The Mountain Kings

If you thought 2020 couldn't get any crazier, then you haven't seen "The Mountain Kings".

There is a scene in the middle of the movie with two meth junkies that was so gripping and raw that it made my skin tingle. Multiple times I felt mentally terrified and emotionally assaulted. The girl drug addict they assault reminded me of sister (no my sister isn't a drug addict) and I was genuinely fearful for her safety. There was a serious intensity to her performance here in this scene that made me feel devastated at times.

I suspect that this is going to be one of those movies that gets a lot of attention for how shocking some of the scenes are. There is indeed a lot of realistic violence going on, drug use, nudity and terror in general, but it never glamorizes any of it. It keeps it ugly, in the same sense that "Requiem For A Dream" made drug use look horrific, this movie has the same kind of effect but is done in a much different and much darker way.

The main character was a true force of nature. He was creepy and scary and his entire performance gave me the willies. Job well done.

I watch a TON of gruesome, strange horror movies so I was skeptical going into this one blind. After watching it I feel like now I need therapy, like I just survived a crisis and am still in shock.

In my perspective, it's all about the actors chosen, and their performance. And I must say they didn't disappoint! In fact I think they all do an excellent job turning what could have been a disastrous endeavor into one very well done! I've never heard of any of the actors before but they definitely rocked it!

In general I think this movie is a great essay on evilness and Human's perversity. It's really sadistic, from the psychological point of view, and worst of all, it offers no chance to the victims to escape, from the beginning!

It's really a cat-mouse game where we know who will win... Evil! Since the beginning we see that evilness will triumph over goodness in this film. There's no chance to escape from it.Because evil also triumphs too many times in "real life", and the "heroes" that we're always watching in movies don't exist in a great number out there.

This film will keep you frightened and glued to your seat. Because one thing that this film is NOT, is predictable. It also contains a surprise scene that temporarily shifts into the realm of fantasy, which further bends minds and entertains the audience.

Dear everyone who had anything to do with making this movie;

I am charging you with battery. You have mentally assaulted me. You'll be hearing from my lawyer.

The clockwork orange vibe intrigued me and was drawn into seeing the film. Myself and the 2 people I watched this with love movies. We love thrillers, and we love horrors and suspense. We even love B horror and spoof comic horror. Unfortunately this movie effectively fails at all of these. it managed to remain devoid of anything funny. Sometimes a movie is so bad its funny. This couldn't even do that.

It attempts to shock and presents itself as pushing the limits. A partial list of movies that have accomplished what this movie attempts: For making us identify with a sadist and scenes of shocking violence "A Clockwork Orange" For jarring us by breaking the fourth wall and horrific violence, "Goodfellas". For cruel and dismissive homicide, Mickey & Mallory in "Natural Born Killers". For holding up a mirror to the USA, "There will be Blood".

The acting was the only thing that was convincing and above average. The young, lead psychopath was spot on. His character's girlfriend in the movie is good as the more sexually and mindlessly vicious of the two. The kidnap victim is great. She does an outstanding job of portraying wide wild-eyed terror. It was miserable though to watch. The gang's Uber-Wimp lackey was relatable, since like him, I didn't want to be there either.

There is some resonance to this movie, but not the good kind, it's more of an ugliness, a feeling of shame and a feeling of getting betrayed by believing that there could be something redeeming from the experience.

Let me preface the following with these facts about myself : I have a majors in both behavioral and abnormal psychology and have been a clinical social worker for several years. I also love strange and obscure pieces of horror cinema, especially things that are challenging and non-mainstream, and I belong to a number of forums on the subject, which is where I discovered this hidden gem.

The movie begins with a literal backyard book burning, symbolizing the death of art ("entertainment"), which sets the tone for the coming bender of anarchy.

The protagonist, Paxton, lashes out at those who show a lack of appreciation for such entertainments. In his mind he wants to save the world and he thinks that a good start is to show the world that there is "another side to reality" (as he says in the film) , by taking a video camera out into the world and documenting a malicious crime spree, but in the stark black & white reality he inhabits he is actually, and quite frighteningly, a dangerous psychopath.

He is prone to random outbursts of violence, yet he can barely contain his unbridled enthusiasm for creating something unique combined with a thirst for savage beauty and he sees himself as a metaphorical "dragon trying to save the world". I feel like there is a strange music going on that only he can hear. Like a joke where you're the only one who thinks it's funny because you came up with it. The actor portraying Paxton did an incredible job here. He is often times soft-spoken, considerate and thoughtful in his remarks. But at other times, which is the majority of the time, he is a mad dog. I completely bought his performance, he often took interactions with other characters to an extreme or unexpected place and he made me uncommonly uncomfortable more than a few times.

Paxton is joined by two cohorts, a depraved and detached femme fatale named Consider, and the moral compass of the movie, Miller. Sort of a "devil and angel" on Paxton's shoulders kind of relationship. Consider routinely suggests horrific ideas of torment while Miller remains mostly passive and just wants to go home.

Consider (an interesting name choice) is the polar opposite of Miller. She represents Paxton's Id, the "devil on his shoulder". At one point, Consider gleefully blows bubbles at the main victim and often sexualizes repulsive situations, aided by her use of inhalants most commonly found in sex clubs, to induce eroticism and shutter inhibitions.

Miller has probably the hardest job here, trying to talk Paxton out of murder. The character also serves as a source for most of the moments of exposition and explanation. He wants nothing to do with the ensuing murders but doesn't really do anything to remove himself from the situation. He goes along to get along, sadly the mentality of much of the masses today.

It's not long before mayhem and murder happen, actually it's about 5 minutes in and we are witnessing our first mass murder of the movie.

Their kidnap victim, Emily, represents purity at stake. Innocence to be lost. She works at a video game store that the terrible trio enter looking for "new games". Things quickly escalate once inside the store, and after a scene with a mother taken from her son and murdered in another room, the gang (with the exception of Miller) decides to "kill them all", and thus begins the second mass murder of the movie. Paxton with his sledgehammer and Consider with her gun coldbloodly kill each unfortunate customer, but Paxton decides to leave the now motherless child alive to tell their tale, in an homage to Mickey & Mallory in "Natural Born Killers".

This whole sequence at the video game store was raw and intense and left me gasping for air afterward.

After a brief stop at a cemetery, they take their kidnap victim inside of a building. An institution that Paxton claims to work at, but perhaps in reality (and more believably considering his actions) a patient/inmate instead.

They begin to play a game with their "prey", creatively called "Catch & Release", by letting her loose and then hunting her down. Which is effectively just another form of torment by giving the victim a sense of false hope before bringing down the literal hammer.

They eventually encounter a couple of drug addicts living inside of an old abandoned wing of the institution. This is where the movie really shows its teeth and almost feels far too real. My husband even had to leave the room at one point during this scene, he was just too squeamish to sit through it.

There are a handful of scenes that take place in a restroom. I found this interesting because a bathroom is typically thought of as a safe place, a sanctuary. This is most certainly not the case here. Rest assured, every time these characters enter a bathroom, something terrible is going to happen.

Quite frankly, I think this movie has the capacity to disturb people out for a variety of reasons. The "hero" of the story is basically a modern monster, a mentally ill product of a morally bankrupt society. Possibly gaining inspiration from Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal of "Joker".

Up until the final experimental Cinéma vérité, Jungean, expressionist moments of the film, the experience feels absolutely authentic. It FEELS like you are watching a video documenting several shocking crimes and vicious acts of extreme violence.

This is not something to be written off as pure exploitation, I believe that the intent was to provoke emotion and stimulate thought, and this really got me thinking. There is something much deeper running underneath the surface here.

The director really shows a strong command for the craft of extreme and experimental. His direction is like a mutant hybrid of Ingmar Bergman and Werner Herzog with the sensibilities of Rob Zombie and a modern day Marques de Sade and I'd be willing to bet he has a background in psychology, whether in practice or as a patient. This was a profound study of human behavior through a dark and disturbingly demented lens. And perhaps in the past the creators would have been imprisoned or worse. But that was then and this is now, and creators of challenging cinema should be celebrated.

The acting was far beyond what you get in many big-budget blockbusters, these actors were committed and it shows. Each one of them had moments to shine and steal a scene. All completely natural and not once did I feel like they were giving anything but genuine performances.

"The House That Jack Built", "Funny Games" and "A Clockwork Orange" are the best comparisons I can come up with to this movie. However, I do not think that this is a movie for mainstream audiences. This would scare the hell out of them. This is a movie meant for fans of challenging ideas of what horror can be, and what it can ultimately do.

This is a tough film to review, as it does everything in its power to deter, dismiss, and disappoint its audience. The truth is, however, that it does do something far more compelling: It remains compelling and does not broadcast a message, it forces you to experience it.

The story is of course disturbing and distressing, extremely strong performances, and highlights the fleeting boundary between reality and fiction. Overall it's a artistic-horror-thriller, raising many serious questions about violence.

I found myself sympathizing for the main victim in this film played by an unknown and exceptional young actress. She was constantly put in further peril for the sake of "entertainment". And for this reason, I was completely enthralled. I was glued to the screen, wondering what the group's exact fate was. It was at that point that I realized, the only way to help them is to turn away and leave the rest to my imagination as it becomes extremely clear just where everything is going.

I couldn't though. It may have been my addiction to violent tension, it could have been sheer curiosity, it could have been anything. However, one thing was certain, I could not deter my fascination. As a result, I witnessed bizarre and brutal events at my own expense.

This is not an easy movie to like, but it's almost impossible to not respect the impact it will have on you. The filmmakers of this have enough of a soul to call a spade a spade when they see one. The spade is that senseless violence devoid of context, moralizing, or affect is outright insulting coming from a society that is one, if not the most violent nations in recent history.