar feel include Little Miss Sunshine, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Fisher King, and The Darjeeling Limited.
- How long is King of California?
- King of California runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch King of California?
- In United States, King of California streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel.
