King of the Hill

"When the world turns upside down, the trick is coming out on top."

1993 1h 43m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

🔥

91%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

7.3

IMDB

★6.8TMDB · 173🍅91%Rotten Tomatoes●86Metacritic★7.3IMDB · 8,970

DramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Based on the Depression-era bildungsroman memoir of writer A. E. Hotchner, the film follows the story of a boy struggling to survive on his own in a hotel in St. Louis after his mother is committed to a sanatorium with tuberculosis. His father, a German immigrant and traveling salesman working for the Hamilton Watch Company, is off on long trips from which the boy cannot be certain he will return.

“When the world turns upside down, the trick is coming out on top.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Jesse Bradford
Aaron Kurlander
Jeroen Krabbé
Mr. Kurlander
Lisa Eichhorn
Mrs. Kurlander
Karen Allen
Miss Mathey
Spalding Gray
Mr. Mungo
Elizabeth McGovern
Lydia
Cameron Boyd
Sullivan
Adrien Brody
Lester

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writers: Steven Soderbergh
Languages: English
Countries: 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

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 15% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

33 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, shot by Elliot Davis. 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 Cliff Martinez. 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 Steven Soderbergh 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

Jesse Bradford and Jeroen Krabbé and Lisa Eichhorn carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "When the world turns upside down, the trick is coming out on top.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0107322 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Steven Soderbergh directs. Elliot Davis behind the camera. Cliff Martinez scores. Steven Soderbergh cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 15% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
233 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Steven Soderbergh, shot by Elliot Davis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Cliff Martinez. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Steven Soderbergh shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Jesse Bradford and Jeroen Krabbé and Lisa Eichhorn carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "When the world turns upside down, the trick is coming out on top.".
8IMDB entry: tt0107322 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 16 themes, including "hotel", "great depression", "canary", "based on memoir or autobiography".