Kings of the Road
Two solitary men find an uncertain fellowship while repairing forgotten cinemas and drifting through the West German countryside.
Overview
Two men embark on a journey of self-discovery along the winding roads of Germany, finding friendship and purpose.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Glacial
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- meditative
- wistful
- poetic
- reflective evening
- slow cinema viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Wim Wenders's expansive road drama as a formally masterful, atmospheric, and deeply poetic landmark of German art-house cinema, though some find its nearly three-hour length excessive.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Bruno and Robert travel through small towns while their conversations and encounters reveal their inner lives.
The German countryside, roads, cinemas, and border spaces externalize the companions' isolation and search for direction.
Bruno and Robert form an improvised bond while sharing a van, work, meals, and extended travel without a fixed destination.
Bruno repairs projection equipment and visits dilapidated movie theatres, linking the journey to the fading infrastructure of film exhibition.
Films like Kings of the Road, and why
Two-Lane Blacktop
shared contemplative road movie structure, male friendship, alienation, and landscape-driven storytelling
Easy Rider
shared existential road journey, countercultural atmosphere, male companionship, and open-ended freedom
Alice in the Cities
shared european art-house road movie form, emotional displacement, and intimate character encounters
Paris, Texas
shared slow-burn travel narrative, introspective male protagonists, and poetic use of landscape
Movie Details
- Director
- Wim Wenders
- Release Date
- 1976-03-04
- Runtime
- 177 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (152)
Cast
- Rüdiger Vogler
- Hanns Zischler
- Lisa Kreuzer
- Rudolf Schündler
- Marquard Bohm
- Hans Dieter Trayer
- Franziska Stömmer
- Patric Kreuzer
- Wim Wenders
- Peter Kaiser
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion 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 Kings of the Road about?
- Two solitary men find an uncertain fellowship while repairing forgotten cinemas and drifting through the West German countryside.
- What is Kings of the Road like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Kings of the Road as glacial, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Kings of the Road violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Kings of the Road as mild.
- What did critics think of Kings of the Road?
- Critics broadly regard Wim Wenders's expansive road drama as a formally masterful, atmospheric, and deeply poetic landmark of German art-house cinema, though some find its nearly three-hour length excessive.
- Which films are like Kings of the Road?
- Films with a similar feel include Two-Lane Blacktop, Easy Rider, Alice in the Cities, and Paris, Texas.
- How long is Kings of the Road?
- Kings of the Road runs 177 minutes.
- Where can I watch Kings of the Road?
- In United States, Kings of the Road streams on Criterion Channel.
