El rey de la montaña

The "hunting humans" formula is one of the oldest (ever since the magnificent "The Most Dangerous Game" in 1933) but still most effective formulas in horror/suspense cinema. The creators of "El Rey de la Montaña" clearly were very much aware of that and, additionally, this instant sleeper cult-hit from Spain even feature the atmosphere of a genuine early 70's backwoods survival shocker. This is one of the greatest and most intensely disturbing chillers to have come out in Europe in last ten years or so, and that is saying a lot because Europe is the most flourishing continent for the horror genre at the moment. Although working from a very basic and rudimentary script director Gonzalo López-Gallego keeps his film surprising and totally unpredictable, mainly thanks to some shocking story revelations, very atypical character drawings and a sublime use of the desolate filming locations. On his way to his ex-girlfriend, Quim meets an attractive young girl named Bea and has sex with her in the gas station's toilet. Her love, however, isn't very sincere as she steals Quim's wallet and goes away. He searches for her in the mountainous countryside, but his chase comes to an abrupt end when an invisible shooter (or shooters) fires at his car. Now he and Bea will have to work together in order to stay alive and, on top of everything, deal with distrustful policemen and survive the robust landscape. "King of the Hill" is a uniquely versatile film. The camera alternately follows the preys as well as the hunters, the latter from first-person-shooter perspective like often used in video games, and I don't think you are supposed to feel connected with any of them. There simply aren't any heroes in this story. Quim is a stalker and a coward, Bea is a thief and a tramp, and just wait until you see who the marksmen are and what their motivations to hunt people down are exactly. The film contains relatively few graphic violence or raw images. The shock-impact merely relies on the unexpected plot twists and the truly astounding locations. Not since "Deliverance" has there been another movie that managed to make nature look so menacing! I'm not entirely sure if the movie was intended as criticism towards the increasing amount of violence featuring in video games and how far this negatively influences our children, but it's first and foremost a nail-biting thriller that also messes with you head. At the end of the film, you don't know who to root for anymore and so many questions remain unanswered, but presumably that's part of the power of this perplexing tense thriller. Watch this guaranteed future cult classic as soon as you can, but – please – be careful not to read too many reviews, news articles or interviews with cast and crew before you do, as a lot of these reveal essential plot twists.

Until I saw this film I read good comments, but was pretty much disappointed thereafter. What I expected is to see a decent movie of the genre underlined. What I saw is something similar to cinema-verite feature film. Camera tries to follow the action as it is for real while director is pretty much ignoring everything else. The plot, character development and even action itself. Feature film should bring you the recreation of the fiction or event, not the event itself as unlike watching documentary we don't know previously mentioned things: the participants, the action and what is going on between (them). Film looks like amateurish director debut to me and what is nice to be mentioned about this film are some really nice shots, and only that. 3 out of 10, if you ask me.

A young attractive pair of angsty travellers meet exceedingly cutely in a service station toilet, and mishaps, cruelty, duplicity, and violent bloody slaughter ensue, as our querulously conjoined protagonists are sinisterly stalked by maddeningly elusive, increasingly psychopathic gunmen! The nerve fraying, ruthlessly pared to the bone King of The Hill remains a bullet-paced, diabolically effective viewing experience. Lean, and scalpel-edged, Gonzalo Lopez-Gellego's exhilaratingly mean-spirited Spanish shocker is a brutally direct, grimly effective, wildly compelling thriller. Once the beleaguered couple Quim (Leonardo Sbaraglia) and Bea (Maria Valverde) run pell-mell for their very lives, massively hindered by an unforgivingly raw, yet ruggedly beautiful mountainous landscape, the already stark film takes an enjoyably grisly turn into warped 70s video nasty territory! Electric performances, an atmospheric score, Lopez-Gellego's muscular filmmaking, and a twisted climax make this nigh on essential viewing.

Made in 2007 this Spanish film is one that went under the radar which was a shame. It is all about a man imaginatively called 'Quim' - pronounced 'Keem' but still a cracking name. He is off to meet his ex girlfriend and try to put back his failed relationship back together, when he stops to fill up his car with petrol. There he has an encounter with a young and very light fingered young lady. He then heads off up this lonely mountain road.

Then out of the blue he gets shot at - despite owning a Volvo (with an NCAP rating of 4 I believe) he still gets hit. Only after he tries to leave does he realise what real trouble he is in.

Now there are a few plot holes here or rather some loose ends that I have only really realised on reflection. The plot is basic but the reveal or should I say reveals are good enough to prompt more than at least a couple of raised eyebrows. Good performances all round too; please note this is not a horror in the sense of blood and gore but more of a psychological thriller type. In Spanish with good sub titles - a film for those who really do like their films to be off the beaten track.

Brilliant. Gripping, and not at all predictable. Not simply a violence-in-the-wilderness thriller, characters are developed and both sides of the story examined. The hero is flawed, and the whole movie feels "real", like you're right there with the protagonists.

The use of first-person-shooter angles was a stroke of genius, and showed the shooters' mindsets.

Cinematography was great, editing perfect, acting very good. Very engaging, solid script.