Overview
A poignant journey of youth and resilience unfolds as five friends navigate the harsh realities of life.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- lyrical
- surreal
- reflective evening
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a lyrical yet unsentimental coming-of-age road movie that transforms harsh social reality into a visually striking and hopeful journey.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The five boys leave Medellín and travel toward an inherited rural property while pursuing the possibility of a freer life.
The boys’ street existence and exclusion remain brutally concrete even as the film adopts delirious and surreal visual energy.
Its protagonists are street children whose search for a place in the world drives the journey.
David Gallego’s cinematography emphasizes the poignant beauty and splendor of the Colombian jungle.
Films like The Kings of the World, and why
Pixote
Raw coming-of-age drama centered on marginalized youth, friendship, and a difficult journey toward freedom.
The Motorcycle Diaries
Poetic road movie about young outsiders, social exclusion, and searching for belonging.
The Milk of Sorrow
Lyrical Latin American drama combining social trauma, displacement, and intimate character relationships.
Central Station
Socially conscious road drama where youthful characters confront harsh realities through a transformative journey.
Movie Details
- Director
- Laura Mora
- Release Date
- 2022-10-13
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (90)
Cast
- Carlos Andres Castañeda
- Brahian Acevedo
- Davinson Florez
- Cristian Campaña
- Cristian David
- Luis Eduardo Benjumea
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Kings of the World about?
- Five Medellín street youths embark on a poetic, perilous journey through Colombia in search of freedom, dignity, and a place to belong.
- What is The Kings of the World like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Kings of the World as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Kings of the World violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Kings of the World as mild.
- What did critics think of The Kings of the World?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a lyrical yet unsentimental coming-of-age road movie that transforms harsh social reality into a visually striking and hopeful journey.
- Which films are like The Kings of the World?
- Films with a similar feel include Pixote, The Motorcycle Diaries, The Milk of Sorrow, and Central Station.
- How long is The Kings of the World?
- The Kings of the World runs 111 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Kings of the World?
- In United States, The Kings of the World streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
