| "A gruesome thriller in the tradition of Deliverance.” |
| |||||
King of the Hill
DVD/APPROX. 85 MINS/2007/SPAIN MA15+
DVD/APPROX. 85 MINS/2007/SPAIN MA15+
8
| All written material is © from 2006 to Present at DVD Resurrections. This website is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The opinions which are expressed within these pages are solely those of DVD Resurrections. No copyright infringement is intended or implied. |
| ||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Have you ever made a wrong turn and found yourself in a situation over which you have no control? If so, then you may be able to identify with
the protagonist of King of the Hill, a new and subtitled Spanish thriller. Driving alone, he loses his wallet to a woman and later turns at an
intersection to follow her, proceeding into the surrounding hills. Soon, he is shot at by a sniper. Speeding away, he is wounded. As the road
turns into a dead end, he bandages his wound but finds himself trapped and stalked by the sniper. He must make his way through the woods in
order to survive, soon finding the woman and fleeing with her. In so doing he must call upon hitherto unknown depths of potential in which he
discovers what he is capable of doing under increasingly adverse and absurd circumstances in order to survive. King of the Hill is about personal
strength and self-reliance – survivalist horror.
The balance of inexplicably hostile human rivalries amidst the beauty of nature is a familiar theme, first explored in such films as Deliverance,
Rituals and Shoot; and through to the likes of The Blair Witch Project and, now, King of the Hill. There is a nervous, tight and ominous
immediacy to King of the Hill, evident in its alteration of hand-held camerawork and quick editing. Though starting slowly it develops into a tense
scenario, captivatingly filmed and reliably acted. In a capable DVD transfer, this autumnal film is an engaging thriller which constantly propels the
viewer forward, embracing what might be termed the horror of losing control. Here: the everyman protagonist is essentially trapped in a world
where the usual rules of civilized conduct have eroded completely, for no apparent reason. A realistically arduous nightmare ensues, and director
Lopez-Gallego captures the intensity of the situation and milks the premise’s natural suspense in jittery close up.
King of the Hill was officially selected for the Toronto and Spanish film festivals in 2007 and 2008 respectively. A harrowing, gripping look at the
tensions a man endures at the mercy of a sniper stalking him for the apparent sport of it, the film is an inventive treat for fans of low-budget
thrillers, proving again that with talent and resources, freshness and creativity can be brought even to the sparsest of familiar situations. With
room for humane character assessment amidst its often rapid thrills, King of the Hill is a worthy entertainment and the DVD release by Asylum is a
rewarding view although the transfer appears grainy, reflecting the film’s low budget origins. For gritty humans-against-the-elements survivalism,
King of the Hill delivers the goods with style and conviction. For what it is, King of the Hill works and the revelation of the sniper is a truly clever
conceit which re-directs the movie’s focus in a most intriguing manner for a devastatingly effective ending which makes one re-imagine what the
movie says about human nature through survivalist allegory: an accomplished film in all respects – one of the hidden joys of recent Asylum DVD
releases and with a bonus making-of documentary.
Well worth checking out.
the protagonist of King of the Hill, a new and subtitled Spanish thriller. Driving alone, he loses his wallet to a woman and later turns at an
intersection to follow her, proceeding into the surrounding hills. Soon, he is shot at by a sniper. Speeding away, he is wounded. As the road
turns into a dead end, he bandages his wound but finds himself trapped and stalked by the sniper. He must make his way through the woods in
order to survive, soon finding the woman and fleeing with her. In so doing he must call upon hitherto unknown depths of potential in which he
discovers what he is capable of doing under increasingly adverse and absurd circumstances in order to survive. King of the Hill is about personal
strength and self-reliance – survivalist horror.
The balance of inexplicably hostile human rivalries amidst the beauty of nature is a familiar theme, first explored in such films as Deliverance,
Rituals and Shoot; and through to the likes of The Blair Witch Project and, now, King of the Hill. There is a nervous, tight and ominous
immediacy to King of the Hill, evident in its alteration of hand-held camerawork and quick editing. Though starting slowly it develops into a tense
scenario, captivatingly filmed and reliably acted. In a capable DVD transfer, this autumnal film is an engaging thriller which constantly propels the
viewer forward, embracing what might be termed the horror of losing control. Here: the everyman protagonist is essentially trapped in a world
where the usual rules of civilized conduct have eroded completely, for no apparent reason. A realistically arduous nightmare ensues, and director
Lopez-Gallego captures the intensity of the situation and milks the premise’s natural suspense in jittery close up.
King of the Hill was officially selected for the Toronto and Spanish film festivals in 2007 and 2008 respectively. A harrowing, gripping look at the
tensions a man endures at the mercy of a sniper stalking him for the apparent sport of it, the film is an inventive treat for fans of low-budget
thrillers, proving again that with talent and resources, freshness and creativity can be brought even to the sparsest of familiar situations. With
room for humane character assessment amidst its often rapid thrills, King of the Hill is a worthy entertainment and the DVD release by Asylum is a
rewarding view although the transfer appears grainy, reflecting the film’s low budget origins. For gritty humans-against-the-elements survivalism,
King of the Hill delivers the goods with style and conviction. For what it is, King of the Hill works and the revelation of the sniper is a truly clever
conceit which re-directs the movie’s focus in a most intriguing manner for a devastatingly effective ending which makes one re-imagine what the
movie says about human nature through survivalist allegory: an accomplished film in all respects – one of the hidden joys of recent Asylum DVD
releases and with a bonus making-of documentary.
Well worth checking out.
| BUY DVD @ MADMAN.COM.AU |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Search Review Database: |