User reviews

Producer, writer, director and co-star Kevin Grevioux makes his directorial debut with this film, and he did a better job with that, than using his writing experience to come up with a better screenplay. There's some decent action sequences, but sadly, most are overshadowed by Grevioux's horrible cinematography choices. I don't mind bold colors and high contrast to make a film feel animated in a comic book sort of way, but when you dial down the brightness, all a viewer sees are paint color splashes amongst shadowy backgrounds. Even the daylight scenes were too dark. This is amateur-hour filmmaking and makes for a frustrating viewer experience. Then you have his screenplay which is a knock-off of every assassin movie ever made, that was predictable, convoluted, cliched and generic. The normally comfortable 92 min runtime felt never ending with unnecessary sub-plots and ridiculous side-characters. Aside from the decent twist and best action parts towards the ending, the rest of the main narrative was repetitive, exhausting, unimaginative and dull. It's a generous 4/10 all going to Grillo's excellent and best performance of all the characters, albeit he deserves to be in much better films instead of these bottom bin B-films.

"So the king does bleed."

King of Killers is directed by Kevin Grevioux in his directorial debut and stars Alain Moussi, Marie Avgeropoulous, Georges St Pierre, Frank Grillo and Stephen Dorff.

Shot in Canada back in early 2022 King Of Killers is the directorial debut of Kevin Grevioux who is mostly well known for being a producer on stuff like I Frankenstein and the Underworld movies with Kate Bekinsdale. Adapted from the comic book of the same name Marcus Garan's (Alain Moussi) worlds combine where his assassin life mixes with his personal which leads to his wife getting killed. Now left as a single father to a daughter who is having medical issues Marcus with nothing left to lose decides to take a 10 million dollar job to take out Drakos (Frank Grillo) who has the title of "king of killers."

This is a very basic assassin movie and unfortunately Kevin Grevioux as writer, director and an actor here doesn't necessarily excel at any of his jobs. For an action assassin movie this is kind of boring with a lot of scenes of people just sitting and standing around talking instead of you know fighting. This also is very predictable. Gang of killers try to take out the best and they all get killed one by one until suprise suprise it's only Alain Moussi and Frank Grillo in the end.

Oh and if you thought this movie dropped the "who killed my wife" revenge plot it comes back at the tail end of this. If you were wondering why Stephen Dorff signed up for this when he only has 5 minutes of screentime that were likely phoned in from his hotel room this movie gives you an answer at the end and sets up a sequel that sounds much more interesting and promising than what we got here. Certainly a watchable B movie that is elevated by Frank Grillo but whether the sequel set up at the end of this will ever see the light of day is another question all together.

As someone who has hardly watched hitman movies, I would say King of Killers is just borderline watchable (or so-bad-it's-good to some). It bombards viewers with stereotypical plot points that we've had enough of in this genre. Name one and it's most likely in the film. On top of that, many could have guessed the plotline just by the title alone. King of Killers clearly doesn't offer anything innovative nor does it try to revamp the genre. It just wants to look cool. Seeing Frank Grillo play the over-the-top villain was enjoyable, however. Another positive thing about King of Killers is that any movie watched after it would feel 10 times better.

It's my first review, I guess. I'm not quiet sure why I'm so eager to get this of my chest. Maybe it's because I pitty Frank Grillos fate in this movie. He is probably the best villain I encountered in the last few movies. But the remaining cast ... oh boy. The main Protagonist is a really good martial artist - I guess. His acting skills however made me want to fast forward to the next brawl. They really are quite good! The support characters are nothing to worry about, but do not shine ether. At this point you most certainly got a good picture of what it feels like to watch "king of killers". The plot is straight forward but not in the good way. During some passages it is confusing or to be precise not making ANY sense. Example: At some point they team up, just to get separated 30 seconds later. But the situation somehow makes it impossible for 3 of the best assassins worldwide a) to know who is on which floor or b) to just freakin say something to each other. Like "I found the freakin bad guy". Seriously? I could rumble on like this for hours.

For the sake of fairness: I watched it not in english, but I doubt it would make ANY difference.

So 4 out of 10. Recommended just for martial art ... for fans of a good brawl.

The movie starts off slow for the first hour. I'd like to say it gets better, but it's just not the case. If you're looking for a movie to keep you entertained, this is not the one. Very slow moving and it's obvious the budget is low. The action scenes are few and far between and when there is an action scene it's very lacking and not attention driven. Was hoping for a better film, but don't waist your time unless you're in need of a nap. While the plot is appealing the final result leaves much to desire, it's obvious the lack of martial arts experience from the actors. I was hoping for two thumbs up, but unfortunately it falls flat on its face.

I don't ask much from action movies, just a simple, coherent story and good action scenes. Don't get me wrong, I love when they actually develop in something more than just action, with a solid plot and interesting characters, but I can have fun and still feel satisfied with less. And yet, this one fails to reach even that basic standard.

Having seen the cast, I thought good action scenes were basically a guarantee, but that's not the case, with a lot of wasted opportunities. I mean, the action is mostly ok, but looking at the names they could have done way better.

Most actors performances are terrible, with delivery that sounds like a middle school show (maybe first takes?), and they are not helped by a script that makes little sense (and again feels like a first draft).

Even basic things like proper lighting is sub-standard and the few CGI effects are abysmal (the blue light/smoke scene is... wow...). I've honestly seen better on a 5K$ budget.

I'm left with only one question: why?

This is definitely no Oscar winning film; however, it holds entertainment value for sure. Its a sit back and watch some meatheads kill each other kind of flick. The acting outside of Stephen Dorf, Frank Grillo and the protagonist is not professional.

If you are looking for an hour and a half of mindless gunslinging and martial arts this might be for you. The happy 'family' moments showing how happy the protagonist is before his family gets wrecked is predictable and skippable.

If you can look beyond all of that and are just here for the fights then you might be good with this one. They seem to have also set it up for a sequel, but don't hold your breath on that one. 6/10.

Hitman Marcus Garan (Alain Moussi) gets recruited to join the best assassins in the world on a job. It is revealed that their target is the most elusive and yet unseen assassin Jorg Drakos (Frank Grillo). Then their employer reveals that he is Jorg Drakos and he intends to prove that he is the best.

The concept is actually kind of fun. Whatever potential it has is lost with really bland filmmaking. It's all rather boring. There is some fighting, some gun play, and some action. Everything in between is a lot of nothingness. The acting is poor. The writing is bland. It is a bad B-movie action thriller.

This movie proves that making a movie "just like John Wick" is as easy as riding a bicycle.

Except the bicycle has no wheels. The pedals are bent. The bike is on fire. You're on fire. The world is on fire.

This movie should be shown in every film school on Hollywood as a good example why one should NEVER cast themselves in a key role in a film they both wrote and directed. You are going to end up saying some of the dumbest lines ever written in all seriousness while the audience kills themselves laughing.

We watched this with our son and his fellow friends with LA Sheriffs Department and it ended up, not surprising, as a drinking game. One sip every time they did something laughably stupid in the movie and I think they were all looped by about the first hour. We were hoping it would get better near the end. No, it got worse.

My favorite scene was when they assassins were all hit in the chest with a laser dot, and - like every stupid, low budget action movie ever made - they all looked down.

In real life it would have been easy to track the progress of every killer by all the live ammunition they left lying on the ground. A shotgun was pumped FIVE times before it was shot once ... TWICE in the film. The magic Mossberg with the four-round magazine that was fired a total of 32 rounds without reloading. The visual effect muzzle flashes that were so low rent, they didn't even bother lining them up with the actual muzzle or differentiate the shape with the direction the gun was pointed. The plastic guns from the local dollar store where they didn't even try to hide the BB gun barrel.

I don't know where this movie was made but it was pretty obvious to all of us that they couldn't afford a technical advisor and they hired an armorer who's only qualification must be that he watched the Simpsons episode where Homer joins the NRA.

Read all the reviews here that report actors taking themselves WAY too serious, a really bad script, awful direction and cartoon-like actions. Take heart. You were warned.

Mind you, we watched it until the end. Thankfully, we had enough places for our son and his friends to sleep because none of them could drive home after the "King" of drinking games in watching for stupidity in scenes.

If you want a bit of fighting and action fill your boots. Doesn't feel like a blockbuster with a high budget but I like the two main guys the one from boss level and the other from a kickboxer film, both believable action figures and good in their roles. The action starts quickly and just keeps going with some nasty crunches and moves along the way. It's never going to win any awards but I'm already excited about the hinted sequel. The other characters are also entertaining some of the world's worst or if you prefer best assassin's all with different fighting and hunting styles so it has some variation some preferring guns others blades.

If you seen the movie Accident Man with Scott Adkins, well you gonna watch this and just be baffle how similar the 2 movies are with a bit of The Raid thrown into it. I kept telling myself "this would just be so much better if it was Michael Jai White, Amy Johnston, Ray Park and obviously Scott himself.

Alain Moussi is a very competent martial arts actor, and i enjoyed him in Kickboxer reboots, especially the second, and he is coming from a stuntman background, so it hurt for me to be negative toward this movie as obviously the budget must had been pretty low and im sure they did it with passion.

But i got to call it as it is and i think i am very generous to give it a 6 out of 10 on IMDB and a 3 stars on Letterboxd if only because ultimately i didn't dislike the movie, it was "ok", so ill still give it the yellow heart.

The issue is beside Alain Moussi, most actors in this are not from an on screen martial arts background. Frank Grillo is a good B movie actor, i like him, but don't expect him to pull out amazing fights. They got George St. Pierre, former UFC/MMA champion, and they use him in a ...gun fight? Not fist fight? Why?

Ultimately where the movie really loose points for me is how much the fights are filmed in a way to hide the fact that most of these peoples are really not used to film martial arts. Scenes are dark, flashy lights and fast jump cuts, at times i felt like i was watching a Steven Seagal movie.

There is a few competent fight scenes, but for a movie that is paper thin when it comes to plot and rely simply on this "Raid style" floor of boss fights, you would expect better action.

As i said above, i didn't hate it, i didn't looked at my phone or anything, but i just kept telling myself that for the peoples involved in this, it should had been much better, and ultimately some roles should had been casted differently.

I am someone very easy to please when it comes to action movies, especially Martial Arts movie, so for me it pass on the verge, but i would only "half recommand it" to the die hard fans of the genre. Peoples who seen everything like me and just want something new. But for others who watch a movie once a week or less, there is much better stuff to watch.

The movie is 1 and a half hour, and it only starts to get going around the hour mark.. with too much preamble that isn't worth the wait.

But if you enjoy scarce "stock" cinematic shots of cities, with vibrant sun-showered colors and clarity that don't match the rest of the movie.. you might take something out of it. Otherwise, prepare yourselves for incredibly awful and long-winded villain dialogue, obscured dull action, bad CGI squibs, generic sound mixing and crappy editing (particularly the 90s TV transitions), a charmless band of boring assassins and an unsatisfying dumb ending.

The premise of an Assassin's tournament could have been fun if done well.. but by defining a main character with a tragic backstory that pushes him forward makes for bad storytelling in such context. Not to mention their plans for a sequel that is probably not happening! Not to say that the story going forward wouldn't be enticing at all.

Too cheap in all departments, can't recommend anyone waste their time.

Once again, the protagonist assumes the role of a skilled assassin - he possesses extraordinary prowess, akin to that of a gentle feline. His idyllic existence is supplemented by a loving family and a devoted spouse. However, there lies a twist; he takes pleasure in executing his victims in crowded public spaces, where all can bear witness. Specifically, he finds solace in discharging firearms within dimly lit bars during nighttime hours. An interesting paradox ensues, for within night bars, the concussive sounds of gunfire vanish into obfuscation, rendering the acts seemingly imperceptible. The night bar conveniently facilitates a clandestine haven for these grim occurrences. Implicit in the sarcasm, it becomes evident that one can already ascertain the nature of this cinematic production. Are you aware of its premise? It revolves around an aesthetically handsome performer, his finesse in wielding pistols showcased in grandeur. Perhaps, some might perceive this storyline as a stroke of brilliance, attributable to its unpredictability, breathtaking nature and unparalleled uniqueness. Yet, personally, I find the film to be exceptionally dim-witted, ingraining a sense of profound apathy within viewers after its conclusion.

So what if it (this type of movie) has been done before?!

It is mildly to above-averagely entertaining in a cliched sometimes cheesy way entertaining, the acting is acceptable, the fights choreography done very good, the score more or less rocking and fitting, the flow though not bright is nice for an action, martial arts movie and the ending opens path for a sequel.

So, in the end, you get what you are served, no more no less. You choose to watch this, you expect what's in it and that may make you unhappy, yet you proceed forward and expect 'Out of Africa' ?!

• Screenplay/storyline/plots: 4.5
• Development: 7
• Realism: 6
• Entertainment: 5.5
• Acting: 6
• Filming/photography/cinematography: 7
• VFX: 8
• Music/score/sound: 6.5
• Depth: 5.5
• Logic: 3.5
• Flow: 6
• Action/crime/mystery/thriller: 6
• Ending: 5.

The 2023 movie "King of Killer", from writer and director Kevin Grevioux, was one I hadn't heard about. But as I happened to stumble upon it by random luck here in 2024, of course I opted to watch it.

First of all, the movie's cover had a particular late 1980s and early 1990s feel to it, which drew me in. And seeing that Frank Grillo was on the cast list, certainly helped to make me watch the movie as well.

The storyline in "King of Killers" was adequate. It was a bit on the simplistic side. But it made for an adequate enough viewing experience. However, I must say that it is hardly a movie that warrants more than just a single viewing. There wasn't really anything new brought to the screen here, as it has all been seen and done before in other movies, and often more successfully.

The acting performances in the movie were good. I was only familiar with Frank Grillo, Stephen Dorff and Kevin Grevioux on the cast list.

There was a good amount of action throughout the course of the movie, and that is certainly what carried the most of the movie, given the somewhat weak storyline.

Ultimately a watchable movie, but hardly an outstanding or memorable movie.

My rating of "King of Killers" lands on a five out of ten stars.

King of Killers had its moments, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. The film offers some solid action sequences and a few impressive stunts that kept me engaged during its high-octane scenes. The production values are decent, with the fight choreography and set pieces showing a clear effort to deliver on the genre's promises.

However, the movie falls short in several key areas. The plot feels overly familiar, relying on well-worn tropes that make the story predictable from the start. Despite the action, the narrative lacks depth and fails to offer anything new or exciting. The characters are rather one-dimensional, and their motivations are often unclear, making it hard to fully invest in their journeys. The film also struggles with pacing issues, with certain scenes dragging on and others feeling rushed.

Overall, King of Killers provides a few thrills but doesn't manage to stand out in a crowded genre. It's a decent watch if you're a fan of action flicks and enjoy some good fight scenes, but it lacks the originality and depth to make it truly memorable.