King Cobra
IFC Films | Release Date: October 21, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
48
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
8
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
IndieWireDavid EhrlichApr 18, 2016
At heart, King Cobra compellingly traces the palpable tension between the performative nature of gay porn and the privacy of queer shame. Read full review
80
CineVueMatthew AndersonOct 25, 2016
Beneath the veneer of fake tan, rippling muscles and feigned ecstasy lies a striking amount of heart, soul and sincerity of emotion. Read full review
80
TheWrapDan CallahanApr 18, 2016
Movies don’t get much juicier, funnier, creepier, sadder, or smarter than writer-director Justin Kelly‘s King Cobra. Read full review
75
The Film StageJohn FinkApr 27, 2016
King Cobra is a lurid piece of business that, at times, goes gleefully over the top while lacking the kind of gut punch you might expect in the film’s third act. Read full review
70
We Got This CoveredMatt DonatoOct 22, 2016
King Cobra has the intensity, excitement and poison every thriller needs, and wild, engaging performances to boot. Read full review
70
Screen DailyGraham FullerApr 18, 2016
Justin Kelly’s King Cobra bears the distinction of being the first optimistic black comedy set in the world of gay porn production that’s also extremely classy. Read full review
67
ConsequenceNico LangApr 27, 2016
King Cobra is a movie that’s just good enough to make you wish it were even better. Read full review
50
The Seattle TimesJohn HartlNov 3, 2016
Franco makes the most of his showy scenes, and Garrett Clayton (known for “Teen Beach Movie” and other shows from the Disney Channel) is a convincing hunk. But only Christian Slater’s lonely voyeur suggests what “King Cobra” might have been. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comGodfrey CheshireOct 28, 2016
Is it a real film, or a feature that uses the porn milieu to turn out a piece of softcore titillation that’s halfway between porn and actual drama? No doubt some of the film’s makers and defenders would argue for the former. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleOct 27, 2016
Slater has some effective moments and Franco excels at a certain kind of scary/funny psycho, but it doesn’t ultimately add up to much as either pulpy trash or exposé. Read full review
50
ObserverRex ReedOct 19, 2016
King Cobra is a cut above most homoerotic masturbatory screen fantasies, but not by much. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeOct 19, 2016
Kelly spends so long establishing these two relationships, looking at the gifts and the internet fame and the inevitable possessiveness, that he has little time for the developments that might've turned a better paced version of this story into a true-crime nailbiter. Read full review
40
The New York TimesStephen HoldenOct 20, 2016
To say it feels reasonably authentic doesn’t mean it’s very good. Mr. Kelly, who directed the well-received “I Am Michael,” starring Mr. Franco as a Christian pastor with a gay past, clearly knows the territory, but he barely skims the surface. Read full review
40
Village VoicePete Vonder HaarOct 19, 2016
The unique setting aside, there's just not much to sink your fangs into. Read full review
40
VarietyPeter DebrugeApr 18, 2016
King Cobra is all smut and no soul, a tacky, superficially titillating reunion between Franco and “I Am Michael” director Justin Kelly. Read full review
0
Slant MagazineDiego SemereneOct 18, 2016
It’s difficult to find a reason for the film's existence beyond a spoiled platform for James Franco's ersatz boldness. Read full review
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