Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- foreboding
- paranoid
- oppressive
- late night thriller viewing
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's stylish mise-en-scène and intelligent expansion of a Most Dangerous Game-style premise, while finding its social commentary underdeveloped.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Quim becomes lost in a maze of rural lanes and forest paths while gunfire turns the surrounding terrain into a trap.
Quim and Bea join forces to survive but remain suspicious of each other throughout their flight.
The hunting premise supports social commentary beneath the pursuit plot, although the critical reception describes that message as secondary.
Quim is suddenly shot from a hill and forced to flee through the forest without understanding who is hunting him or why.
Films like The King of the Hill, and why
The Most Dangerous Game
shared isolated wilderness setting, hunted protagonists, survival thriller tension, and social allegory
Calibre
shared paranoid pursuit, rural isolation, escalating danger, and stylish thriller construction
Eden Lake
shared survivalist suspense, ambiguous human threat, and bleak social commentary
A Lonely Place to Die
shared stripped-down chase structure, distrust between companions, and oppressive atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- Gonzalo López-Gallego
- Release Date
- 2008-07-16
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (73)
Cast
- Leonardo Sbaraglia
- María Valverde
- Thomas Riordan
- Andrés Juste
- Pablo Menasanch
- Francisco Olmo
- Manuel Sánchez Ramos
Common questions
- What is The King of the Hill about?
- A disoriented driver and a wary stranger form a precarious alliance while anonymous hunters stalk them through a remote Spanish wilderness.
- What is The King of the Hill like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The King of the Hill as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The King of the Hill violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The King of the Hill as graphic.
- What did critics think of The King of the Hill?
- Critics broadly praised the film's stylish mise-en-scène and intelligent expansion of a Most Dangerous Game-style premise, while finding its social commentary underdeveloped.
- Which films are like The King of the Hill?
- Films with a similar feel include The Most Dangerous Game, Calibre, Eden Lake, and A Lonely Place to Die.
- How long is The King of the Hill?
- The King of the Hill runs 90 minutes.
