Overview
A harrowing tale of survival and resilience against a brutal regime.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- bleak
- oppressive
- harrowing
- serious movie night
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a gripping, chilling, and visually assured historical prison drama about abused juvenile detainees and revolt.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Bastøy regime uses beatings, humiliation, forced labor, and arbitrary punishment against boys placed in state custody.
Bastøy lies in the Oslo fjord, with winter weather and surrounding water enforcing the boys' separation from society.
Erling's arrival and escape agenda become catalysts for the boys' resistance to the guards and principal.
The freezing Norwegian winter, stark island landscapes, and austere reform-school interiors reinforce the film's chilling atmosphere.
Films like King of Devil's Island, and why
The Magdalene Sisters
historical prison drama centered on institutional cruelty, resistance, and oppressed young people
In the Name of the Father
harrowing historical drama about abusive authority, forced labor, and collective revolt
Sleepers
isolated institutional setting, severe discipline, and youth resistance under authoritarian control
A Prophet
bleak prison drama shaped by abuse, survival, and the pursuit of freedom
Movie Details
- Director
- Marius Holst
- Release Date
- 2010-12-16
- Runtime
- 117 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (287)
Cast
- Stellan Skarsgård
- Benjamin Helstad
- Kristoffer Joner
- Trond Nilssen
- Morten Løvstad
- Daniel Berg
- Odin Gineson Brøderud
- Magnar Botten
- Magnus Langlete
- Markus
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Viaplay Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is King of Devil's Island about?
- On a frozen Norwegian island, a determined teenage inmate challenges a brutal reform institution that treats delinquent boys as disposable labor.
- What is King of Devil's Island like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of King of Devil's Island as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is King of Devil's Island violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in King of Devil's Island as brutal.
- What did critics think of King of Devil's Island?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a gripping, chilling, and visually assured historical prison drama about abused juvenile detainees and revolt.
- Which films are like King of Devil's Island?
- Films with a similar feel include The Magdalene Sisters, In the Name of the Father, Sleepers, and A Prophet.
- How long is King of Devil's Island?
- King of Devil's Island runs 117 minutes.
- Where can I watch King of Devil's Island?
- In United States, King of Devil's Island streams on Viaplay Amazon Channel.
