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King of the Hill (1993)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 8/10
Reviews Counted: 26
Fresh: 25 | Rotten: 1

A subtle, affecting, character-driven coming-of-age story, King of the Hill is one of Steven Soderbergh's best and most criminally overlooked films.

Average Rating: 8/10
Critic Reviews: 8
Fresh: 7 | Rotten: 1

A subtle, affecting, character-driven coming-of-age story, King of the Hill is one of Steven Soderbergh's best and most criminally overlooked films.

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Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 4,094

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Movie Info

Steven Soderbergh, after the success of sex, lies, and videotape and the commercial failure of Kafka, pulls a rabbit out of his hat with this quiet and evocative recollection of a childhood lived in the Depression, based on A. E. Hotchner's memoir. Twelve-year-old Aaron Kurlander (Jesse Bradford) is coming of age in a rotting working class section of St. Louis in 1933. As the film begins, Aaron's family is coming apart at the seams due to the increasingly bleak economy. His father (Jeroen

PG-13, 1 hr. 42 min.

Drama

Directed By: Steven Soderbergh

In Theaters: Sep 1, 1993 Wide

On DVD: Mar 9, 1994

Universal Pictures

King of the Hill Trailer & Photos

Cast

Jesse Bradford
Aaron Kurlander
Jeroen Krabb�
Mr. Kurlander
Lisa Eichhorn
Mrs. Kurlander
Karen Allen
Miss Mathey
Spalding Gray
Mr. Mungo
Elizabeth McGovern
Lydia
Joseph Chrest
Ben
Adrien Brody
Lester
Cameron Boyd
Sullivan
Chris Samples
Billy Thompson
Katherine Heigl
Christina Sebastian
Amber Benson
Ella McShane
John "Spud" McConnell
Patrolman Burns
Ron Vawter
Mr. Desot
John Durbin
Mr. Sandoz
Lauryn Hill
Arletta
Dave Jensen
Front Desk Clerk
Timothy Bottoms
Geraldine Fitzgerald
Kristin Griffith
Mrs. McShane
Remak Ramsay
Principal Stellwater
Don Richard
Mr. Farley
Mak Takano
Mr. Yano
Deborah Aquila
Jesse Zeigler
Jealous Kid

Critic Reviews for King of the Hill

All Critics (30) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (25) | Rotten (1) | DVD (2)

The film does a lovely job of juxtaposing the sharp contrasts in Aaron's life, and in marveling at the fact that he survives as buoyantly as he does.

August 30, 2004 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Janet Maslin

New York Times

Top Critic

A remarkable odyssey about a resilient young hero who uses both his imagination and his sense of reality to survive.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: ReelViews

| Comment

James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Top Critic

With the kind of material you'd never dream of associating with him, Soderbergh has made his best film.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times

| Comment

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

It's his best work by far.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post

| Comment

Desson Thomson

Washington Post

Top Critic

The slow-paced King of the Hill is a feel-good fable in which it's difficult to work up any worry over a boy with clearly unsinkable spirits.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post

| Comment

Richard Harrington

Washington Post

Top Critic

Early Soderbergh family drama is excellent.

April 20, 2007 Comment

Lori Hoffman

Atlantic City Weekly Source: Atlantic City Weekly

This dark, poetic movie is intended as a tribute to the resilient spirit of many Jewish families that had fallen on hard times; Aaron and his survival instincts recall the young protagonists of Mark Twain and Charles Dickens.

December 19, 2006 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

Bradford gives a memorable performance

March 31, 2005 Comment

Clint Morris

Moviehole

Soderbergh's most underrated film and easily his most affecting.

June 11, 2004 Comment

Dan Lybarger

Nitrate Online

Affirms imagination as a character attribute that helps a resilient adolecent to survive in hard times.

August 20, 2002 Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice

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Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality and Practice

One of Soderbergh's Very Best

July 26, 2002 Comment

David Poland

Hot Button

King of the Hill proves that sex, lies, and videotape was no fluke. In fact, this movie is so good that it made me want to take another look at Kafka.

January 9, 2002 Full Review Source: Movieline

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Stephen Farber

Movieline

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for King of the Hill

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Dunno why but it kinda reminded me of Amelie but of course with less sugar which is a good thing

December 11, 2008

Arash Xak

Super Reviewer

A fascinating film, set in the 1930s Depression-era setting about life in St-Louis see it through the eyes of a 12 years old, excellently played by (Aaron) Jesse Bradford. With the Depression in full force, Aaron's once wealthy parents have come to the agreement that the only way to save money and be able to continue

May 5, 2010