The King Is Alive

The King Is Alive

As the sand shifts... madness nears.

Directed by Kristian Levring

Produced by Zentropa Entertainments, DR

2000110 min5.5 / 10

A bleak, intellectually demanding survival drama where stranded travelers stage King Lear in the desert, using Shakespeare's tragedy as a mirror to their own moral unraveling.

Stranded in the heat of a barren African desert, eleven bus-passengers shelter in the remnants of an abandoned town. As rescue grows more remote by the day and anxiety deepens, an idea emerges: why not stage a play. However the choice of King Lear only manages to plunge this disparate group of travelers into turmoil as they struggle to overcome both nature's wrath and their own morality.

Questions people ask

  • Is The King Is Alive sad? Yes, very. More sad than 91% of films.

  • Does The King Is Alive end with hope? Barely. Less hopeful than 78% of films.

  • Is The King Is Alive scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 72% of films.

  • Is The King Is Alive easy watching? Not especially. Less comforting than 61% of films.

  • Is The King Is Alive violent? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

16/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Conventional, and it does not land.

Rarity52

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise4

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love8

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like The King Is Alive

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as The King Is Alive

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like The King Is Alive, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like The King Is Alive, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like The King Is Alive, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

Share thisXBlueskyReddit