King Cobra

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2:11

King Cobra

2016

1h 32m

Crime

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

50%

Tomatometer

38 Reviews

32%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

It's 2006, YouTube is in its infancy, and internet porn is still behind a paywall. Taking the stage name Brent Corrigan, a fresh-faced, wannabe adult video performer is molded into a star by Stephen, a closeted gay porn mogul who runs the skin flick empire Cobra Video from his seemingly ordinary suburban home. But as Brent's rise and demands for more money put him at odds with his boss, he also attracts the attention of a rival producer and his unstable lover.

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Kristen Lopez

Spectrum Culture

Nov 20, 2017

1.5/5

King Cobra takes an interesting true crime and covers it in exploitative sex, pedophilic overtures and acting that would make a high school drama teacher cringe.

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Matthew Lickona

San Diego Reader

Nov 3, 2016

2/5

Though based on a true story, it's presented with none of a docudrama's ragged, lumpy oddity: the narrative is on the lean side, but as taut and burnished as the bodies it depicts.

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Godfrey Cheshire

RogerEbert.com

Oct 29, 2016

2/4

King Cobra smells more like business plan than a movie.

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Joe Lipsett

The Queer Gaze (Podcast)

Jan 15, 2026

Christian Slater is the MVP in Justin Kelly's melodramatic, semi-salacious, occasionally erotic true crime adaptation. It's become difficult to watch Franco queer bait in the intervening years.

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Ben Turner

The Pink Lens

Sep 2, 2021

2/5

There is definitely a great film to be made about the gay porn industry, but unfortunately, King Cobra is not it.

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Jason Adams

The Film Experience

Jul 6, 2021

King Cobra is killer. Funny, sexy, and bottomlessly absurd, a wall-fly's view of the ass-smacks of the perfectly self-involved

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Ebrima S

@RT63662636 Aug 9, 2026

Worst movie ever This movie sucks to the lowest ciore its just sex exploitative sex in the way it was shot and not about actual exploitation sex

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Liam D

@Mediawatcher2003 Sep 26, 2024

It’s got a good cast and it’s well made but it feels like exploration than an actual movie

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Alec B

@Alec97 Jan 3, 2024

The film is grasping for something truthful to say, although it never quite reaches that level. The character's motivations are just too muddled.

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Jan 19, 2021

bad script, more like a 1970's film than more recent one.

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Aug 10, 2020

This 1 star is for Christian Slater. Not for his role in this movie but only for Mr. Robot. If you are going to make a movie about gay porn, maybe hire actual gay actors instead of James Franco who is trying to 'act gay'. The only thing believable about this film is that Christian Slater's character would get murdered (spoiler). Do not recommend, especially when you want to watch something with your parents. P.S: I have sent all the actors (except for Sir Slater) a payment request for my wasted and delicate time. No.

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Jan 31, 2020

Omg this movie was so good! I have seen it many times and want to watch it again. My boyfriend and I loved it, and want to see more movies like it!

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Justin Kelly

Director

Garrett Clayton

Sean Paul Lockhart

Christian Slater

Stephen

Alicia Silverstone

Janette

Molly Ringwald

Amy

Keegan Allen

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King Cobra: Trailer 1

2:11

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Synopsis

It's 2006, YouTube is in its infancy, and internet porn is still behind a paywall. Taking the stage name Brent Corrigan, a fresh-faced, wannabe adult video performer is molded into a star by Stephen, a closeted gay porn mogul who runs the skin flick empire Cobra Video from his seemingly ordinary suburban home. But as Brent's rise and demands for more money put him at odds with his boss, he also attracts the attention of a rival producer and his unstable lover.

Director: Justin Kelly
Producer: James Franco, Vince Jolivette, Scott Levenson, Jordan Yale Levine, Shaun Sanghani
Screenwriter: Justin Kelly
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: SSS Entertainment, IFC Films, Yale Productions, Rabbit Bandini Productions, Digital Ignition Entertainment
Genre: Crime, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 21, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 14, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $28.5K
Runtime: 1h 32m

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