The King

"The devil made me do it."

2006 1h 45m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 74

DramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When Elvis Valderez is honourably discharged from the Navy, he heads to the small Texas town of Corpus Christi, where he introduces himself to Pastor David Sandow, his long-lost father, soon becoming a stalwart member of the church.

“The devil made me do it.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Gael García Bernal
Elvis Valderez
William Hurt
Pastor David Sandow
Pell James
Malerie
Paul Dano
Paul
Laura Harring
Twyla
Derek Alvarado
Scoot
Monica Peña
Brothel Manager
Milo Addica
Bruno

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: James Marsh
Writers: Milo Addica, James Marsh
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 20 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by James Marsh, shot by Eigil Bryld. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Max Avery Lichtenstein. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jinx Godfrey shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Gael García Bernal and William Hurt and Pell James carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The devil made me do it.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0396688 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

James Marsh directs. Eigil Bryld behind the camera. Max Avery Lichtenstein scores. Jinx Godfrey cuts. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 20 years ago.
2International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
3Directed by James Marsh, shot by Eigil Bryld. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Max Avery Lichtenstein. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Jinx Godfrey shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Gael García Bernal and William Hurt and Pell James carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The devil made me do it.".
8IMDB entry: tt0396688 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 74 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Eigil Bryld
Original score: Max Avery Lichtenstein
Editing: Jinx Godfrey
Production design: Sharon Lomofsky
Costume design: Lee Hunsaker
Makeup / hair: Catherine Conrad
Runtime: 105 min · 1h 45m
Status: Released
Box office: $757,310
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The King (2006)

Also by

James Marsh

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2026-03-09
★ 6/10
When “Elvis” (Gael García Bernal) is honourably discharged from his naval duties, he sets off to find his birth father “Dave” (William Hurt) who is a church minister with an whole new family, and whom he has never met. Initially his father is terrified that the revelation that he has a son out of wedlock, who is now in his twenties, will cost him everything so he asks “Elvis” to keep his distance. He, however, has other plans and those include seducing his sixteen year old half-sister “Malerie” (Pell James); ensuring his half-brother “Paul” (Paul Dano) doesn’t clutter up the proceedings for too long and then causing his father to have to have a rethink about his relationship with both his Lord and his newly acquired son. Hemmed in by his religious conviction and family obligations, what chance “Dave” can be won over? I think my biggest issue with this rather disappointing drama is that GGB just doesn’t seem right for the part. He doesn’t exude even the slightest degree of menace as his manipulative and scheming “Elvis” sets about his manoeuvrings. It also doesn’t really help that none of the characters, except perhaps Dano’s, are remotely likeable nor relatable and I rather lost interest as the story seemed to become more and more contrived to seemingly ask us questions about the voracity or relevance of faith. Hurt stands out, especially as the film approaches it’s denouement, but this was just a little too lacking for me, sorry.

Production companies