I went into this expecting something really good from the high Netflix rating. What a disappointment. This might be a realistic-looking slice of life, but we don't experience much that is truly original or valuable. It's kid-on-kid violence (emotional and physical) and not much more.
Life can be brutal but I don't particularly want to watch it, unless, of course, it's great art. The Japanese masterpiece The Human Condition (Ningen el Joken) is a trilogy of films that depicts the worst aspects of human brutality, but you can take it because you are also aware that you're experiencing something profound. With King Jack I watched a kid get bullied and then finally learn to "take it like a man." It's trite and frankly a little disgusting.
The film wants to impart a message of some kind. I think the scene at the very end is supposed to be seen as a happy ending. We're to believe Jack has evolved emotionally and overcome--or started to overcome--unbelievable obstacles in his life. It feels flimsy and tacked on and I didn't buy it.
I understand why many people liked this film. It has a seductive quality, the actors are good, and the action looks real. And it's pitched as an art movie. But it isn't a good one. If you were sucker punched into liking this movie, I can only suggest you expand your cinematic horizons to find out how much you've been missing.
Life can be brutal but I don't particularly want to watch it, unless, of course, it's great art. The Japanese masterpiece The Human Condition (Ningen el Joken) is a trilogy of films that depicts the worst aspects of human brutality, but you can take it because you are also aware that you're experiencing something profound. With King Jack I watched a kid get bullied and then finally learn to "take it like a man." It's trite and frankly a little disgusting.
The film wants to impart a message of some kind. I think the scene at the very end is supposed to be seen as a happy ending. We're to believe Jack has evolved emotionally and overcome--or started to overcome--unbelievable obstacles in his life. It feels flimsy and tacked on and I didn't buy it.
I understand why many people liked this film. It has a seductive quality, the actors are good, and the action looks real. And it's pitched as an art movie. But it isn't a good one. If you were sucker punched into liking this movie, I can only suggest you expand your cinematic horizons to find out how much you've been missing.